I am very new to weaving in general and to the Louet Jane 70 cm 8 shaft loom in particular, but I have a question about the materials used in the frames. The wooden cross piece at the top of each frame is very lightweight and loses its rigidity when the warp threads are tightened past a certain point. So even if I would like to use a warp tension which maximises the correct movement of the boat shuttle across the lower shed threads, and minimises shuttle diving etc. I am prevented from achieving the desired tension, as when a frame is lifted, the warp threads going through the heddles pull down on the narrow wooden cross piece so that it bows downwards. If anyone else has found this happening and found some solution ( replacing or reinforcing the wooden cross piece in some way with less flexible wood or metal perhaps?) I would be very interested to hear from you! Thank you in advance!

Have you had a chance to read the Q&A’s on the Knowledge Base about the Jane?
https://janestaffordtextiles.com/article-categories/jane/

Katherine, I have been weaving on my Jane for close to a year now. Many of my warps have been linen yarns.

I would have to say that it sounds to me like you are tensioning your warp too tightly. If your shaft bars are bowing, I would suggest that you back off of the tension until they are straight. The Jane is not a rug loom, and IMHO should not be subjected to such high tension.

If you are experiencing shuttle dives you might need to use a differently designed shuttle, If your Jane is wider than the 40cm, you can order a shuttle race from your Louet supplier.