Using the WDL
Workshop Dobby Loom User’s Manual
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Threading, Sleying, and Tying On
T
HREADING
,
S
LEYING
,
AND
T
YING
O
N
To make it easier to reach the heddles, you may want to remove the cloth
beam and the beater and place a stool (or exercise ball) in front.
Unused Heddles
The heddles are part of the harness structure and you should have at least
one near the end of each harness stick to help hold the harness together.
Groups of empty heddles can interfere with the movement of the shafts if
they are left near the threaded heddles. After threading is complete, make
sure that the unused heddles are pushed to the far sides of the harness
sticks. Before threading the loom, you may want to determine which heddle
to start with so that you will have approximately the same number on both
sides.
For balance, there should be approximately equal numbered groups of
unused heddles on both sides of each harness. In some cases, such as a
very wide warp with a lot of unused heddles on the ends of the harnesses,
you may need to tie each group of unused heddles into a tight bundle to
keep them from falling off the ends of the harness sticks or you may wish to
take heddles off the loom altogether.
Note:
In the first six months of using a new loom with polyester heddles, the
heddles may stretch out slightly to adjust to the harnesses.
Threading the Harnesses
Now we’re ready to thread the loom. If you are right-handed, it is
recommended to start at the right side of the warp. Grasp one group of ends
in your left hand and your sley hook in your right hand. Direct the “hook
end” of the sley hook through the “eye” of the first heddle you need to
thread. Pull the thread through (for example, if you had a straight draft on
eight harnesses, your first thread would go through the eye of a heddle on
the 8th harness. The second thread would be threaded through the eye of
the heddle on the 7th harness, the third thread through the 6th harness, and
so on).
Threading the Reed
Now sley the warp ends through the reed. Some weavers start from the
right side; some from the left; some in the middle. But, in all cases, be sure
to measure accurately before starting so that the warp will be centered in