The Leclerc Weavebird loom is a significant departure from conventional computer-dobby loom designs. Rather than simply scale down an industrial loom or attempt to add computer-dobby support to a manual handloom design, the company has designed the Weavebird loom from the ground up specifically as a Computer-Dobby loom for the advanced handweaver or small production environment. Some of unique differences in the Weavebird design are detailed below.
The Weavebird loom design is based on a Countermarch mechanism where every harness moves either up or down with every pick to create the warp shed. The threads that are lifted form the top of the shed and the lowered threads create the shed base. This approach significantly reduces the degree of warp thread stretch when the weaver treadles the loom and reduces the force required to get a good shed to throw the shuttle through. In comparison, the Jack mechanism used by conventional computerized looms creates a shed by raising some warp threads and leaving the rest untouched to create the base. By only lifting the top threads, Jack or "Rising Shed" looms, as some like to call them, must lift the warp threads twice as high to get the same shed as the Weavebird! The stretching of the warp threads gets worse the greater the number of harnesses. To form an even "roof" in the warp shed, successive harnesses must be lifted a little bit higher than the previous harness as you move toward the back of the loom. This means that on a 32 shaft loom, shaft 32 has to rise a little more than shaft 31 and much more than shaft 1, putting more stress on the warp threads it lifts. By reducing the amount warp threads have to be deflected, the Weavebird reduces the chance of damaged or broken warp threads and makes higher tension warps possible! A Countermarch is the perfect mechanism for a computer loom as the mechanism's only defficiency (ie, the complex tie-up requirement) is eliminated by having the computer manage the tie-up process. |
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Each of the Weavebird looms 16, 24 or 32 harnesses has a counterweight attached that is designed to compensate for the weight of the harness as well as the heddles. This counterweight operates in a similar fashion as those employed by elevators to greatly reduce the amount of force needed by the weaver to raise each shaft. The result of this unique approach is a dramatic reduction in the treadling effort and physical strain on the weaver.
Rather than "lifting" the harness, the weaver is simply moving them from the closed to the open position or vice-versa. Regardless of the mber of harnesses are moving up or the draft being woven, a small amount of pressure is required to move the harness and no force whatsoever is required to hold it in place once it has been moved! In fact a weaver can push on one treadle to create the shed, get up from the loom to go and have lunch and when they return they will find the perfect shed still there waiting for them!
Because the counterweights are attached to each of the Weavebird's harnesses, lifting 1, 5, 20 or 32 harnesses requires an equal amount of force enabling the weaver to achieve a steady rhythm. Ease of treadling is a unique advantage that the Leclerc Weavebird loom has over competitors Computer-Dobby implementation allowing a weaver to stay at the loom weaving for a longer period of time without discomfort. Some manufacturers try to fix the problem with springs, chains and levers, but the added complexity doesn't remove the fact that the harnesses have to be lifted and the weaver had better have strong leg muscles!
As well as allowing loom owners to continue weaving as they get older and/or develop health issues that reduce their lower body strength the Weavebird's ease of treadling eliminates the need to modify the threading and weave draft file to minimize the harnesses to be lifted on each pick. The Weavebird lets the weaver, not the loom decide what they can weave!
One solution to the "heavy treadle" problem found in some competitors Computer-Dobby loom is to provide a optional "lift-assist system". Loom Makers like AVL and Macomber either add pneumatic cylinders or electric winches like AVL's e-Lift system to their looms to use air pressure or an electric motor to haul up the harnesses. The pneumatic system requires the installation of a dirty and noisy air compressor like those found in a automotive repair garage.
While newer add-on electric winch systems are quieter than the older air-driven models, they tend to require a great deal of maintenance and frequent tuning to get them working properly and to unjam them when things go wrong. More importantly, these options can add thousands of dollars to the price of a loom and potential installation problems if they are added later. The superior design of the Weavebird loom eliminates the need for any of these assist systems as well as eliminating the cost and complexity they add.
Unlike other Computer-Dobby looms, the Weavebird is not designed for just one type of weaving. Whether you want to weave kimonos with the finest silk or produce rag rugs, the only modification you will have to make in the loom is to change the reed! Some looms with automatic tensioning systems or friction beams simply cannot handle the high tension and beating force required for rug weaving. The Weavebird sturdy design, warp advance system and tension brake system is up to the job and can even be ordered with a Weighted Beater Option to help pack the rug weft in tight. With the Weavebird, one loom can do it all!
While many loom designers are forced to use Texsolv string heddles to reduce harness weight, that is not the case with the Weavebird and its Counterweights where harness weight is not an issue. Customers ordering a Weavebird loom can make the choice to configure it with either inserted eye wire or Texsolv heddles based upon which type of heddle they prefer to use!
A great deal of effort was put into the Weavebird design to preserve the look and feel of a handloom. Rather than the box shaped frame employed on other computer driven looms, the Weavebird retains the traditional handloom look and feel. Like traditional looms, the overhead frame enables the use of the optional hanging beater. Maple Hardwood is used extensively in the loom design and metal components like the bank of solenoid are hidden behind Maple cover plates. Until you notice the computer sitting beside it or notice that it only has two treadles, the Weavebird appears to be a handloom. While it is a loom designed for efficient production, it will not look out of place in a home environment with other pieces of furniture.
Rather than being hidden in a shaft box, the Weavebird harnesses hang out in the open, easily accessable to the weaver making jobs like threading and adding heddles less of a task and something that can be done using ordinary room light. Numbers engraved into each harness make it easy for the weaver to see which shafts are being raised and the actions of the solenoids can monitored to watch for problems. Problems with other looms with enclosed dobby assemblies can be hard to diagnose without two people being present.
In designing the Weavebird, great effort was made to simplify the mechanism to minimize what can go wrong and to minimize the task involved to get the loom back working if things do. Rather than the complex system of gears, springs and levers found on other earlier Computer-Dobby loom designs, the Weavebird employs a simple closed cable system to raise and lower each harness. With this design, the only real adjustment the weaver may have to make to the loom is to adjust the length and tension of the cables. This results in a loom that requires very little maintenance over the years.
If maintenance or repairs have to be done, the Weavebird owner can replace almost any component themselves. This is not true with some looms where complicated lifting mechanisms have to be shipped back to the manufacturer to be opened, repaired and returned. The Weavebird eliminates the shipping costs and delays by eliminating the design complexity.
Leclerc Looms is the only full range handloom maker on the market. As well as the Weavebird Computer-Dobby loom, the company produces everything from the widest rug handloom on the market to floor looms to small table, tapestry and inkle looms and all the accessories that go with them. The company's nearly 50 different loom models are produced in North America specifically for customer orders rather than in the batch process employed by smaller loom makers. This means that a customer can take delivery of a Leclerec Weavebird loom in 3-4 weeks rather than waiting the 4-6 months it may take other loom manufacturers for their next production run or their next shipment from overseas!
The Weavebird loom has also been designed to eliminate the need for special shipping facilities which means that we can be deliver it to you by UPS or other standard courier services. This makes international shipping easier and eliminates the limitations caused by utilizing special trucking companies. When you have ordered a Weavebird loom, there is no need to find out whether a tractor trailer can make it down your street or whether your front door needs to be widened!
The Weavebird series of Computer-Dobby looms have been designed to make computer assisted weaving more affordable. A unique new loom design and use of North American production facilities results in a new level of affordability. Weavebird pricing is shown with comparable looms currently available today.
| Loom | Leclerc | AVL | Norwood | Toika | Louet | J-Made | |
| Weavebird | A-Series | - | Liisa | Megado | J-Comp | ||
| Mechanism | Countermarch | Jack | Jack | Countermarch | Countermarch | Jack | |
| Loom Driver Software |
Included | Extra ($350 US) |
Included | Included | Extra | Extra | |
| Weaving Width | 45" (114 cm) |
48" (122 cm) |
50" (127 cm) |
48" (122 cm) |
52" (130 cm) |
48" (122 cm) |
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| Warranty | 3 Years for Everything * |
1 Year on electronic parts 2 years on loom mechanism |
1 Year | 1 Year | 1 Year | 1 Year | |
| List Price (US) |
8 Shaft | - | - | $7,050 | - | - | - |
| 16 Shaft | $6,995 | $10,750 | - | $9,000 | $9,365 | $9,870 | |
| 24 Shaft | $8,975 | $11,950 | - | $12,900 | - | $13,540 | |
| 32 Shaft | $10,595 | - | - | $15,250 | $12,715 | - | |
Notes:
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To learn more about the Weavebird Computer-Dobby Loom go to:
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