I have a Sievers 4 shaft collapsible floor loom from the early 1970’s.  A friend who knew that I like sewing/knitting etc talked me into buying it (along with an Ashford spinning wheel) after his wife passed.  I took a learn to weave class on Washington Island where Siever’s School of fiber arts is located.  I made a table runner for each of his daughter’s when they got married.  They both appreciated the gift that was created on their mother’s loom.  It’s been a few years since I’ve played with it.  Being an RN working hard these past couple of years has worn me down but listening to you has put a spark back in me!

Just got my used Mira loom off Kijiji this month.  I think it was made about the same time I was (1967).  I got the instructions on how to put it all together off Camilla Valley Farms LeClerc old instructions on their website.  I love that LeClerc still makes parts for their older looms.  I am upgrading  the loom to have all the bells and whistles that the Mira II has.  My first time weaving.  I love SweetGeorgia.! Thank you for having this forum.  I have gone back to school and am a textiles major in Craft and Design at Sheridan College. I am in my second year and we are starting weaving this term.  After all these years of watching u-tube videos about weaving, I am going to get to weave with my own little hands.  I like the overshot pattern you are working on.

Please share about the towels!! The colour looks so great!

I bought a standard Schacht which was built in 1986 or 1987. I have replaced the brake, shafts, and lams. It took me several years before I realized that I needed to replace the parts. I was a new weaver and didn't realize many problems were related to a loom with worn out parts. So I have learned to take the loom apart. Schacht has been great to work with!

The comments here have been entertaining. Looking forward to seeing what you do to get this loom working for you. First loom I rescued was a 1970s BabyWolf that needed degunking in the heddle frame and lamms chase and replacement of the cords and some nuts and bolts. That loom taught me much and has moved on to teach someone else. Then while I was waiting on my new Macomber I had the chance to rescue a 1958 Macomber that had been stored in a barn with pigeons. It needed stripping of all wood and metal pieces and some serious repair as well as replacement of all fabrics, strings, heddles, and bumpers. Since I was already dealing with Macomber it was convenient to get these. There is a Ravelry Macomber group that was very helpful. Now I'm down to two floor looms that are both 40" Macombers, one with 4 shafts the other 16. Nice to have interchangeable reeds and heddles. Both are quiet looms and can fold up against a wall when not weaving. The old loom has more beautiful wood grain than the new one. Both make me happy and can weave heavy rugs to fine cotton.

I restored a 1969 Fanny this past year. It was my first loom and I really wanted to understand the piece (and be confident that any errors were due to being a beginner and not the loom’s fault, hah) I dismantled the whole thing, restored the break, used wood conditioner on each part and just made sure to touch every part of the loom. As you mentioned the strings, I will say I replaced each string that connects the treadles to the shafts and have found the impact worth the cost!

Congratulations on your Fanny!  I have been restoring, weaving on and reselling second hand looms since 2003.  The first thing I do is a good scrub down.  I don't refinish the looms, because like us as we get older we have wrinkles, scars, etc and it adds character to us and the loom.  Plus, I didn't have the time, I am too busy buying looms, wanting more looms or weaving, quilting, spinning, crocheting, sewing, sailing.......  

My first suggestion to anyone restoring a loom is to scrub it down and wear a mask, and gloves.  The last floor loom I purchased was a 1980s  45 inch Mira.  It wasn't until I got her home that the loom was covered with mold,  especially in parts that were hard to see.   I scrub with a soap called Sunlight bar soap.  It will remove anything and everything even paint and dyes from dyeing warps on the loom.  I did not wear a mask and became very ill from cleaning this loom.  This loom sides were so dirty, the bubbles were black that I took the sides  outside to hose it down.    I tried it well, brought it inside.  This purchase actually has stopped my buying old second hand looms.  After the loom wood is dry, I use  a wood wax, my favourite being the Majacraft spinning wheel wax, it leaves the wood glowing. My cherry Mighty wolf and cherry pup just glow after a treatment.  You can use whatever is available that you like in your country.  Many use Howards feed and wax but it is not available where I live.

Back to restoration.  Due to age, dirt, and  molds hide everywhere, I change out all cords. This includes, roller,  treadle and tie up cords.  I replaced all the roller  cords on the Mira.  If the aprons are ok or if the outer part is only old, damaged or dirty, they can be removed, wash or old parts cut away.     I also wash and scrub heddles, metal or texsolv.  Texsolv are easy, I put them in a lingerie bag and in the washing machine they go.  String heddles can also be washed.  Metal heddles get scrubbed and soaked.  Reeds get a cleaning, but if very rusty get replaced,

Examine all metal parts, brake, pawls and ratchets, etc.  I clean off rust, most rust will easily wipe away with a scour sponge.  I don't use heavy chemicals on rust.  Minor rust spots that are cosmetic, are like the age spots we humans get. ;) I will replace tension brake wire if it is rusty, sometimes these old looms need a brake upgrade, the upgrade makes weaving easier. If screws, washers, etc are very rusty, they get replaced.  If a bolt or two are missing, I replace them,  If you replace most of them, whether needed or not,  it makes the loom look nicer, like getting your nails painted.  

Wood cracks.  I fill with a syringe filled with good wood glue then clamp.  Rough parts, dings, etc I sand down to make smooth then use my wax to protect the bare spot.  


Your uneven fell sounds like it was caused from the missing bumpers on the beater.  I replace old squashed down bumpers on the loom.

I have a question about your new Mira II.  Why do you have the bottom beater batten reversed with the shuttle race rear facing?  The shuttle race should be on the front.  CB looms don't need them and I was surprised one came on my brand new Mira II.

I think we have the same friend who ordered the 27 inch Mira.  Yes, Leclerc will custom make one, but the price is the same as the 36".  They cut down the parts.  

The 45 inch Mira I restored is long gone as it was too wide to fit in my studio.  I can't thank you enough for making videos about your Mira II.  You helped me decide that I wanted a sturdy CB loom. My favourite weaves are home textiles and fabric for clothing.  I rarely weave on more than 4 shafts.  I prefer colour and texture over patterning.  The 36 inch, like your 27 inch Fanny is the perfect loom for the space in my small studio, to accompany my 8 shaft cherry Mighty Wolf and my 16 shaft Harris UK table loom for when I want to weave more than 4 shafts.  

I recently purchased from a friend and it was clean, a 1980 8 shaft 16 inch Leclerc Dorothy.  What a sweet loom!  She is old, she is having issues, old pawls and ratchets, cracking wood, even some warping. I found two of the metal arms bent on the second castle which interferes with the shafts staying up.  The castles need to be taken apart and issues repaired.  I have added a second back beam to her which accepts saori prewound warps.  I am undecided as to replace items like brakes, handles, get the beater batten with a race, replace bumpers or just buy a new 4 shaft Dorothy and use the Castles to make her a 12 shaft.  A third new castle  will cost a little bit over half the cost of a new Dorothy.  I live in Europe so taxes are higher.  Decisions decisions.  I will say I LOVE my Dorothy.

I had a Leclerc Colonial for many years, bought in 1977. That "drift" you're seeing with the harnesses is typical when the loom is empty or under low tension. It's because of the way the roller cords wind on and off. Under tension it is much less noticeable. Tom Knisely at Red Stone Glen in PA might be able to help troubleshoot. He sold me my loom and was my fixer for years when he was at The Mannings.

I was gifted a hand made 18th century floor loom a couple of years ago.  It is a 4 shaft counter balance, solid red oak, hand forged paul and ratchet, long handle break release.  The back beam is like a tree trunk.  But the kicker is it's reed is hand made of real reeds. It is beautiful.  And quirky.  I also have beater fell line drift and it has a problem with skipping threads.  But I love her.  I also have a 1960's LeClerc Aristat I am fixing up and a new 8 shaft baby wolf. Each loom does have it's own personality.  I love them all.

Wonderful pattern and a great introtuction. Thanks a lot

I also have a Fanny (a Fanny 2, actually) that I got from someone who bought it in the '70's  used it once and then took it apart and kept it in the basement for almost 40 years. I love it! It's a real workhorse. Still working on my first set of towels. I picked an overshot pattern because I 'm new to weaving and naturally gravitated to something insanely complex for my first project. I think I also put on enough warp to make 6 towels (which won't be 6 because I wasn't beating hard enough, or possibly made some other error, so the first one is 42" long). It's a learning experience! I've always enjoyed Taking Back Friday, but I'm also loving these Lo Meets Loom videos! It'll be great to see how your restore your loom in the summer, mine could probably use the same.

Great video. I am about to pick up a vintage Harris 4-shaft and, as a new weaver, this video has helped me learn what I will need to watch for.

I'm in love with that colourway :)

I have a Leclerc Mira 35 wide that is over 60 years old.  I bought it from a friend who is a weaver and it is in good working order.  It was short of some bolts that I replaced by visiting a farm store.  Some of the small metal parts are rusted and the tie up cords need to be replaced.  I will be working on those things.  It does have an older tension setup with a ratchet and palls at the back of the loom rather than a brake band which is fiddley and will be replaced at more expense in the future.  What I like most about Leclerc looms is that new parts are available for these old looms making it cost effective to buy an old loom.

So excited to see Leclerc Fannys. That's my loom and without a local teacher, I rely so much on the SOS and these videos!

I was gifted from my Aunt her 1940's Gallinger Four Harness counterbalance loom. I am reading The Joy of Hand Weaving by Osma Gallinger Tod and next will be Learning to Weave by Deborah Chandler, then Weaving A handbook of the fiber art by Shirley E. Held. I have to get the loom apart to bring it into the house and set it up. Unfortunately she did not have any equipment to gift me with it such as the shuttle, lease sticks, s hook, threading hook, warp sticks or stick shuttles so I have to replace them all. She got it from a school in Oklahoma. I brought it back to Michigan which is where it is from. I am really looking forward to learning how to weave. I do have any recommendations for a beginner? I love watching your videos and I am learning so much form your channel and other weaving channels .

I love that you’re restoring an old loom.

I got my Fanny in the fall, off of Kijiji here in Ontario. It's a 45", and is from 1977. The elderly woman I purchased it from had decided she couldn't see well enough to thread the loom anymore. I had no experience at all, and bought it thanks to Rachel Smith saying it looked good. Phew, she was right, and I've had a blast with it. Last month I bought new treadle cords, new roller ties, and basically replaced any thread on the loom. It helped immensely! I adore Fanny. I hope to have many years on my sweet ol' gal. The 27" is enticing, though... must.not.collect.Fannys. LOL

I bought a Schact 4 shaft with a bunch of accessories from a friend of my sister's. Rented a van to drive the 4 hours to puck it up. I'm excited to get to watch you learn yours! I've had one basic class and am in process of getting my 'loom room' organized. So looking forward to my first project on it. I'm so new to weaving I don't know what I don't know! If you know what I mean😄 love your videos! Hope to visit your school one day. I live in Idaho

I've used a wine cork for temporary bumpers...  Lol the things we do...