Category Archives: Mould Maker’s Loom

OOPS!

A spoiled facing. This was to be a post about improvement. The laid wires were straighter and the facing much improved. Instead, in a few thoughtless seconds, scrap! After the laid facing was completely finished I cranked too far and look what happened. The bottom of the wire twisting mechanism started to run into theContinue reading “OOPS!”

#58 Making a Very Fine Laid Facing

At 30 wires per inch this is the finest facing I’ve ever made. After running tests to see what size chain wire to use I set out to make a facing for a 12″ x 18″ mould. The laid wires are .0144″ diameter 3/4 hard phosphor bronze and the chain wire is .0102″ diameter annealedContinue reading “#58 Making a Very Fine Laid Facing”

#56 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 9, Working with Wire

This doesn’t include straightening laid wires or sewing with wire. Both have been covered in earlier posts. In some ways this is a continuation of the last post, #55: Configurations of Laid Wire. The wire used here is phosphor bronze. It is corrosion and fatigue resistant, stronger and much better for mould making than copperContinue reading “#56 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 9, Working with Wire”

#55 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 8, Configurations of Laid Wire

The Structure of a Laid Facing Mould facings vary in how closely the laid wires are packed together. What is perhaps an average proportion is represented above with the spaces being a little wider than the wires. A 53%/47% split is shown between the size of the openings (spaces) and the size of the laidContinue reading “#55 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 8, Configurations of Laid Wire”

#54 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 7, Some Other Important Parts

The larger structures and functions of this loom have been described in the last six posts. Some small but essential parts have not received much attention and these are more fully explained here. Spindles and Spindle Drive Weights Spindles A spindle is required for each pair of chain wires so a lot of them areContinue reading “#54 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 7, Some Other Important Parts”

#53 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 6, More on The Wire Twisting Mechanism

This is a self contained mechanism that is fastened to the front of the traveling beam of the loom. The spindle rack is the base of the twisting mechanism; all the other parts are attached to it. It is made from a single piece of wood, as long as the longest laid wire. It hasContinue reading “#53 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 6, More on The Wire Twisting Mechanism”

#52 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 5, The Wire Twisting Mechanism

Assembly of the Mechanism Examining the parts as they are put together may be one way to understand its workings. I don’t usually assemble the parts on the loom as I will do for this post. Normally the various spindle racks (a different one is needed for every chain spacing) are pre-assembled except for certainContinue reading “#52 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 5, The Wire Twisting Mechanism”

#51 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 4, The Lift Mechanism

The purpose of the lift mechanism is to repeatedly lift the wire facing so that laid wires can be added at the bottom. A treadle and lift lever (not pictured, at the bottom of the loom) pull down on the middle of a “V” of rope. (The top ends of the V are visible here.)Continue reading “#51 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 4, The Lift Mechanism”

#50 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 3, The Indexing Mechanism

The purpose of the Indexing Mechanism is simply to control the downward motion of the Traveling Beam (above). This beam is supported at both ends by square nuts; each fits into a notch created for it. These in turn are supported by a pair of Lead Screws, which are just full length pieces (3′ long)Continue reading “#50 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 3, The Indexing Mechanism”

#49 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 2, The Frame

Designing and building a functional loom requires working out details of how all of the mechanical parts interrelate before starting construction. This post is limited to decisions and dimensions that must be incorporated into the parts of the frame. Many of the dimensions used are somewhat arbitrary but I will emphasize those that directly affectContinue reading “#49 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 2, The Frame”