What to consider when buying a table loom

[@heidil9894]

This is such great advice! I have a mild shoulder injury and very much understand what you're talking about. I now use a stand for my table loom, positioned a bit lower. I find that helps not having to reach up too high, thought I would mention it. Thanks Kelly for sharing your weaving knowledge.

[@KellyCasanova]

Thank you Heidi 😊

[@annesfeltedfriends]

Thanks Kelly! I have been weaving with my rigid heddle loom for some years now, and have been thinking of a table loom. Your analysis has convinced me, in my 80th year, to continue with my RHL. There are still things for me to learn and so I will not get a table loom. 🥰

[@KellyCasanova]

Glad to help! 😊

[@Bustermcfe]

Excellent information. The explanation of pros and cons looks at so many angles most of us wouldn't have thought of. I especially appreciate the topic of constraints of our individual bodies when weaving.

[@KellyCasanova]

Glad it was helpful to you Sandra 😊

[@brendadagel]

I have been wanting to purchase a table loom for a long time, going back and forth between wider weaving width vs narrower and 4 vs 8 shafts. This video really helped me narrow down my decisions. Thank you!

[@KellyCasanova]

Great to hear that Brenda!

[@cristi1924]

great video Kelly, thanks to a similar video of yours from a few years ago, I decided to buy my table loom and I'm delighted, the best weaving investment!!!

[@kathycostello4104]

I just bought a used table loom that will need a reed and some love. The lady that sold it will give me weaving lessons. I am hoping to enjoy this a bit more than my rigid heddle loom, though, to be fair, I enjoy the weaving, not the warping... Thanks, Kelly, for all your wonderful sharing and support of the weaving community.

[@KellyCasanova]

That's great that she will start you off with some lessons, that will be really helpful to you.

[@lila3372]

Such a wonderful video - thank you! I was just about to lend/purchase an ashford table loom and realised throughout this video that there's a few additional and necessary purchases I didn't factor into my calculation. I only came here to check whether you'd mention which reed to go for (whether there's a need for an extra purchase of a 16 dpi reed rather than the included 10 dpi when weaving on 27 dpi) and left with a lot more food for thought. Can't value this video and its timing enough!

[@KellyCasanova]

Further to your thoughts on reed sizes, to be honest, I've never bought extra reeds for my table or floor looms. One of my floor looms has a 12 dent reed, the other floor loom and table loom a 10 dent. You can make it work. Do you know about reed substitution charts? Here is a good one I like to use- www.schachtspindle.com/pdfs/reed-size-sett-chart.pdf

[@super60sand70s]

Great video. The thickness of yarns is something I never thought about before.

[@KellyCasanova]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!

[@tsoonklah]

Sooooo glad you made this video, almost got a table loom but I have fibromyalgia & left shoulder has very bad bursitis, I got a 32” rigid heddle & it has been great. My fibro really limits my arm movements. I know that may seem backwards but I wanted a loom just to make simple plain weave fabrics and it’s faster to weave it rather than knit which saves my shoulders and carpal tunnel. Maybe someday I’ll get into fancier stuff but I mainly knit two color brioche and lace to accentuate traditional designs.

[@KellyCasanova]

Great you found something that works for you 🥰

[@tracytroutman7188]

I think the 60cm (24in) is a lovely median size. Towels, shawls, throw blankets with doubleweave. Still easily manageable to fold up and stow away if you need to.

[@KellyCasanova]

I agree!

[@maryking5425]

This is a wonderful video thank you for posting. When I get my new loom I will join your school .

[@KellyCasanova]

Thanks Mary!

[@jeannestiffler2837]

I just bought a used Mountain table loom 12 shaft, anxious to learn how to use it

[@mariafurtado2507]

This was great. I just bought a 4 shaft RH and I hope I enjoy it. Haven’t received it yet. This was great information. Thank you Kelly

[@KellyCasanova]

You're welcome Maria, glad to help 😊

[@blackcrowcottage]

Thank you so much for all the great information. I very much want to weave but find the prices intimidating. I do know I want a table loom though.😁

[@KellyCasanova]

Keep an eye out for second hand looms, you can save so much money that way!

[@whitedwarf29]

back again...lol.. i was listening to what you were saying about the strings bowing your front or back beam. if it were me i would replace both with oak by using the old bars as a template and sanding to shape. you will never be able to bend the new ones

[@santanafromdavid2698]

Aaaa thank you! I'm still starting out with RH weaving, won't be buying a table or floor loom for awhile (but I may get ahead of myself). However I'm lucky I watched to the end, I've been wanting to buy a pattern book but couldn't decide! I'll buy Dixon's.

[@KellyCasanova]

And of course, you can use the 4 shaft patterns to convert to your rigid heddle loom if you're so inclined 😉

[@santanafromdavid2698]

@@KellyCasanova exactly what i'm going to do. :)

[@lisaw5081]

Kelly thanks so much for a very informative video. Definitely answered some questions for me ….now to order a loom 😊

[@KellyCasanova]

Fabulous! ❤️

[@SharonCodyCowgirlCreations]

Great video...i am going to check out your online course. Thanks!

[@KellyCasanova]

Thank you! 😊

[@SharonCodyCowgirlCreations]

@@KellyCasanova when do you expect to offer the weaving bootcamp again?

[@KellyCasanova]

@@SharonCodyCowgirlCreations I'm not sure, usually it runs in February and September, but I will only run it in September if there is enough interest 😊

[@suzannemortimer9752]

Brilliant Kelly, so helpfull. My particular problem is in my arthritic fingers. I love my various RHLs but find beating hurts my joints. I’m thinking treadles on a table loom may help, but is the beater any easier? Thank you and bless you

[@KellyCasanova]

Suzanne, beating on a table loom compared to a RH loom is very different, it's SO much easier. The Ashford table looms have a swinging beater that is really effortless. How do you go with threading your RH loom - is that difficult for your fingers?

[@alisonjames8082]

The Ashford Katie is only 8 shafts and a 30 cm weaving width. It is a great little portable loom, but I wouldn’t want it for my only table loom, because of the narrow width. Ashford makes a 16 shaft table loom with a 24 inch weaving width. They did make a special edition 32 inch 16 shaft loom a few years ago. I have one. It is a monster, but I will never own a dobby floor loom. Great advice in this video.

[@nancyfmallen]

Hello! Kelly, I recently bought the 32” 8-shaft Ashford. I have not warped it. I have a question about the addition of a second back beam. I have not find any tutorials for it and was wondering how it works and is it just additional weight or is it useful. If possible, could you explain the use or purpose of a second back beam? I am looking forward to taking your table loom course, as I am overly obsessed with RHL weaving and have only made 3 weaves. Thank you for your wonderful concise tutorials.

[@KellyCasanova]

Nancy, I have never used an additional back beam on any of my looms, it just has not been necessary for me to use super long warps. I would advise you to not worry about it for now, just focus on getting to know your table loom, get a few projects under your belt, then see if you feel you need to look into it further 😊

[@hkchozeh]

Thank you, Kelly!

[@KellyCasanova]

You're most welcome! 🥰

[@adamakaru2683]

Kelly, you are sweet and great. I was doing just as you say to! and in two weeks I get my first Ashford #24 4shaft table loom for making my extremely thin clothes I got that Idea from Mahatma Gandhi, one of my great hero. Thank you so much and I am looking for more from you.

[@KellyCasanova]

That's exciting Adam, I'm sure you will love the possibilities your new loom will provide 😀

[@danasheldrake2799]

Thank you, well done.

[@KellyCasanova]

Thanks Dana!

[@debbymatyas349]

I just love your videos ~ may I ask if you can switch out the Texsolv Heddles for the Inserted Eye Heddles on an Ashford 32” 8 shaft loom? Please continue making your videos as they as extremely helpful for us newbie weavers.

[@KellyCasanova]

I don't know for sure Debby, I'm guessing you could if you wanted to, provided you could find the correct size heddle in metal. I'm curious as to why you would want to swap to metal? They would make your shafts heavier.

[@debbymatyas349]

@@KellyCasanova ~ Thank you so much for responding so quickly ~ I didn’t even consider the extra weight on the shafts ~ that’s why I’ve enrolled in your Weaving on a Table Loom course ~ I’m on Social Security Disability so money is extremely tight but I have learned so much in just the few lessons I’ve watched I can say without hesitation that it was money well spent. Thank you once again.

[@KellyCasanova]

@@debbymatyas349 No problem, don't hesitate to reach out again if you have further questions. You can contact me directly through the class on Teachable by leaving a comment underneath any video or by emailing me using the contact option 😊

[@whitedwarf29]

I like what you have done here.. but you are not considering "double weave" when you say only 16 or 24 inch wide.. ie..16-->32 or 24-->48 inches wide on a single unit.. love the video though, keep it up...woops the "Yasmina 8024" table loom has 24 shafts its made by Shaaraf..another thing is if you are a decent wood worker you can build a table loom very close to as good as an ashford, btw i did just that. I 3d printed the ratchets and the levers and several other things, I bought my lumber from the home depot .My table loom has 16 shafts and has a 22 inch weaving width and at some point im planning to take the sides off and increase the width to 36 inches inside weaving width.. may cost something like $250 my cost to make the change (part of that is a longer reed).. btw an ashford 16 heddle loom costs between $1600 to $1700 dollars and mine which works just as good cost me about $600 including the reed and 800 heddles to build, with me doing the work. took maybe 3 weeks with me just messing around on the weekends.

[@KellyCasanova]

Wow, that's quite a saving, good for you!

[@yogawithval]

Excellent……as usual! Thank you

[@KellyCasanova]

Thank you Valeda! 😀

[@patreynolds3646]

Kelly, do you have any info on a Magic dobby loom? Patrick

[@KellyCasanova]

No, sorry, I don't know much about them and have not seen one in person.

[@rebeccafugitt1573]

I have a 32 inch eight shaft table loom. I was wondering about buying the stand now but it only comes with four treadles. Someone told me that some people don’t like that because it doesn’t raise the shafts evenly. What is your opinion?

[@KellyCasanova]

Hmm, I haven't heard anything about uneven shafts with the treadle kit. I have not used a stand and kit with my table loom, so can't give you a fair opinion on it, sorry!

[@Saosaphai]

I want to buy a table loom, but i do not where i can buy it

[@hayley5025]

ashfords ashburton nz does no longer do four shaft plus another four shaft you now have to buy a eight shaft straight off its such a shame

[@KellyCasanova]

Oh, I didn't know that, thank you for pointing it out.

[@dashelyc]

That was short lived and they released a new 4 harness model that doesn't fold but is cheaper.

[@Saosaphai]

I am looking a table loom

[@merrickelsner5520]

Can you weave tapestry on a table loom

[@KellyCasanova]

Yes, but it's not going to be ideal. For tapestry, the higher the warp tension, the better. I have woven tapestry on a rigid heddle loom, so it is do-able, as long as you realise the lack of tension could be frustrating.

[@annierubyslipperz589]

Please, I think I may have missed the name of this loom =)

[@KellyCasanova]

Ashford 8 shaft table loom 😉