Saturday 9 June 2018

Of Scaffold Looms and Junk Shop Barglins*

*word coined by nephew =bargains

My dear friend D recently moved to Hastings, and now has a lovely studio to put a scaffold loom in - she has been waiting for this since she and I were at WD together eight years ago. Now that I have Lemminkäinen, there were most of the components in my garage, which were sent over by van a month ago. (This photo was when I had it in my studio in Northants)




Last Tuesday was Loom Building Day, hoorah! I have discovered a very useful scaffolding supplier, so headed off to acquire the missing components (one pair prop-bracing double couplers, and an 8ft tube) armed with my long spirit level and a big spanner. I had taken spare rope in case the tube was too long, but my little car can fit said 8ft tube, along with dinghy mast and boom (of which more later). Little jig of joy!

After a very pleasant drive along the coast, and a welcome cuppa, we unloaded the goodies and began our task... Upon realising that we needed some carriage bolts, D took me to a splendid old-fashioned ironmongers, where they still sell nails etc by weight, and wrap them in newspaper. Oh joy and rapture - I could have spent hours in there, but we had an important job to do..... Short detour to a community charity shop where I found my barglin - a hairdresser's saddle stool for £3.50! The very thing for saving my back when at desk or loom. Another little jig of joy!

For those of you who wish to build your own scaffold loom**here are the ingredients:-

2 Acrow props
2 Scaffold tubes (length as required or to fit space available)
2 prop-bracing double couplers (pbdc)
2 swivel couplers (sc)
2 short scaffold planks

Large adjustable spanner
Long spirit level (another junk-shop barglin, £3 eight years ago)
Second person (D is exemplary)
Step ladder

1. Bolt lower sections of acrows to planks
2. Insert upper sections, adjust height to fit under ceiling
3. Fit pbdcs to lower section at height required
4. Fit scs to top section, ditto
5. Add scaffolding tube to pbdcs, loosely
6. Add scaffolding tube to scs, loosely
7. Check levels, correct if necessary, then tighten all bolts.
8. Drink tea and congratulate self

I was thrilled to bits that first the lower tube (now beam) and then the upper, were both spot on level. Three cheers for me / us! And another jig of joy.

**I am available for consultation, supply, and construction.

We then decamped for a fish and chip supper and mooch around Old Hastings, which still has proper junky antique shops.

The final task was to put a practice warp on, which we did. Final jig of joy.

A splendid day! Drive home, Gabapentin, and sleep.......
 
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