A customer commented on my sock and obvious Fiber Addiction. I told him I also spun and wove on looms too.  He then told me about a loom in pieces in his dad's shed that they hauled there about 15 years ago. He said he was SURE his dad would love to get rid of it, and had NO idea as to the condition or type, etc. Immediately, I thought of my sister Linda wanting a loom, as she is STILL borrowing my table loom and that doesn't weave rag rugs too well anyhow.

So I called the dad up, (not realizing he was quite the character like both his sons are), and he said *gee...  these looms for for four, maybe five thousand dollars!*   NOW I was intrigued, and ready to do battle and educate this man on OLD looms NOT being antiques, but tools.   Heh heh heh.

Well, trooping through the woods to the Grandma's shed, not knowing what to expect for 4,000-5,000!... And here was this poor rusted wet moldy damp pile of wood and metal stuff.  I held up the beams and sighted for warping or bends and they seemed fine.  Then we talked about price.  TWENTY BUCKS and haul it off!  (plus a rag rug!)

Got hubby Stevie to help load it all up, even the reel rack and the little hobby horesy shaped rag filler.  You sit on this device and stuff rag strips into the tin cylindars which load into the large aluminum shuttles. These are used on the fly shuttle mechanism of the loom, which we haven't activated yet, she will have to get used to just weaving on it first.

We hauled it home and dumped it unceremoniously on the garage floor.   Now it was time for WORK!  Linda and soon-to-be-sis-in-law Roxanne came down from Michigan for a weekend to attack it while the guys were all off hunting.  And attack they did!....   Naval jelly for rust, grinding wheels, rustoleum paint, Coke on heddles, and soapy bleach water made the wood shine gold again.  We even restenciled the letting on the sides.  She will let the loom still dry out for a few weeks before sealing it all in with Tung Oil to make a nice golden finish.   Fiddled quite a bit with the auto tension system and finally got that working and springs replaced and a few bolts too. We brought it back up to Michigan where it now proudly takes up about a quarter of Linda's living room, and shakes her whole house when she weaves.  But she is happy.