Loom
Built by Dick Watson in October 2011
From the December 1953 and January 1954 issues of Meccano Magazine.
This model was published just after production of Healds and Wood Rollers restarted after World War II and the Korean War. Although it does not say so, it looks as if the model was intended to be made with an outfit № 10 with the minimum number of extra parts. It is intended to produce cloth of the same width as the Supermodel Looms, but is much more compact and has a very different picking motion.
I have made a number of modifications including:
- Single girders have replaced compound ones needed because of the inadequate number in a № 10 set. Similar modifications have been used for other parts.
- The drive goes directly to the heavily loaded picking motion instead of via the slay motion.
- Extensive use has been made of ‘Tri-Flat’ axles.
- A 12V motor has been added to save bringing a T20 from Manchester.
- A ‘snappier’ picking motion has been fitted.
- A replica of a pre-war shuttle has replaced the built-up one.
The model now successfully reproduces the motion of a real loom, but has yet to weave any cloth. The shuttle is not running freely and there is inadequate tension in the warp. However, I have spent far less time on it than the maker of the one in the Pathe Archive.