I have a 4 shaft baby wolf and am weaving the parrot kit in plain weave. I am having problems with many floats as I weave. My shuttle is thrown on the race of the beater so I think the threads must be sticking causing threads not to raise / drop completely resulting in floats. I have had floats on occasion in weaving, but not like this. Any suggestions? Thank you so much!
A couple of questions, Heidi ……. are you using the recommended sett in the size of reed that is listed in the pattern, and when you change your shed - can you see clearly across your race if you take a peak when either shed is raised?
Yes, I'm using the sett in the pattern and the shed is fully open when I look. I have taken the tie up cords off of all but the tabby treadles and moved my bench up closer so that I am sure to fully depress the treadles. That has helped a lot, I just feel like I have to be extra careful to advance the warp often and keep the shuttle close to the beater.
That's great news, Heidi! You seem to have found the "sweet spot" on your loom. Every loom is different and once you have found what works for you - you are on the way to being a happy weaver! It's all about understanding your loom and just sitting down and weaving ;-)
Hi Heidi, I have an eight shaft Baby Wolf and sometimes have dealt with this issue myself, depending on the pattern and number of heddles per shaft etc. I definitely find that the BW has a very small sweet spot and keeping the warp tension just right and staying in the sweet spot really helps. Also, if there are many heddles on a shaft, using the treadle aids that Schacht provides or jazz bands (Lunatic Fringe) help keep shafts lowering well. Also, if it’s been awhile since you maintained the loom, clean well, removing any yarn dust from everywhere, and use silicon spray (recommended by Schacht) to squirt down the sides of the metal groove that holds each shaft. The shafts move up and down easily then, creating a nice clear shed. Oh and one more thing that has helped me. I typically use the slim Schacht 11” boat shuttle, but recently got a 13” one and find it skims along the race very nicely. Not sure why the length makes a difference but it doesn’t seem to ever pick up warp threads by mistake.
Thank you so much for the great tips! I have thought about the treadle aids and will use the silicone spray once this warp is done. I also have the Schacht 11" shuttles and love them. That is so interesting about the 13" one. Hmm, maybe I'll be in the market for new shuttles? :)