LIFE HISTORY OF A SCARF: DAY 4 - Winding onto the Back Beam

Warping from back to front means I will:

• Spread the warp in the raddle
• Wind onto the back beam
• Thread the heddles
• Thread the reed
• Tie onto the front beam

​There are many ways of setting up a loom for back to front warping, but as far as I know they all involve inserting lease sticks into the crosses of the warps chains and spreading the warp chains into a raddle on the back of the loom.  I have used many methods over the years, but have settled on the method I describe below as the fastest, most efficient, and most comfortable method for me to warp my Baby Wolf loom by myself.

Note: It is easiest warp from back to front if there are 2 apron rods for the back beam: one that goes through your cloth apron or apron cords and a second that you will feed through your warp chains and is tied to the first one at intervals (every 4-6”).

---

Spreading the warp in the raddle

1. I tied texsolv cords around the front and back beams on either side of the loom – outside the heddles.  These cords will be used to support the raddle and the lease sticks during winding on.  The lease sticks will stay in the cords for threading through the heddles.  And later the cords will support the reed while I thread from heddles to reed.
2.  I inserted the raddle into the cords next to the back beam and tied it snuggly to the back beam
3. I passed the 4 warp chains through the castle of the loom and laid them over the raddle NOTE: As I stood at the back of the loom, Chain 4 is on the far right, Chain 1 on the left and all of the bows for the counting threads are facing to the right because I will unload the chains from the right in to the raddle.
4. I intertwined the lease sticks through the cords on the right side of the loom, then through the cross of Chain #4, Chain #3, Chain #2, Chain #1, and finally through the cord on the far side.  I tied the lease sticks together on both sides so they couldn’t get dislodged from the cords or the chains.
5. I inserted the second apron rod though the end loop of both chains and used rubber bands to temporarily secure it to the raddle
6. Making sure to center the warp chains in the raddle, I unloaded the warp chains into the raddle, 1 inch at a time.  I place rubber bands across the top of the raddle pins to secure the warp ends, and made sure the 2 apron rods were tied to each other every 4”.

Click on any photo to zoom in:

Step 1 - Texsolv cords installed on the sides of the loom

Step 2 - Raddle inserted into the cords at the back beam and tied securely

Step 3 - All 4 chains in position at the back of the loom, #1 on the left, # 4 on the right

Step 4 - Lease sticks inserted into the cords and the warp chains and secured

Step 4 - Closeup of warp chains on lease sticks. All bows facing to the right, ready for "unloading"

Step 5 - Apron rod inserted through loops in warp chains.

Step 5 - Closeup - Rubber bands used to temporarily secure apron rod to raddle

Step 6 - Unloading the warp chain, 1 inch at a time. Tensioning the warp ends at the lease sticks.

Step 6 - Warp spread in the raddle and secured with rubber bands across the top. Apron rod ties inserted every 4".

---

​Winding onto the back beam
 
After years of drafting my husband into helping me wind onto the back beam when I had more than one warp chain, I have finally adopted a self-help method of winding on that involves weights and gives really nice tension

1. At the front of the loom, I gently stretched the 4 chains out and made sure they were tidy in the raddle.
2. For each warp chain, I put a slipknot in the chain and applied an S-hook and a 2.5 pound weight so that the weight would dangle just above the floor.  I removed all choke ties between the raddle and the weight.
3. I wound onto the back beam with the weights in place adding corrugated cardboard around the back beam to pad between the warp layers.
4. I watched the cross carefully as I wound on, and I would stop and “shake a jerk the warp chains if the warp was not winding on smoothly.
5. When the slipknots reached the breast beam, I untied the knots and moved the weights further down the chains, untying choke ties as needed.
6. I continued winding on and moving weights until the end loops reached the breast beam.

Tip:
I like to use rolled cardboard when winding onto the back beam.  If it is not available, you can use heavy craft paper available in rolls (doubled if desired for extra thickness) or sticks or slats cut to the width of your beam
 
Tip:  If you use paper to wind on with, keep the lengths of paper short - 1 yard long or less. Long lengths are very hard to wind on straight and invariably end up getting off kilter and getting gummed up in the gearing of the loom.

The S-hooks and weights. S-hooks can be found at a hardware store, weights at a sporting goods store. Milk jugs filled with 2-3 pounds of sand work too.

The slipknot in the warp chain

The warp chains weighted with S-hooks and weights

Slipknots and weights at the lowest point below the breast beam

The slipknots and weights have reached the breast beam. Time to move the slipknots and weights before winding further.

​I was now ready to thread the loom.  Go to Life History-Day 5
​

---