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”
Category Archives: Tools (specialized tools appear in these posts)
#48 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 1
This series of posts should allow for a better understanding of how this loom works. This first post is an overview of the four basic parts of the loom; the frame, the wire lifting mechanism, the indexing mechanism and the chain wire twisting mechanism. Later posts will give more detail on each of these inContinue reading “#48 Mould Maker’s Loom Part 1”
#47 Making a 24″ x 36″ Laid Facing
The largest laid facing I’ve made measured 30″ x 40″ but that was more than twenty years ago. Until now I hadn’t hadn’t made a very large facing on my new loom. There was no reason to think that it wouldn’t work but I was pleased to get a positive result. This mould maker’s loomContinue reading “#47 Making a 24″ x 36″ Laid Facing”
#34 Deckle Joinery: Tenon End Part 2
The end of the last post left us with two tenons ready to be fitted into spaces left in the other half of the deckle joint. Both tenons were cut to the correct thickness and now both need to be trimmed to width. The simpler lower tenon is the first to be fitted. It onlyContinue reading “#34 Deckle Joinery: Tenon End Part 2”
#33 Deckle Joinery: Tenon End, Part 1
The next three posts will show how the other half of the deckle joint is made. This half of the joint takes longer so the process is broken into segments. One side of a saw cut establishes the bottom surface of the sliding dovetail; making it the right thickness to slide into the dovetail groove.Continue reading “#33 Deckle Joinery: Tenon End, Part 1”
#32 Deckle Joinery: the Mortise Side
I will now try to explain the making of a traditional British deckle joint; mimicking the form but using non-traditional methods. Its elaborate form must have evolved from the necessity of creating deckles that could stand the abuse of being ‘slapped’ onto moulds hundreds of times a day while being constantly in an out ofContinue reading “#32 Deckle Joinery: the Mortise Side”
#31 Tool Kit for Deckle Joinery
A brief review of the tools I use to create this unique and elaborate joint. Most of these tools have been used before when making the mould frame and ribs. Left to right: a 1/4″ straight bit, a 3/8″ by 9 degree dovetail bit, and a 1/8″ straight bit, all to be used with theContinue reading “#31 Tool Kit for Deckle Joinery”
#23 Sewing a Double Faced Laid Mould
Backing and facing wires have been fitted to this mould; the next step is to sew them to the ribs. A soft (annealed phosphor bronze, in this case .010″ diameter) sewing wire follows a spiral path for the length of each rib to bind the wires to it. The ribs have been drilled at regularContinue reading “#23 Sewing a Double Faced Laid Mould”
#21 Making a Backing on the Loom
Another post details the process of making a laid facing. Most of that information also applies to this post so it is worthwhile to review both to gain a fuller picture. The mould is ready to receive its wire parts. A wire backing fresh off the loom is curvy but will flatten out when tapedContinue reading “#21 Making a Backing on the Loom”
#16 Leveling the Ribs
The wooden structure of the mould is complete; now the tops of the ribs are scraped level in preparation for sewing down the wire facing. Please refer to Post #66, “A Plane for Leveling Ribs” for another, possibly better way to do this. I like to pre-load the mould with weights before leveling the ribs.Continue reading “#16 Leveling the Ribs”
Timothy Moore Bookbinding Tools 