AVL Sticky Beam: Watch this before you buy a loom!

This video explains what the sticky beam on an AVL Loom is and how to use it.  This is a video in a series about my AVL A-Series Compu-Dobby 24-shaft Floor Loom.

If you are interested in getting this loom, these videos show all the features that are offered and how they work.

Automatic Systems AVL Compu-Dobby Floor Loom

These are some of the features on the AVL A-Series Floor Loom. 

If you are thinking about getting a Computer-Dobby Floor Loom this video will show you the Automatic Systems on my A-series loom.

This video is one in a series about the AVL looms.

Happy New Year 2019!

These are pictures of what's on my looms January 1, 2019.


I am threading the AVL with a double weave project.  You can see that I have taken the sandpaper breast beam and tension roller off the loom.  Also removed, is the reed and the top that holds the reed in the beater.  I then use a black stool to sit in the loom to reach the heddles easier.  Another thing that makes threading easier is using the computer and Dobby to lift the shafts as I thread.  My mistakes in threading have gotten so much better by doing this.

Warp:

The warp is Fuchsia/Mauve, Ming Blue/ Teal, Green, Yellow and White separated by Black.

About half done, I should be weaving in a few days.

On the Harrisville Design Loom:

My Rainbow scarfs are on the HD 8 shaft loom.  I am inspired to finish this warp because I need the 10 dent reed to use on the AVL.  I have one more scarf to weave off on this warp.

I am enjoying weaving the bright colors of this warp.  I have several drafts that I am using on this warp by just changing the treadling.  I'll get a picture of all of them when they are off the loom.

It's a good start to the new year.  I hemmed this scarf, threaded a few minutes and am now watching the Mummers Parade.

I hope you are enjoying your New Year day as well.

Single Fly Shuttle... Stopping it from flying off.

This is my first experience with a fly shuttle.

I have a single box fly shuttle.  This means that it uses only one shuttle.  There are double and Quad fly boxes available so you can weave with multiple shuttles.  I decided a single would be used the most.

My loom is 40" wide.  I am 5ft 1inch tall and have short arms.  When weaving full width on my HD 36"loom I could not throw the shuttle across easily, so I decided to get a fly shuttle for the 40" loom.  Besides, I wanted to play with one.

It is important that you have the shuttle box even with the shuttle race on the beater so that the shuttle runs smoothly from the race into the box and vice versa.  I am familiar with using an end feed shuttle and love them.  When I switched from a boat shuttle to an end feed shuttle my broken selvedge threads stopped and the selvedge was nice and smooth.  The shuttle for the fly has metal on the tips and is a little heavier than my other EF shuttles.

I was hesitant to use the fly shuttle.  All I could imagine was the shuttle sailing off the loom and through the picture window near the loom.  The first few pulls were too light to get the shuttle from one box to the other.  With a little practice I was doing it well.

With the warp on the loom and thread in the shuttle I started again.  Klunk, the shuttle fell off the right side of the loom and hit the floor.  I got a small rug and put it under the loom to protect the hardwood floor and tried again.  It fell a few more times, I could not figure out what I was doing wrong.

I asked on Warped Weavers on Ravelry.com and Bonnie Inyone suggested turning the shuttle around so that the Honex feeder was toward the reed.  Like magic, it worked.

As I look at it now I understand why.  As you throw the shuttle from the left to the right the thread catches the left selvedge.  This starts to pull the right tip of the shuttle, where the Honex feed was, away from the reed.  When it gets to the metal guide near the right box it hits the outside edge and causes it to fall outside the box to the floor.

When you turn the feed toward the reed it does not pull the tip of the shuttle out and it sails into the box with ease.

One more tip.  Get a good paste wax and wax the shuttle race, fly box and the shuttle.  It reduces the drag and makes using the shuttle easier.  This is something that should be done as routine maintenance.

Using the fly shuttle gives me a very nice selvedge and is quicker than throwing the shuttle.  The only disadvantage is that it does not allow for the use of a floating selvedge.  When using a twill draft I will need to thread a basket weave or plain weave on a couple shafts to get a selvedge without floats along the edge.

AVL A-Series 40" 24 Shaft CD 4.5 Loom, New to me.

Earlier this year I found an AVL 60" Compu Dobby loom for sale by an individual.  I was not the first to contact the seller and she had someone interested, who eventually purchased the loom.

I was happy, and still am, with my HD 8 shaft 36" loom.  However,  I was always curious about Compu Dobby looms and wanted something wider.  The loom above was a great deal for everything included, but the cost is still high, about the price of a used car.

The cost was a major deciding factor for me.  I feel guilty spending that kind of money on myself, so I spoke to my husband and he said if I really wanted one, get it.  I continued looking for a used loom offered by an individual, but there were none that would work for me.

AVL is located in Chico, CA.  I like that they are very innovative and continue to create looms with better computers and enhanced features.  I still could not bring myself to order a new loom because of the cost, but AVL buys back looms from their customers.  They go over the loom completely and replace worn parts.

AVL did not have any pre-owned looms that fit my requirements so I kept watching their website.  One day an A-series 40" 24 shaft CD III became available.  They offered an upgrade to the newest CD4.5.  So I jumped on it.

I emailed Bob Kruger at AVL with a few questions and he responded the next day.  I confirmed my order with him within a few days and made a deposit of 50%.  I decided to get a warping wheel, add a single box fly shuttle to the loom, changed one of the plain beams for a 1 yd sectional beam and converted the beater to an overhead beater.

Now the hardest part of ordering the loom ensued.  I had to wait 12 weeks for delivery.

During that time I downloaded the assembly manual and tried to learn as much as possible about multi-shaft weaving and creating drafts for 24 shafts.  I also started working with Fiberworks weaving software.  I downloaded the free copy to make sure it was what I wanted to purchase when I got the loom.

The time went quickly, and before I knew it the loom had arrived.

Looms...Backstrap to Computer Dobby

I love my Harrisville 36" 8 shaft loom.

It amazes me that over the history of looms they are still basically the same.

A wood frame that holds a warp beam and cloth beam to keep the warp taught.  Shafts and heddles to choose and lift the warp threads and a beater with a reed.  The only other tool needed is a shuttle to place the weft.

In my travels through Peru, Cambodia and Thailand, georgeous fabrics are still woven on backstrap looms.  The women using them anchor one end to a tree or anything available, sit on the ground and weave most of the day.  The loom is folded around itself and is light weight and portable.

What else does one need?  Well...it turns out I and many other weavers need (want) much more.

More shafts, more sizes of reeds, sectional beams, Dobbys, Computer Dobbys, wireless connections...

My question is,   At what point does technology overshadow the art of weaving?

Did moving from a backstrap loom to a floor loom make the woven fabric less handmade?

Did moving from 2 shafts to 4, 8, 16, 24 shafts change it also?

Does using a Computer Dobby take the personal touch out of creating a fabric?

These were all questions I asked myself when considering getting a 24 shaft Computer Dobby loom.

My answer is that the addition of these tools allows for greater creativity, not the loss of the art of weaving.

What do you think?