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Sunday, August 15, 2010

Resources for Owners of Weaver's Delights (and other looms)

There are a few hugely important resources available to owners of these looms. The first is Riverside Loomworks, where you can find both advice and parts. Here is a description owner Leslie Johnson provided for me to post here:

Riverside Loomworks – Newcomb loom repair parts

Riverside Loomworks is a home-based business in Eaton Rapids, Mich., that provides repair and replacement parts for the Weaver’s Delight, Improved No. 3 and Studio (or Studio Art) looms, all made by the Newcomb Loom Co., Davenport, Iowa. Leslie Johnson is the fifth owner of the parts business, which came into being after the Newcomb Co. went out of business in the early 1980s. The two-person operation (owner and weaver Leslie and blacksmith/welder/fabricator Paul) draws on the help of a foundry in Indiana (cast iron parts), an Amish harnessmaker (picker stick straps and bootheels) in Indiana and a woodworker (Studio lamms, tension boxes, etc.) in Michigan, and years of experience weaving on and troubleshooting Weaver’s Delight and Studio looms. Reconditioned looms (Newcomb and others) are usually available, along with new shuttle cans for the WD and wooden pirns for use in the WD flying shuttles, and used accessories such as spool racks and stuffing machines. Help and occasionally parts may be available for other brands of looms, also. Write, call or e-mail to: Riverside Loomworks, P.O. Box 522, Eaton Rapids, MI 48827; (517) 663-0357; rivloom@sbcglobal.net

Leslie has been instrumental in this project of mine, she has helped me figure out so many things about how the parts of this loom go together, and she has some parts I know I'll be needing, such as pickers (bootheels). I never dreamed I would be able to find parts for this loom still being made!

They don't have a web site, but if you write to Leslie she can email you a parts price list & answer questions.


Janet Meany and the Weaver's Friend Loom Manual Library

Janet is one of the authors of The Rag Rug Handbook, which is a great information source on rag weaving as well as the antique looms still used. It was this book which piqued my interest in the Weaver's Delight loom years ago, and I've been waiting to see one in person ever since (until now).

Janet publishes a rug weaving newsletter called The Weaver's Friend:
http://www.weaversfriend.com/

She also is keeper of The Loom Manual Library, where you can buy manuals for many antique looms, including the Weaver's Delight. She also provides other historic information related to looms & loom manufacturers. Her prices are fair, they appear to me to cover printing & postage, mainly:
http://www.weaversfriend.com/page1/page1.html


Historic Looms of America (formerly the Newcomb Looms Historical Society)

They offer several services:

Loom Registration Service
This service registers your loom with HLA and enables loom owners to access the early history of their loom from the original Newcomb business records: the loom’s date of production and original selling price, original owner, and original destination when shipped from the Newcomb factory. Those who register their looms will receive a certificate of ownership.
 
Loom Referral Service
This service is invaluable to those restoring Newcomb Looms, particularly as the Newcomb manual does not offer adequate photos or schematics on the looms. For the cost of this service, HLA computer records are searched to put you in touch with three other looms owners in your region.
 
They also offer manuals, historic information on looms & manufacturers, and back issues of The Journal of the Newcomb Looms Historical Society, which contain historical information.
 
Contact Theresa Trebon for pricing and further info:
 
Theresa L. Trebon

Continuum History and Research

Historic Looms of America

trebon@comcast.net

4 comments:

  1. WE SURE DO AGREE W/ THIS POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  2. Thanks for such helpful information! I'm tryng to put together a Newcomb Studio Loom I rescued but need further help to see if I have all the parts and how to finish assembling it. Will contact Theresa soon!

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  3. thank you so much for posting this page!!! i'm in the market for a loom and recently have come across a Studio Art 36" loom. i'm happy to know that there are resources out there for this maker and i won't be bereft upon buying it!

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  4. I am so thankful and happy to have found this website. I used to weave rugs with my parents in the 80's and 90's -- both on a homemade by my dad loom and a Newcomb Weaver's Delight. Both of my parents have passed away and with them, the knowledge of the looms.
    Now I finally have a permanent house of my own to set up the Weaver's Delight again and without this site, I would be lost. I have the loom almost all put together, but for the warp beam, brake band, and a few screws that were lost in the 10-plus years I've been hauling it around. I seem to remember a metal green painted part full of lots of litttle holes (for string to thread through?) that attached to the end of the top back warp bar. However, I do not have that part...along with the threading hook, shuttle cans and case, nor any of the things for wrapping header warp/weft on to easily shoot them through the warp...I am not worried about the automatic shuttle parts--I have only used the loom manually and I know my family probably trashed the parts from the loom that are missing when emptying my dad's garage. But I need a hook and am not sure of anything else I might need to warp the loom. Any comments?

    tammykero@live.com

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