On Feb 23, 2023, at 4:25 PM, Joe P <rugsbyjoe@...> wrote:



Hi Everyone & Kathleen 

I have texsolv heddles on 2 looms, I have made a repair heddles out of carpet warp more then once.   

I like to make string heddles. The first set of heddles I ever made ws for a old barn loom, I like yourself I used natural 8/4 100 cotton rug warp I made a jig just like yourself as well, a flat board and finishing nails. I just clamped the jig to a table. The trick after all the heddles were made was to varnish the heddles. Yes, years ago weavers did use varnish on the tops and the bottom of the heddles not the heddle eye, so they heddles did not stretch.  

Then I learned had made string heddles were made out of seine twine I do not make heddles out of 8/4 rug warp any more, I use seine twine, it is strong and does not stretch, makes great heddles, I made a lot of long eyed heddles not too long ago. It does not take long to make string heddles. 

Keep Weaving 

Joe Bear in WI U.S.A. 

   

       

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From: weavetech@groups.io <weavetech@groups.io> on behalf of Kathleen Stevens <hndwvnds@...>
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2023 10:44 AM
To: weavetech@groups.io <weavetech@groups.io>
Subject: [weavetech] antique looms

 

I have 3 barn frame looms----which I will sell soon hopefully considering how old I am----almost as old as the looms.  Anyway, these looms were for my personal use.  They use 8/4 carpet warp for the heddles.  My 46 yr. old Cranbrook came with cotton heddles and only now are some (perhaps 5) have broken after all these years.  I use 8/4 cotton warp for those heddles.  If I mess up a threading it is very easy to tie on another warp string heddle.  How would you put on a Texsolv heddle in the middle of a threading?   I made a very simple jig for making the heddles---a piece of scrap wood and four #10 finishing nails.  During TV commercials I’m either doing stretching exercises or making string heddles.   

Cheers,

Kathleen Stevens in Indiana

hndwvnds@...

 

 

On Feb 25, 2023, at 12:53 PM, Penny Lacroix <weaver39@...> wrote:



Brilliant, Dawn! Thank you for that tip! 

- Penny
from my phone

On Sat, Feb 25, 2023, 12:45 PM Dawn Jacobson <fiberarts.dtjacobson@...> wrote:

There are 2 different ways to put a Texsolv heddle on in the middle of threading.

Technique #1 is a right-royal PITA, but can be done by slipping the ends of the heddle through the loops of the other heddles and around the heddle sticks, taking care to not get everything tangled into a Gordian knot. Technique #2 is a lot easier.

Technique #2 (taught to me by Jannie Taylor) uses 2 Texsolv heddles. They're joined at the ends by looping one through the other. Then they're wrapped around the lower heddle stick so one is on each side of the stick, brought up to the top of the upper heddle stick, and tied through the top loops with a bit of string. That puts 2 heddles in the spot where a heddle is needed, but they're used as 1--the warp end goes through the eyes of both heddles. It works beautifully, and the "repair" heddles can be removed after the warp is cut off.

Dawn Jacobson

On Feb 25, 2023, at 7:00 PM, Joe P <rugsbyjoe@...> wrote:



Hi Everyone & Sandra 

Before texsolv come on the market. If a weaver bought Scandinavian loom it came with string heddles made out of seine twine, is strong and does not stretch. That at the time was the only choice of heddle. 

When I bought my first Glimakra loom, the loom came with so many sting heddles, If I wanted, I could upgrade and buy texsolv heddles for extra cost Texsolv was really new to the market at that time around 40 years ago. 

The selling point for a weaver at the time to upgrade to texsolv the design of the heddle "the eye of the heddle is always open for ease of threading, saving the weaver time". Over, sting heddles eye threading.

Keep Weaving

Joe Bear in Wi U.S.A.

  

 

  

        

   

    

  

 

   

  

 

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From: weavetech@groups.io <weavetech@groups.io> on behalf of bigwhitesofadog <sandra.eberhart@...>
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2023 10:03 AM
To: weavetech@groups io <weavetech@groups.io>
Subject: Re: [weavetech] antique looms

 

The reason that Texsolve is popular is that both heddles and cord are very strong, don't stretch, and are very precisely uniform.  Uniform is what string heddles tend not to be, which gives a messy shed, which creates errors.   Yes, I'm sure with LOTS of practice, one can tie string heddles almost as uniform as Texsolve.  If you are restoring an antique loom to be  exhibited, string is the choice; it is what would have been original.  For a functional, working loom, I'll take Texsolve, and spend my time weaving instead of tying heddles.  

Sandra