Compact Series Looms
 


  

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Gilmore Compact Looms

 

 

 
          Loom shown is a Compact 40 inch, 8 harness
 

     This time tested Compact series of looms have been produced since the 1960's. They have the strength and weight to easily do rugs and blankets as well as any fine weavings. The handcrafted parts are of the finest woods and are all still milled from quality lumber at our Stockton shop. Mr. Gilmore designed the Compact series so they would be versatile and yet not take up a lot of room. By swinging from the bottom, the beater tightly packs the weft threads with little effort. In addition the beater has a built in "shuttle race" that allows the shuttle to ride, not only on the lower shed threads, but also on a wide supported guide. Treadles are well spaced and easy to work. Texsolv treadle tie-ups are simple and easily to do, and in the jack loom tradition produce an excellent rising shed. Frames, or shafts, are built light and strong to hold flat steel or inserted eye heddles that smoothly guide, not wear, all varieties of warp fibers. Built for professionals or novice weavers these looms continue the Gilmore jack loom tradition as the best quality looms made.

More details:
     The Compact Loom series are made mostly of hard eastern maple. The cloth beam, warp beam, and the harnesses are of poplar, allowing them to be strong, straight and light. These looms are sturdy, yet compact enough to move from place to place. The warp beam easily comes off its brackets and the brackets swing down. The back top beam folds up so the loom can fit through a standard doorway.
      The front bar (breast beam) comes off steel pins so you can get closer to the heddles and the treadles for easier threading and doing tie ups.
     The cloth beam and warp beam braking system is a ratchet gear and awl (dog) type. A new improvement prevents the warp beam from spinning when the tension is released.  And the looms are now designed to stop any harnesses from lifting under high warp tension conditions.
     A specially designed beater bar lock that will not harm the beater legs, and beater cushions are installed as standard equipment.
      Either 4 harness (shaft) or 8 harness models are available. These looms come in true weaving widths of 26", 32", 40" and 46".
     Included with each loom is a 10 dent stainless steel reed, a sley hook, a Gilmore shuttle with bobbin, 2 lease sticks, 50 heddles per harness (shaft), and two dozen Texsolv tie up sets
    All models can be equipped with sectional beam bars and many other accessories (see the information BELOW the following table and the other products section of this site).


Standard specifications

LOOM MODEL

HARNESSES

TRUE
WEAVING WIDTH

TREADLES

OPENED DIMENSIONS
L X H X D

26 inch

4

26 inches

6

34 x 38 x 34

26 inch

8

26 inches

10

34 x 38 x 36

32 inch

4

32 inches

6

40 x 38 x 34

32 inch

8

32 inches

12

40 x 38 x 36

40 inch

4

40 inches

6

48 x 38 x 34

40 inch

8

40 inches

12

48 x 38 x 36

46 inch

4

46 inches

10

54 x 38 x 34

46 inch

8

46 inches

14

54 x 38 x 36

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                                   Compact Loom Accessories


Loom shown is a 32 inch, 8 harness Compact Loom. It has a Top Tray, a Cloth Pocket,and sectional beam bars installed.

                                                                                     Gilmore Bench
 The Gilmore Bench is made of solid hardwood maple. The top is 13 1/2 in. x 30 in.. The bench is tilted to the front making it easier on your back and to allow more comfortable treadle contact.  Bench height is 22 1/2" in the front and 23" in the back. The drawer has maple ends and poplar sides and It slides through both ends for easier access.
                                                                                       

Sectional Beam Bars
    
Sectional beam bars can either be installed with a new ordered loom, or can be ordered as a kit to be installed on any Gilmore Compact Loom warping beam. They are made of poplar and have 3/8" dowels spaced on 2" centers (see photo of compact loom above). If you are adding them on to a regular warping beam you can roll your old straps up and tie them down, in case you wish to change back.
(Special note: Some older Compact looms have shorter Warp Beam Brackets that do not hold the Warp Beam out far enough to add
the extra 3 1/4" height of the Sectional Beam Bars kit.  Measure the space between the Warp Beam "wings" and the loom. (Click here to
jump to a photo
). New Warp Beam Brackets are 9 1/4 " long )(See the Sectional Beam Bars section on the "Price List" page for more
information)
 
Free Standing Second Warping Beam
    
The Free Standing Beam slides into and against the back of a Compact Loom. It provides a second back Top Beam Bar and a second warping beam. The brake system is a cable friction one that allows the second warp and the primary warp to stay tight together. The second beam can also be made into a sectional beam.
                                     

Removable Top Tray (see photo of compact loom above)
    The top tray is slanted forward so it does not get in the way of the lifting harnesses. It is removable from the top and the side brackets come off. It is made of hardwood maple, with a solid poplar bottom. Optional fluorescent light mounted under the tray is also available.
Note: This tray is NOT a product available in kit form. It can only be built and installed on a loom brought to our factory.

Front Beam Cloth Pocket (see photo of compact loom above)
     This pocket is made to fit Gilmore Compact looms. A sturdy canvas cloth is supported by steel bars and hardwood maple ends. This allows you to have all your shuttles and accessories within easy reach.

Front/Back Raddle
 The Front/Back Raddle is a raddle that can be mounted on either the front (breast) beam or the back top beam. It will fit all Gilmore Compact looms. When mounted on the beams it can be set to be an open raddle or a closed raddle. It comes with a set of special clamps that will not hurt the beams. It can also take the place of the reed in the shuttle race reed slot.
   Mounted closed raddle            Mounted open raddle

Warp Tensioner
The Warp Tensioner attaches to the back top beam of the Gilmore loom. It comes with two cards that are used for different sized threads. By  varying the way you wrap the threads around the guide dowels you can vary the tension of the  treads for sectional warping.

                           
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