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Subject: Converting Treadle Loom to J-Comp
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 14:19:22 EDT
From: DJohns4908@aol.com
This message is in response to an off-line query about conversion of
J-mades into J-comps. T.
Hi Tom! This message is for the J-Digest:
We recieved your note regarding converting the treadle loom to a J-Comp
and although anything is possible we have never done it nor do we
promote the idea of converting a treadle loom to a computer loom. When
we designed the computer loom although the harness-lamm operation is
very similar to the J-Comp, there are a vast number of differences
in
the castle. With regard to the 22 and 30-inch looms, which are actually
table looms with floor loom conversions the operation is much different
than our standard floor looms.
When we designed the J-Comp loom, we had several features in mind that
we wanted to incorporate. One of them being the balanced harnesses
for
light treadling. This requires steel lamms, threaded rod connections
between the lamm and the jack, bronze bearings in the jacks and a
latch-spring assembly on the jacks. Also, the mechanical advantage
is
exactly one to one on the J-Comp jacks and it is not on the non-computer
looms. This aids in the balance of the harness to lamm. All of these
features are to make the treadling extremely light.
Another feature that we have on the J-Comp looms is the LED display,
shed-checker and manual mode. To incorporate this neatly into the loom
requires wireways built into the loom for a neat installation. It also
requires a mounting for the shed switches. Also on the J-Comp loom
the
base is totally enclosed to protect the tie-up unit from lint and to
provide a position to mount the treadle switches.
Also, the treadles mount in a different way than on table looms with
conversions. The bottom line is that if we made a J-comp out of these
looms we would have to replace a large part of the parts involved.
In addition, on the table loom/ floor loom conversion looms, we would
have to have an extremely abreviated computer control system that I'm
not very enthusiastic about. For anyone who has any model of J-made
loom
we will offer a generous trade-in allowance on any J-Comp loom. I really
think that this is the best way to convert.
Thank you for your time and your interest.
Dale Johnston.
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Subject: Loom for Sale Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 12:32:14
EDT
From: DJohns4908@aol.com
I have taken in trade a 60 inch, 16 harness J-made cherry loom that
is
in excellent condition. It is available for $3,000 and if someone is
interested in it and would like any extra equipment such as a warp
beam
we could add that.
The price includes crating, however shipping would be additional.
Thank you for your interest and let me know if you are interested.
Dale Johnston
DJohns4908@aol.com
Phone: (503) 631-3973.
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Katherine sent this along. It is a repost from weave-digest. It does
work as described but soldering on circuit boards is tricky.
I have built a beam rotation counter from an old rain guage that does
not require any soldering. However, it is best described in conjunction
with pictures. Pictures take a lot of bandwidth and some of you
have
said that your ISP cannot (read refuses to) handle images. If anyone
would like to see how our sectional warping setup works, together with
a
detailed description of the rotation counter, I will send it along.
Having now used it for a while, we can certify that it is much more
accurate than the counter on the Louet tension box,which we think is
overall the best tension box around because it measures all the ends,
not just one, and the sandpaper drum and sping-loaded tension is very
effective. It produces beautifully flat, smooth, uniform tension warps
on both 1" and 2" sections. The problem with the Louet is that, no
matter what we have tried so far, the o-ring that drives the counter
has
a great tendency to slip. We are putting on 10.5 yards (by rotation
count) which is a little more than that because of thread buildup but
is
consistent from section to section within a few inches, since we always
cut the ends to lie in a straight line across the beam. However, the
counter (which measures in tenths of yards) has never read more than
9.7
yards and sometimes as little as 9.4 yards, which explains much of
the
trouble we have had beaming in the past.
T.
Subject: Sectional counter
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 07:46:59 -0400
From: kcl <kcl@world.std.com>
From: "Nancy McKenna" <faena@theramp.net>
Nancy M McKenna, packrat extroadinare, who had this transferred to CD
so
as not to lose it. I had enough requests for plans for the electronic
beam counter that I > decided to post to the list.
>
> ELECTRONIC BEAM COUNTER
>
> You will need:
> soldering gun, electric
solder or conductive solder
> calculator (more
on selecting later)
> Radio Shack magnetic
reed contact switch cat. # 49-496 (costs three or
> four dollars) fine
insulated wire (we used very fine wire so that the
> calculator case would
still close with the wires hanging out, but you
> could use heavier
wire)
>
> Overview:
>
> The magnetic switch is wired into the equal sign on the calculator.
One
> magnet is placed on the beam, the other in a corresponding position
on the
> loom. Every time the beam rotates the magnets pass, and the
calculator
> counts the rotation.
>
> SELECTING THE CALCULATOR: Test your calculator by entering
"1" then "+"
> then "=". The calculator should now read "1". Now enter
"=". Do not
> press a number. The calculator should read "2" and should increase
by one
> every time the equal sign is pressed. If your calculator won't
do this you
> can't use it. Make sure you can remove the back of the calculator.
Some
> backs cannot be removed. Most calculators will automatically
turn
> themselves off after about 8 minutes with no activity. This
has not been a
> problem for me. But if you worry about it select a calculator
that has no
> on/off switch and runs on solar cells. They are always on.
We used a
> Sharp 243 twin power calculator (about 3 or 4 dollars at Wal-Mart).
We
> would have used the Texas Instruments TI-7000 II (because it is always
on)
> but the back seems to be heat melted on and we couldn't open it.
>
> CONSTRUCTION
>
> Notice where the equal key is located on the face of the calculator.
Then
> lay the calculator face down and remove the back. CAUTION!!! Keep
the
> caluclator face down. The key parts are held in by the back
and will all
> fall out if it is turned over. After you take the back cover off
you should
> see a circuit board. Carefully lift it up (removing any screws)
and lay it
> to the side face up. It will still be attached at one end to
the rest of
> the calculator. Locate the position on the circuit board that corresponds
> with the equal key. The caluclator works this way: when
a button is
> pressed it contacts the circuit board and "shorts" across two lines
on the
> circuit board. Look at the space on the circuit board for the
two lines.
> (The pattern of lines on the circuit board are called traces.)
These two
> lines (traces) will intermingle at each key location but will not
be
> touching. My DH says sometimes they resemble forks,
combs, etc. On ours
> the lines look like small intermeshed combs. Remove the insulation
on the
> end of two pieces of wire just enough to solder to each line.
On our
> circuit board there are small circles where each line leaves the
key
> position and my DH soldered the wire on the circle, one wire for
each line.
>
> Close up the caculator. Remove the insulation from the other
ends of the
> wires and attach each wire to the wires on the magnetic switch.
Use
> connectors or insulate with tape.
>
> Now test the calculator. Enter "1" then "+", then pass the
end of the
> loose magnet by the end of the one you have attached to the calculator.
> They are designed to work within .8 inches. Every time you
pass the
> magnets by each other it operates the equal sign. The first pass
should
> read 1, then 2 and so on.
>
> Look at your loom and decide where to mount the calculator where
the
> magnets can pass closely. I have a 30 inch Norwood loom.
I used sticky
> back velcro to mount the calculator on the right side (looking at
the warp
> beam) on the inside of the back vertical side brace and taped the
attached
> magnet to the horizontal side brace. I taped the other magnet
to the end
> of the sectional beam (hereafter referred to as beam magnet).
The ends of
> the magnet pass less than 1/4 inch from each other. The magnets
can be
> inserted in 1/4 inch drilled holes but I haven't found it neccessary.
Tape
> down any loose wire to keep it out of the way. NOTE:
decide where to put
> the calculator first and make sure you attach the proper length of
wire. I
> will probably use an electrical plastic tie to attach the beam magnet
more
> permanantly, although it's been taped on for months and I haven't
had any
> problem even with all vibration from the beater. I do remove
the
> calculator and the other switch after warping on the beam.
My
> four-year-old son can't resist it so I remove the temptation.
We looked
> for very tiny plugs so that the calculator could be removed by simply
> unplugging the switch wires but couldn't find anything tiny enough
to
> insert in the case. If anyone finds something like this please
let us
> know.
>
> When starting to warp on move the beam so the magnet is just past
the
> magnet attatched to the calculator. Enter "1" then "+".
Now wind on the
> warp for the first section. The first time the beam magnet
passes the
> other magnet the calculator will read "1". The second time
it will read
> "2", and so one. After finishing each section clear the calculator
and
> re-enter "1" then "+".
>
> I hope these directions are clear enough. E-mail us if you
have problems.
> Good luck.
>
> Leslie Todd lesliet@webwide.net
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