Floor & table looms
While we’d love to provide a good home for your loom, we have limited studio space.
Our goal is to be able to offer both new and experienced weavers the opportunity to try as wide a variety of looms as possible. Since we have as many looms as we have space for, we will only accept a loom donation if it is from a different manufacturer, or a different style, and can replace one currently in the studio.
Before you contact us or list a loom for sale, here’s what a weaver will want to know:
- Who is the manufacturer? Most common in Ontario is LeClerc.
- How many shafts? Shafts (or harnesses) are frames that hold the heddles that the warp threads are threaded through. A basic floor loom has 4 shafts, complex looms have more.
- What type of loom is it? There are 3 basic mechanisms – the resale value and the time it will take to sell will vary with the type of loom:
A counterbalance loom has the shafts suspended by cords that run over rollers at the top of the loom. The shaft frame is connected to the treadle (foot peddle), and as a shaft is pulled down, another shaft rises. This is an older style of loom – resale value is lower as the demand is less.
A jack loom has levers (called lamms) that connect the shaft frames to the treadles. Each shaft frame operates independently – depressing the treadle causes connected shaft(s) to lift, the others should stay in stay in a neutral position. Probably the easiest to sell.
A countermarche loom is generally European made, has 2 sets of lamms, one that lifts the shaft, and one that lowers it. Each shaft is connected to both sets of lamms, and either the up lamm or the down lamm is connected to each treadle. When properly set up, this combines the better shed of the counterbalance with the independent shaft movement of the jack, but the tie up process is more complicated, and it’s less familiar to Canadian weavers. - How wide is the loom? to make sure you’re measuring correctly, the stated loom width is the width of the widest warp you can put on it, not the overall width of the loom. Measure the width of the inside of the shaft frame.
- What else comes with the loom?
How many reeds (that long thing with evenly spaced metal slats)? With what density? (the number of slots per inch, usually stamped in the end bar). Most common are 8, 10, 12. M following the number means a metric reed.
Shuttles? Bench? Yarn? Books?
Where to advertise
- Our studio bulletin board. A half-page ad with photos of the loom will grab attention. Please date your ad, and let us know when the equipment is sold. We remove ads periodically, usually after six months.
- Ontario Handweavers & Spinners magazine, Fibre Focus, is published quarterly, but ads for the next issue go on the website as soon as they are ordered.
- Via free online listings on Kijiji, Craig’s List or Facebook Marketplace
- Weaving supply stores
- Area newspapers
Small equipment
The Textile Studio is well equipped with everything weavers and spinners want, so we do not typically accept donations of table looms (unless it’s a Louet), inkle looms, pick up sticks, assorted shuttles, or rusty reeds.
Yarn & fibre
From time to time we will accept donations of yarn, thread, fleece, and other weaving or spinning materials, once they have been inspected for insect infestation, odours, discolouration, mould, etc. ideally, all yarn will have their original labels and/or packaging that identifies the fibres. Please contact us to arrange a time to see the yarn/fibre. Any yarn/fibre materials that are simply dropped off to the studio will be thrown out.
Have a question about a potential donation? Please contact us.