The Louet David 3 Loom 90cm compact eight shaft weaving loom.
The newest version of the David loom, the Louet David 3, has evolved to incorporate many improvements. This third generation of the David loom has a unique system that creates a large progressive shed. The David had a single set of lams that connected to the treadles and shaft movement opening the shed downward. The warp threads on the Louet David 3 are pulled both upwards and downwards, just as with a countermarch loom, and an optimal shed is created.
In the rest position all shafts and thus the entire warp are pulled up by the springs. When a treadle is depressed, the springs of the tied-up shafts are stretched. Generally, more force is required the more you stretch a spring. With the Louet David 3, that spring force transfers through the unique cam discs. During their rotation, the force required to depress a treadle reduces. The further you press a pedal, the lighter it is and the weight of your leg is sufficient to keep the shed open.
The size of the shed is where the comparison to a countermarch ends, the David 3 has a far simpler tie-up system. The tie-up cords remain permanently attached to the lams and can be moved across the lam to the appropriate treadle so that you only have to hook the cord to the screw head!
The other improvements and features of the Louet David loom include a sturdier frame (the front posts, the main uprights and the foot rail have increased from 21mm thick to 27 mm) and the addition of a standing beater with a hinge point close to the floor, providing a smooth movement and favourable pivot radius to strike the fell line.
The warp beam and the cloth beam have also increased in size. The larger diameter requires fewer revolutions to wind your warp beam and therefore less tension discrepancies in the warp threads. The sectional warp kit now has space for 4 bars that attach to the warp beam, instead of 3. This improves assembly and function.
The new cloth beam advance lever has a magnet that holds the pawl in the ratchet wheel, allowing you to advance more fabric with one movement of the handle, while the countersunk holes in the breast beam make it easier to mount the beam on the front posts.
The tension brake on the warp beam now comes as standard. It has a much larger disc and is operated by a crank handle for winding your warp. The two wooden raddle covers slide over the raddle for inserting the warp threads and then close the raddle when winding on your warp.
The hinge hooks of the beater are now mounted on the loom and not on the beater uprights. This makes it easier to remove and replace the beater.
The small texsolv pins in the cords are no longer needed as the shaft height is adjusted with a knurled nut and the horizontal adjustment with a screw.
Included with the loom is a pre-assembled castle section to ease the set up of the loom, a built-in raddle and shelf, a stainless steel reed (40 dents per 10cm), 800 x 280mm long Texsolv heddles, tie-up and lease sticks, and sixteen warp sticks. Bench not included. Additional information for assembly, in order for the David III to operate correctly, it is important that the shafts and the beater are adjusted to the proper heights and positions. Louet have written these instructions to clarify the assembly manual.
The 90cm Louet David 3 Loom is made from solid beech, weighs 35kg and measures 112 x 85 x 127 cm (44″ x 33 1/2″ x 50″)
Please allow 12 weeks for delivery of these premium weaving looms. If you would like to discuss your requirements further, do not hesitate to call us on telephone 01483 565800.
