I know, I already posted about a loom once before, but this one is different! It’s a 4 harness floor loom with a weaving width of 28", made almost entirely out of 2x4s. Total material cost, including more than $200 for heddles, and $100 for a reed, is $450.
I designed it to be fairly easy to build. There’s a part that needs a router, but other than that it can be done with hand tools and a lot of patience (though if you’re not using a drill press, i recommend having a guide on your hand drill). Though I suppose you could also use a table saw set to 1/2 inch depth and just make a couple cuts instead of using a router.
This is what I do when I’m bored, I design things I’ll probably never make. But this one, I really really want to make! So maybe I will.
Cool! That looks really confusing though particularly how the pedals work. I’ve only done weaving on a piece of cardboard when the band Aqua was considered the bomb.
Wow, I miscalculated the cost by a lot, it’d actually be about $300, not $450. The heddles are where I screwed up, I estimated how many I’d need and guessed WAY too many.
Heddles are the things that pull the warp threads up and down, they’re either wires with an eye in the middle, or a length of cord with a loop in the middle, or something like that.
So I came up with a better design. Even cheaper to build, and less complicated. It’s a counterbalance loom, 32" weaving width, with 4 harnesses. I’ve decided to call my line of looms the “Rebel Looms” because I’m rebelling against the idea that weaving looms have to be these expensive pieces of art. A loom is a tool, and my designs reflect that utilitarian viewpoint. This one is the Rebel V0.2.
Thank you! I don’t know about genius, though, I just have a knack for designing things. I’ve only built a couple of the things I’ve designed over the years, most of it stays either in my head or on a hard drive. It doesn’t help that I don’t have the tools needed to make most of this stuff.
My goal was to be able to weave twill fabric and do plaid tartans. This loom will accomplish that handily. But it’ll do plain weave just fine too. I’ll be mostly making stuff for family and friends, though I could always do commissions too.
Patenting wouldn’t be a bad idea, though I’m not sure I can afford it. I’m gonna take things one step at a time and build a prototype first, before worrying about the legal stuff.
So I don’t know if I’m allowed to post it here, but I started a GoFundMe campaign to pay for tools and materials. I also have a WordPress site for updates and to display my other designs. Could a mod let me know if it’s okay to post the links? @Andrey A loom is a machine for making fabric. They usually cost well over $1,000, which is why I’m designing mine to be as inexpensive as possible.
Updates! I modified the V0.2 a bit, for ergonomics and better functionality. It’s still a work in progress, but I think it’s at the point where it can be built and function. Approximate sale price would be $600-700.
I also designed a much smaller table loom with 8 harnesses, called the Rebel H8. It has an 18" weaving width, and can be used to weave rather complicated things. This one would sell for about $400-450.
Of course, both of these designs are still just pipe dreams, though I priced out the tools I’d need and I could get them from Harbor Freight for about $500. Hopefully I get enough donations to made this dream a reality!
