Warping Wheelies!

The AVL Warping Wheel is now on its way!!

I'm certain that I can make the cross-maker myself, and Tien has most generously offered me a tension box!!

Tien mentioned the masking tape as a means of keeping sectional warps in order - and that she prefers the cross maker when she's warping fine threads (which is always, basically ;-).  I then saw a little video on using the Warping Wheel which featured a nice close-up on how to tape the threads using masking tape.  That gives me courage.  I think, though, for warps of very fine threads, say, 60/2 and finer, and especially for slippery organzine warps, a cross is so helpful in keeping the threads in order that I'll use that method as a matter of course.

Watching the video of the AVL Warping Wheel in use also made me realize that even if I were winding non-sectionally on a flat beam, it's useful.  The lady in the video made a nice warp chain, and then she took the warp off of tension and chained it.  So she wasn't actually doing sectional warping, but she surely made that warp fast - using the wheel v.s. using a warping board.  I love my warping board, but it involves a lot of motion that appears to not be needed while using the WW.  Probably a big time-saver.

I'm glad Tien trained me on how to use the WW.  It looks much more complicated a process than it actually is.  It took me a couple of tries, but the second time I did it it worked out quite nicely. 

I'll have to clear a few extra feet lengthwise at the rear of Loom Millicent to make room for the WW when it is being used to beam on.  The alternative would be to build a whole set-up for beaming on, but that's harder than cleaning, and plus, where the heck would I put it?  ;-)

This is a great day; I've been wanting a WW for years - mostly what stopped me was not having a sectional beam to justify the cost - even though there are people who use the WW non-sectionally.  I had originally bought a kit to add sectional beam dowels to my existing Cranbrook warp beam, the gigantic super-heavy marvellous octagonal beam, but it didn't quite fit, and then it occurred to me to start searching for a used AVL loom.  Not having a sectional beam and a means to warp it has been a bit of an obstacle in terms of weaving very fine organzines as warp; with the WW I will be able to wind and keep this kind of warp under tension from the moment it leaves the cone or bobbin until it is tied onto the apron and woven.  The only other thing I'll need to accomplish this perfectly is a servante, a little velvet-covered clamp on cords that was used in the Lyonnais silkweaving industry; it's basically a third hand that holds the warp threads under tension while doing the 'reaching in' (read: threading the heddles) and sleying. 

To that end, I'm thinking of two servantes: a wide-ish one to hold all of the warp at the cross, and a small one to hold the bout that is currently being threaded. 

I'd really like to weave a long warp of silken tallitot to sell; I haven't done that in some years, and when I was doing that before, they sold like hotcakes!  The WW will allow me to do this without first having to purchase gigantic amounts of thread as I would have to with a spool rack. 

Other wishes (or reminders to myself to make these): supple plastic tubing that I can place over the hooks on the tops of the harnesses where the harness cables attach (to prevent 'leaping harnesses') and also something slightly larger to go over the dowels of the section being warped. 

Also, I noticed yesterday when I treadled Millicent: the cables to the treadles have stretched slightly, very slightly; but enough so that the left treadle needs to forward the dobby cylinder without having to be stomped all the way to the bottom.  :-)