Us calls it “Southwest Washington.” Them calls it “Portland Metro Area.” I’m still getting to know my loom. It takes some knowing. Oh. And sometimes I miss our ducks.
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The Straight of the Goods 
May 16, 2008 at 7:19 pm
About the ducks…they’re mutt-ducks! There are a few mallard-esque, a few rowen types, others are so mixed I don’t have a clue. We once raised runners like you, as well as Rowens. We inherited these 9 adults last fall. We’re down to one duckling and I see other nests filling up. I don’t need more than 9 ducks, but a few living ducklings is acceptable. I try really hard not to think what has happened to the other 16.
June 26, 2008 at 4:16 pm
I have an old Ahrens 10 shaft -pre AVL, if that means anything. She’s “tetchy” too but I love her. Nice to meet you, Trapunto.
July 27, 2009 at 9:52 am
I recently acquired a 24-inch four-shaft Bergman loom. I ta came with everything EXCEPT heddles and the wires that go down to the lamms (or at least they do in my bigger Bergman loom). I’m a new weaver, and I can’t figure out how to replace the wires — and at what length? And how long the heddles should be.
Anyone familiar with a 24-inch Bergman who could provide me with measurements? Any suggestions for solving the problem myself?
Thanks so much!
Susan
July 27, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Hi Susan Berlin, I see you left identical comments on two of my posts today. I remember you also stopped by my blog in February when you acquired your 48″ Bergman. Did you get your 48″ up and working? If so, as far as I know, the narrower and wider Bergman floor looms all have the same (or very similar) height measurements at the castle and breast beam. That means they take the same heddle size–about 9.5″. Your first Bergman can be a guide to your new Bergman. I don’t recommend trying to fabricate the wires to the lower lamms, it is too hard to get the lengths exactly the same when you make the twisted eyelets at the end. I go into more depth about all this stuff elsewhere on my site. You can view all my tie-up posts here:
https://trapunto.wordpress.com/category/bergman-tie-up/
Good luck,
Trapunto
March 15, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Trapunto,
On my recently acquired Bergman, do I need to purchase or make string heddles for it. And where or how would I do this.
PS I am learning so much from you. thansk a million.
March 15, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Congratulations on your new loom. Did it come with heddles? If it did and they are not too stretched out, you should be able to use them. If not, I’d suggest buying some 9.5″ Texsolv heddles from a weaving supplier like Glimakra-USA, Vavstuga, Earth Guild, Woodland Woolworks, or Halcyon Yarn. They’re all on the web. Just be sure to call them and make sure they have the size you need in stock, or you could be waiting a long time for a backorder.
It’s also possible to hand-tie string heddles using a jig (a wood block with finishing nails), but you must be sure to use a non-stretchy, non-raveling, fine cord–preferably linen. You can google it. I found one set of directions on my first try: http://bobscrafts.com/bobstuff/heddles.htm
March 15, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Thanks for getting back to me so fast. I spent the evening cleaning this beautiful thing and found a bag stuffed full of heddles. YEAH!!!!
I don’t know what condition they’re in, but they look like they might be original. With just a quick glance at them, they look like they might be made out of flax or linen.
Hopefully, tomorrow evening I’ll be reassembling everything and I’ll see then if the heddles look in good condition.
PS I have a pretty strong feeling that I will be following VERY closely your instructions on setting up the lams and harnesses, etc.
March 16, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Glad to have helped, and glad you’ve got heddles! Though if you should want to switch your heddles to texsolv, I just noticed a good bargain on some here.
http://kbbspin.org/node/6699 (I’d double check the size before purchasing, since she had some confusion.)
November 4, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Hello Trapunto.
firstly, I’ll have to say how much I love your blog. I think its very lovely weaving blog I have ever seen.
I am based in London and studied woven textile design but I have not done any weaving ever since I left my university. well, I have inkle loom for now but I keep dreaming about weaving with proper loom.I wish you were based in England too so I could have work placement at your studio. I am so glad to find your blog and hopefully keep in touch. Thank you.
Best regards
Lee
December 11, 2010 at 7:19 pm
Thank you belatedly for a lovely comment, Lee. I have been using an inkle loom too lately. There’s interesting stuff to be done with every kind of loom, but when you want a nice juicy wide warp on a floor loom can be hard not to have access to one. Have you tried a rigid heddle? My little Spears rigid heddle loom got me through last winter. In fact I am thinking of warping it up again.
July 23, 2011 at 4:28 pm
Just found your site on my Blackberry. had to make a special trip to my daughter’s house in Weaverville to use her computer to check it out! i too have a Bergman, i bought it used in 1980. It is 12 harness, 45 inch A174. I also have a smaller Bergman 36 inch. I am assuming the A174 is one of the earlier models. Is there a chart to tell approximate manufacture dates?
July 23, 2011 at 5:51 pm
Hi Barbara — I, too have a Bergman — a 45-inch 8-shaft. I’ve tried to get information about what the numbering system says about date of manufacture, but no one seems to know. If you find out, I’d really appreciate your letting everyone know!
February 7, 2013 at 9:49 pm
Hi. I’d love a Bergman countermarch 8-harness loom, but they are hard to find outside of the northwest. I would love to hire you to find me one off craigslist and pop it onto a greyhound bus for me. Thnak you for all the great information. Just love these looms and would love one.
February 2, 2015 at 11:14 pm
Hi, I recently discovered I own a Bergman table loom, 20 in. Weaving width. My Mom brought it to me quite a few years ago. It’s been sitting in my garage forever and now I know what it is thanks to Marcy of Weaving Work. When I can get it in I want to get it in working order. It is Model 4L20 and 5 or S.
Does anyone know anything about this Model?
March 17, 2015 at 6:07 am
Hi, are you interested in selling the Varpapuu fable loom?
April 17, 2015 at 9:09 pm
I just bought a Bergman 3C30 36″ and and trying to find out how to string it up to use. Been surfing the web for 3 days. Is there a book out there that I can get to help me get started? I am so excited. Thanks for any assistance you can give me. It doesn’t look like any I have seen yet. A little like the A126 I saw.
April 20, 2015 at 7:23 pm
Hi TerryLee, congratulations on your new loom! I am the author of this blog.
Did your loom come with all it’s wires and strings, or naked?
The Bergman family included a set of rudimentary typed instructions with their looms. I have posted them here:
Not a lot to go on, unfortunately. To get yourself started, I highly recommend Laila Lundell’s Big Book of Weaving. Well worth the money. It shows clearly how to set up both countermarch and counterbalance looms and begin weaving on them. Bergmans are slightly different from typical Scandinavian-style looms (I wrote a lot of blog posts to help people with these Bergman-countermarch-specific issues, so you will probably want to check back here and read them later–see subject headings in the right side bar), but in general the same tie-up principles apply across the board.
Not as helpful as Lundell’s book, but with clear diagrams, and easy to find used/cheap/library: Foot-Power Loom Weaving by Edward Worst. Tying Up the Countermarch Loom by Joanne Hall is also a fantastic resource.
By the way, have you checked out the site Weavolution? Lots of information and knowledgeable weavers there.
Best of luck!
Trapunto
July 20, 2020 at 10:52 am
I got a 1930’s Bergman a week ago. It is my first countermarche and I just jumped in feet first.
It only came with a few hand tied heddles. In your post, I believe you said you tried the 9.5 inch but wished they were shorter. Would you recommend the 8 inch texsolve ones? I’m at the stage where I am putting new cords on everything because the ones on it were missing, broken or worn out. I had texsolve so I’m trying that but I’m rapidly thinking I need something more precise.
Thank you for your time
Mary Bradford
Helena MT