AVL 16 inch Workshop Dobby Loom, User Manual

Page 1: ... Dobby Loom Figure 2 24 Workshop Dobby Loom AVL Looms 2360 Park Avenue Chico CA 95928 6785 800 626 9615 530 893 4915 530 893 1372 fax http www avlusa com e mail sales avlusa com May 2018 Revision 1 Instructions Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved Worldwide ...

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Page 3: ...angeable Design Unit IDU 15 Beater 18 Treadles 21 Beams 23 Compu Dobby 28 Traveling with the WDL 31 Traveling With Your Workshop Dobby Loom 32 Using the WDL 37 Warping Section 38 Threading Sleying and Tying On 50 Weaving Procedures 53 Additional Loom Information 55 Loom Maintenance 56 Troubleshooting 57 The Fine Print 63 AVL Customer Service 64 AVL Warranties 64 Notice to Users in the European Uni...

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Page 5: ...Workshop Dobby Loom User s Manual Introductory Information Introductory Information Page 1 INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION ...

Page 6: ...ACTURING IF THE EQUIPMENT IS USED IN A MANNER NOT SPECIFIED BY THE MANUFACTURER THE PROTECTION PROVIDED BY THE EQUIPMENT MAY BE IMPAIRED WARNING ELECTRICAL SHOCK HAZARD DO NOT TAMPER WITH ELECTRICAL WIRES OR OPERATE THE LOOM WITH SAFETY PANELS OPENED OR REMOVED WARNING PINCH CRUSH AND FINGER CUT OFF HAZARDS DO NOT OPERATE THE LOOM WITH SAFETY PANELS OPENED OR REMOVED DO NOT PLACE HANDS IN MOVING M...

Page 7: ...TOPS OR ON OFF BREAKER SWITCHES WARNING USE OF CONDUCTIVE FIBER OR YARN ON OR AROUND THIS EQUIPMENT WILL VOID WARRANTY AND MAY DAMAGE EQUIPMENT WARNING THIS EQUIPMENT IS CLASSIFIED FOR LIGHT INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT ONLY OPERATION OF HIGH CURRENT DRAW EQUIPMENT EX MIG WELDER ON THE SAME ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS MAY CAUSE EQUIPMENT FAILURE Safety Features Covers and shielding separate weaver from moving c...

Page 8: ...ent WDL loom configurations including 16 weaving width 16 WDL 24 weaving width 24 WDL 8 16 or 24 harness configurations Single or double Warp Beam configurations Please read the entire manual before starting the assembly process Also please note which diagrams and sections are applicable to your loom WDL SPECIFICATIONS Weaving Width 16 40 6 cm 16 40 6 cm 24 61 cm 24 61 cm No of Warp Beams 1 2 1 2 ...

Page 9: ...with 7 16 socket 3 Wrench 7 16 4 Philips screwdriver 5 Hammer optional PARTS Note Items marked with an asterisk indicate that there will be an additional identical item if you ordered a two beam system 1 Hardware Bag 2 Beater Legs 1 Travel Straps with Handle 1 Interchangeable Design Unit IDU harness pulley support harnesses and dobby Figure 3 IDU ...

Page 10: ...for assembly are in different places on each one If you ordered a two beam system you will have legs E and F in place of C and D These legs are longer 2 Center Braces Figure 5 Center Brace 1 Cross Brace Birch hardwood plywood Figure 6 Cross Brace 1 Reed Assembly includes Reed Beater Top and Beater Race Figure 7 Reed Assembly 2 Treadles left and right Figure 8 Left longer Figure 9 Right ...

Page 11: ...am with Tie On Rod and Attaching Cords Figure 12 Cloth Storage Beam Note The Cloth Storage Beam comes standard only with the 24 WDL If you ordered a 16 WDL you will not receive a Cloth Storage Beam unless it was ordered as an option 1 Cloth Beam Ratchet Handle aluminum 1 Cloth Storage Beam Ratchet Handle aluminum Figure 13 Ratchet Handle Note You will only receive a Cloth Storage Beam handle if yo...

Page 12: ... Sectional Plain Beam Note To use as a sectional warp beam insert metal hoops To use as a plain beam remove the metal hoops 1 Warp Beam Handle wood Figure 15 Warp Beam Handle 1 Tension Tie Up Assembly for Warp Beam Figure 16 Tension Tie Up Assembly 1 Separation Beam solid Ash hardwood Figure 17 Separation Beam ...

Page 13: ...Workshop Dobby Loom User s Manual Introductory Information Parts Page 9 1 Compu Dobby with Cables Figure 18 Compu Dobby ...

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Page 15: ...Workshop Dobby Loom User s Manual WDL Assembly WDL Assembly Page 11 WDL ASSEMBLY WDL ASSEMBLY ...

Page 16: ...om the outside through the center hole at the crossing of the legs Note The Cloth Beam Bracket is on the inside of the frame 3 Slide a Center Brace onto the bolt Install a washer and wing nut and tighten to finger tight condition 4 Repeat this process for the remaining four holes using the 2 1 2 carriage bolts washers and wing nuts to fully secure the Center Brace to the legs Figure 19 X Frame Bol...

Page 17: ...om User s Manual WDL Assembly Assemble the X Frame Page 13 6 Repeat these steps for the right side using legs C and D Use legs D and F for the two beam frame Figure 21 X Frame Outside Left Figure 22 X Frame Inside Right ...

Page 18: ...ross Brace to the inside of the Right Side and secure with black thumbscrew long from the outside of the leg 2 Stand the Left and Right Sides approximately 17 apart for the 16 WDL or 25 apart for the 24 WDL with Center Braces facing each other 3 Secure the Cross Brace to the Left Side with a black thumbscrew long from the outside of the leg The X Frame should now stand without support Figure 23 X ...

Page 19: ...ht side of the loom Figure 24 WDL with IDU 2 Secure the IDU to the X Frame using the 4 2 carriage bolts washers and wing nuts Note As before the bolts are inserted from the outside through the X Frame and through the IDU 3 Tighten all the wing nuts so that the square part of the carriage bolt head sinks into the outside of the X Frame NOTE A light tap with a hammer on the end of the bolt may be us...

Page 20: ... of 100 You can divide the bundle of 100 heddles into smaller bundles to place on the harness Without removing the original twist ties count out the number of heddles you want on the harness Place a new twist tie around each smaller bundle Remove the original twist tie and cut the smaller bundles apart 1 Insert an Eye Hook Retainer Tube over each harness cable loop and up above the crimped Nico Yo...

Page 21: ...h the loop at one end of a heddle bunch then slide the bottom harness stick through the opposite loop of the heddle bundle Figure 27 Place heddle bundle on heddle sticks 4 Remove the ties on the bundles 5 Now clip the loops of your heddles it is easier to cut the loops when your harnesses are off the loom You now have one harness Figure 28 Cut heddle loops ...

Page 22: ...the correct harness springs to the eyehooks on the bottom harness stick 3 Repeat these steps for the remaining harnesses BEATER ASSEMBLY The Reed Assembly as typically delivered from the factory is the Beater Top Reed and Race pre assembled and secured with strapping tape The strapping tape should be removed before the Reed Assembly is attached to the Beater Legs The WDL Beater Race faces the fron...

Page 23: ...t through each of these holes from the front 6 Insert a washer and secure with a nut Do not tighten the nuts yet Repeat for each hole on both sides 7 Use a small square to make sure the Beater Race is square to the Beater legs Adjust as needed before securing the bolts 8 Set the Beater Top and Reed onto the Race with the cut outs on the sides facing the legs 9 Slide a bolt from the back of the bea...

Page 24: ...unit rather than disassemble it To place the Beater Assembly on the loom 1 Place a carriage bolt through the hole at the front bottom of the X frame on each side 2 Place a washer on each bolt 3 Position the Beater Assembly on the loom so that the slot at the bottom of the legs is over the bolt on each side 4 Place another washer and a nut on each bolt to hold the Beater Assembly to the loom 5 When...

Page 25: ... Wrench The two inner stop collars are locked in the correct position for your loom 2 Slide the Right Treadle shorter treadle onto the shorter end of the Treadle Rod with the Treadle Cable up 3 Slide the Left Treadle longer treadle onto the longer end of the Treadle Rod with the Treadle Cable up Figure 30 Left and Right Treadles 4 Slide a stop collar onto each end of the rod and loosely position t...

Page 26: ...e Cables facing up and directly beneath the IDU Figure 31 WDL treadle positioning 7 Slide another stop collar on each side of the Treadle Assembly and leave it loose for later adjustment 8 Slide the left end of the rod into the hole on the lower front left X Frame leg slide the right end of the rod into the hole on the lower front right X Frame leg 9 Slide a stop collar onto each end of the rod Th...

Page 27: ...or very heavy weaving It is a good practice to routinely check the pulley bracket screws for tightness and verify that the cable retainer brackets are seated flush on the pulley and the retaining bolts are also tight BEAMS The Cloth Beam The Cloth Beam or sandpaper beam with Ratchet is inserted in the front of the loom For the 24 WDL the upper position is used 1 Place the Ratchet handle on the rat...

Page 28: ...he back of the loom 1 Slide the beam end with the brake drum into the hole on the back frame leg 2 Slide the other end of the beam into the Beam Retainer Bracket on the other leg 3 Insert the retainer pin into the Beam Retainer Bracket and secure with a small pin 4 Place a washer on the Tension Tie Up Assembly eye bolt ...

Page 29: ...am is located at the upper rear of the X Frame and is secured with Phillips head screws IMPORTANT The Separation Beam is solid wood and should not be confused with the plywood Cross Brace 1 Insert the Separation Beam between the upper rear members of the X Frame 2 Secure with Phillips head screws from the outside of the leg The Cloth Storage Beam 24 WDL Only The Cloth Storage Beam is inserted in t...

Page 30: ...etainer Bracket and secure with a small hair pin Two Beam The Two Beam system has longer left and right legs that allow room for the additional beam To switch to the two beam system disassemble the X frame and reassemble it using the longer legs E and F Figure 33 WDL with two beams 1 Place the top warp beam into position as described earlier 2 Place the lower warp beam into position ...

Page 31: ...he upper beam using the lower eye bolt 4 Attach the tension tie up assembly for the lower beam using the upper eye bolt Figure 34 WDL with two beams 5 Insert a separation beam for each warp beam The upper Separation Beam is used for the upper beam and the lower Separation Beam is used for the lower beam ...

Page 32: ...When traveling with or shipping your loom please strap the Dobby Slide Plate in place so that it cannot move 3 Remove the wood backing plate from the Compu Dobby by removing the 4 black thumbscrews short 4 Place the wood backing plate on the top of the IDU with the metal dowels facing down and inserted in the matching holes on the IDU NOTE Always travel or ship the Compu Dobby with the wood backin...

Page 33: ...e 35 Compu Dobby Solenoids NOTE In this orientation the solenoid tips will cradle the Dobby Wires and ensure that the solenoids properly capture and engage the Dobby Wires 6 While carefully avoiding jostling the solenoid tips from their orientation place the Compu Dobby onto the IDU aligning the holes on the Compu Dobby and the IDU and secure with the 4 black thumbscrews short Figure 36 WDL with C...

Page 34: ... your computer Loom Software Many software providers have developed drivers for the AVL Compu Dobby Make sure the software you choose will correctly run your Compu Dobby version and number of harnesses AVL offers a feature rich design and loom control program for Windows computers WeavePoint It comes with the exact loom driver needed to run the Compu Dobby with your number of harnesses You can dow...

Page 35: ...Workshop Dobby Loom User s Manual Traveling with the WDL Traveling with the WDL Page 31 TRAVELING WITH THE WDL TRAVELING WITH THE WDL ...

Page 36: ... power cord for travel 2 Disconnect the cable from the Compu Dobby and your PC and coil it up for travel 3 Remove the Compu Dobby from the IDU and set it down 4 Remove the shuttle tray wood backing plate from the top of the IDU the one that originally came attached to the back of the Compu Dobby 5 Attach the wood backing plate to the back of the Compu Dobby 6 Strap the Dobby Slide Plate in place o...

Page 37: ...het 2 For the 16 WDL a Roll any loose fabric onto the Cloth Beam and place it on top of the IDU in the front beam rest cradle 3 For the 24 WDL with the Cloth Storage Beam a Roll any loose fabric onto the Cloth Storage Beam b Disengage the Cloth Storage Beam ratchet c Remove the Cloth Storage Beam and place it on top of the IDU in the front beam rest cradle d Set the Cloth Beam aside for packing ...

Page 38: ... two beams on the IDU to create a pyramid 4 Unclip the Tension Tie Up from the screw eye on the back right leg and unwrap it from the Warp Beam Drum 5 Remove the Separation Beam from its mounting 6 Remove the Warp Beam carefully wrapping any loose warp around it and place it on top of the IDU in the rear beam rest cradle Figure 38 16 WDL with beams removed 7 To hold the beams in place loop the two...

Page 39: ...he IDU out of the X Frame and place on the ground on its rollers It is now ready to roll Figure 39 16 WDL with beams tied in place 4 Loosen the two outside stop collars on the Treadle Rod Remove the Treadle Assembly from the X Frame 5 If you need to break down the Treadle Assembly further for travel remove the next two sets of stop collars and remove the Treadles Note Always leave the inner stop c...

Page 40: ... your WDL for travel Reassembly For 16 or 24 WDL When re assembling your beams keeping tension is important 1 Reassemble the X Frame and replace the IDU 2 Attach the treadles to the treadle cables 3 Install the Warp Beam first If you are using the two beam system replace the lower warp beam first then the upper warp beam The beams should be on the pyramid on top of the IDU in this order 4 Install ...

Page 41: ...L Page 37 USING THE WDL USING THE WDL Note Unless otherwise noted the instructions in this section are basic general instructions for weaving and are applicable to many AVL and non AVL looms They should not be regarded as a substitute for training or experience ...

Page 42: ...ds are also called apron cords and serve the same function as the apron on other Plain Beams They give you reach from the Warp Beam and allow you to weave every possible inch until the end of the warp touches the last Harness you are using Make them out of a strong non stretchable linen or cotton cord You will need to make one Extension Cord for each section of your warp When using the beam as a s...

Page 43: ... make sure the rope is wrapped twice around the tension drum and that the rope end is clipped to the eyebolt This will prevent the warp beam from slipping backwards during winding and threading Warping the Plain Beam To warp a plain beam we recommend the following method in which the warp is wound on with the use of a Raddle We have found that this method aids in getting a uniform warp tension esp...

Page 44: ...a to use different color threads for the ties on the tops of the pegs and another color to tie the bows underneath the pegs By color coding your ties you are less likely to twist the warp later Removing the Warp for the Warping Boards Remove the warp from the warping board by chaining or by winding on the kitestick Start from the threading cross and proceed to the raddle cross Since the capacity o...

Page 45: ...gether with string through the holes in the ends of the sticks Now remove the ties from the raddle cross and spread the warp out on the sticks Measure the center of your raddle to use it as a center of your warp The warp threads should go through the middle of the raddle Feeding the Raddle To feed the raddle distribute yarns through the raddle by dropping each raddle cross group into a dent in the...

Page 46: ...gh with it Heavy wrapping paper works well seventy pound craft paper is good If you are going to be using smooth slippery warp yarns like fine linens or perle cottons the edge yarns are going to need extra help in order not to slip off Figure 42 Prepared Paper with Folded Edge To do this cut your paper 4 wider than the warp width and then fold over the edges an inch on each side Be sure the warp i...

Page 47: ...a time to make the warp that is already on the beam tight The idea of this method is that the warp does not need to be under tension all the time but the part that is on the beam has to be tight Make another turn go to the back of the loom and jerk all the sections again and so on If you have a wide warp you might need to do up to ten jerking motions after each turn Threading Cross When you come t...

Page 48: ...uniform tension on the warp Using the Warping Wheel The Setup 1 Adjust height so position of mini raddle is just below eye level 2 Adjust the wind off tension with toggle and cord Tie cord to prevent slipping Figure 43 Adjust Wind off Tension 3 Adjust the warp length by moving the spools on the arms 4 Reset the Revolution Counter to Zero 5 Setup Cones with the Cone Caddy Making the First Section 6...

Page 49: ...ead Ends 8 Bring the thread s up and over the left side of the top spool so that you are ready to wind the Warping Wheel in a counter clockwise motion 9 Continue in this manner until you have the number of threads you need for the section Figure 45 Wind Counter Clockwise 10 After you have wound one length bring the thread s around the back of the raddle and through a dent working from right to lef...

Page 50: ...er from left to right Tying Off 12 Put the raddle top back on Cut the bout threads just to the left of the clip and under the threads going over the wheel 13 Hold onto the threads securely at the raddle so they don t slip through Below wrap the cut threads around the clip Figure 47 Hold Threads at Raddle 14 With the raddle top secure remove the pin from the raddle holder while holding onto the thr...

Page 51: ...ough Figure 49 Place Raddle in Lower Position 16 Take the extension cord from your beam Create a larks head loop at its end and loop it around the knotted end of your warp section Figure 50 Place Extension Cord around Thread Bundle 17 Before the last part of the threads pass through the raddle tape the threads on the loom side of the raddle in their sequence using masking tape This will help you k...

Page 52: ...ection so that the warp comes in from the bottom Warp tension will be set by the Warping Wheel When you reach the end of the warp section remove the threads from the Warping Wheel catch being careful not to drop any Stroke the threads to achieve uniform tension on the threads and then continue winding while maintaining tension on the thread ends with your hand When you reach the Warping Wheel Reed...

Page 53: ... it is wound on in exactly the same manner as the first warp beam except when winding on the warp to the upper beam the warp goes under Separation Beam and up to the top warp beam To route the thread for the upper beam he warp goes over the top of the warp beam then down under the upper Separation Beam toward the heddles Figure 53 2 Beam Warp Path ...

Page 54: ... 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 I...

Page 55: ...face of the cloth beam with the ends hanging down Repeat this procedure all the way across the warp Now that you have nice even tension you can wrap the ends around the bottom of the cloth beam Figure 54 Wrapping Warp around the Cloth Beam If you find that you are having trouble with this method a thin stick an aluminum blind slat or something similar can be used as an aid Place the stick across t...

Page 56: ...the middle bring a first bundle toward you over the apron rod then around and under it Divide it in half and bring one half up on each side of the bundle Use the ends to tie a surgeon s knot It is the same as the first tie you make tying a shoelace except you loop the end through twice This kind of knot is very good for readjusting the tension Figure 55 Tying On Start with one section in the middl...

Page 57: ... easily obtain a clean selvage edge To purchase Shuttles or additional bobbins from AVL please call us at 530 893 4915 or go to our website http www avlusa com Instructions on winding bobbins and using our shuttles are included with the shuttles If you are using shuttles from another source please refer to their instructions Starting Your Weaving When beginning your project first weave in 1 of a s...

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Page 59: ...Workshop Dobby Loom User s Manual Additional Loom Information Additional Loom Information Page 55 ADDITIONAL LOOM INFORMATION ADDITIONAL LOOM INFORMATION ...

Page 60: ...t Not all lubricants are suitable in the weaving environment Machine oils and greases for example may provide plenty of slick but they also capture yarn dust and will over time actually impede the action of your loom Loom Parts Lubrication and Cleaning Shuttles Shuttle Race Paste Wax Axles pulleys Silicon Spray Warp Beam Metal Rods where metal works against the wood frame Paraffin Warp Beam Brake ...

Page 61: ...n occasion you will find that one or more of your harnesses will misbehave There are a finite number of things that can cause these problems Symptom Possible Cause How to Fix It A The top harness stick collapses it assumes a diagonal angle and one leg of the harness cable from which it is suspended goes slack 1 Your heddles are bunched together towards the center of the harness or on one side only...

Page 62: ... your shed is not even or not large enough 1 The tension in your warp is greater than the tension in the springs that hold the harnesses down Reduce the warp tension at the Tension Tie Up or add additional springs to the harnesses C One or more harnesses that are supposed to be raised don t 1 Left treadle isn t being pressed all the way down Concentrate on getting both treadles all the way through...

Page 63: ...p should be routed If you did warp your beam backwards you will need to reverse your tension cable Unclip the cord loosen the cable and wind it in the opposite direction This is not a permanent fix Use it only to weave off the warp you wound backwards 4 The sandpaper on your Cloth Beam is not grabbing the warp and pulling it around as it should You ll very likely need to add SoftGrip or another ki...

Page 64: ...ssed over itself on the warp beam brake drum Straighten out the rope The Shed AVLs are designed with a shed which exactly meets the need not too wide not too narrow And there is of course a reason for this precision Raising harnesses higher than you need may give you a larger shed but it s also a waste of time and effort You only need enough warp separation for the shuttle to pass freely However b...

Page 65: ... to adjust the bolts holding the beater to the loom Dobby Symptom Possible Cause How to Fix It A Dobby skips 1 Pressing too hard or too quickly on the treadles Press the treadles with a smooth rhythmical motion B Dobby slide plate jams 1 Left treadle out of adjustment Check routing of left treadle cable Make sure it is still in the pulley with keeper inside the Compu Dobby box Left Treadle Issues ...

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Page 67: ...Workshop Dobby Loom User s Manual The Fine Print The Fine Print Page 63 THE FINE PRINT THE FINE PRINT ...

Page 68: ...p it to you Your Compu Dobby is fully warranted for two years If a part wears or breaks during this period we will replace or repair it at our discretion but at no charge to you AVL Returns Policy All goods excepting software may be returned for refund within thirty 30 days of the shipping date A 15 restocking fee will be assessed for all but defective items AVL will pay all shipping costs for def...

Page 69: ...ing to electromagnetic compatibility safety of electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment and on the ecodesign of energy related products Compliance is indicated by the CE marking The manufacturer of this product is AVL Looms Inc 2360 Park Avenue Chico CA 95928 USA A declaration of conformity to the requirements of ...

Page 70: ...The Fine Print Workshop Dobby Loom User s Manual Page 66 Notice to Users in the European Union ...