Loom upgrade continued (fixing the floating harness problem)

Since the “loom upgrade” or adding the 4 extra harnesses to my LeClerc Minerva I’ve run into what I’ve seen described as a common problem with jack looms and 6+ harnesses - the floating harnesses. The LeClerc site suggested adding weights. Wandering around my local hardware store I found something that seems to work. I’m not sure what they are or are actually for but now are loom harness weights.

So far this seems to be solving the problem. I don’t know if anyone else has had any experience with this? Solved in any other manner?

Loom Upgrade: 4 to 8

My floor loom is a LeClerc ‘Minerva’, 23” weaving width, folding jack loom. It’s a ‘4–now-4–later’ model that allows you to add an additional 4 harnesses.

Because I’m interested in doubleweave I had always planned to add the extra set. Last summer I finally ordered the upgrade kit. (I guess you’d call this an upgrade kit, weaving being the ansestor of computers and all that…)

Before and after pics. 4 to 8 harnesses, 6 to 10 treddles.

Early on I found that with the extra harnesses (this is specific to jack looms as I understand the issue) – 6 or more, there is sometimes a problem with floating harnesses. Fortunately the LeClerc site describes the problem and makes helpful suggestions. Rummaging around at the local hardware store turned up something that I could use to add weight to the harnesses. So far this seems to be solving the problem.

Here’s my first attempt with an 8–harness twill. Pattern: Reversing Point Twill by Kris Bruland,
downloaded from the Weaving Draft Archive at (www.handweaving.net), Draft #102
for 8 Shafts, 8 Treadles. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t shafts and harnesses interchangeable terms?)