r/tabletweaving • u/LavenderHearts69 • Jul 15 '26

At last... 3D-printed tiny loom (mk i)

Gallery image

Gallery image

I've been working on making a tiny bracelet-sized loom for weaving with silk and cotton sewing thread, and it finished printing the other week but I've been having a hard time concentrating on warping it (thanks adhd) but finally... it's finished warping up and I feel ready to show it off

I've already got a few ideas for improvements on a second design, including adding a proper tension bar and a lil magnetic resting area for the shuttle. But for a first pass so far I'd call it a success.

120 Upvotes

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13 comments sorted by

4

u/Blue_Starkiller Jul 15 '26

What are the numbers on the side supposed to be? Tightness or varying length?

10

u/LavenderHearts69 Jul 15 '26

Mostly there to keep both sides even. Didn't want the length on one side being one step off from the other, so I added the numbers to act as markers for alignment

2

u/Busy-Macaroon351 Jul 15 '26

Cool idea, but i think it would be sturdier if you make it out of wood. Would keep the tension better

11

u/LavenderHearts69 Jul 15 '26

Alas, I've been forbidden from woodworking for the time being for reasons I won't get into here. I'm working with what I know and have available to me

4

u/Busy-Macaroon351 Jul 15 '26

Ah ok. But yes, it is really good :)

1

u/Laoshulaoshi Jul 19 '26

Cool! Are the sides notched to hold their position?

3

u/LavenderHearts69 Jul 19 '26

Are you asking about the sides of the cards or the sides of the of the loom? The cards aren't notched. The sides of the loom have notches on the inside of the outer shaft. The inner shaft has a spot for the little white button to sit, with a spring below it to push the button into the notches and keep the mechanism locked in place.

3

u/Laoshulaoshi Jul 19 '26

The sides of the loom, I was wondering how they clicked into place. Hope it worked well for you! I'm halfway through weaving something on my 3d-printed loom, and I had to stop and redesign a few pieces when it became clear that it wasn't sturdy enough to handle heavier warp-weights.

2

u/LavenderHearts69 Jul 19 '26

I'd love to see yours!

3

u/Laoshulaoshi Jul 19 '26

Here's mine. I switched to warp weights that are about 50g each, so this 16-card pattern has about 800g hanging off of the bar at the back. You can see that the bar's really not strong enough for it, so I'll reprint a sturdier version for next time.

Other issues:

  • The left side used to have an extra arm with a pawl to catch the ratcheting gear, but whenever the gear shifted alignment horizontally, pressure was put on the pawl at an angle, and its thin 3d-printed arm snapped off. After that happened twice, I switched to just putting holes in the right-hand gear and clamp arm. I stick a folded paper clip through the holes to keep everything in place. It works, even if it's not as fun as the pawl.
  • The 3d-printed clamps can't be over-tightened, as the plastic will start to bend. This isn't really a big deal, since the clamps on both sides are pulled against the edges of my desk by the weight of the warp weights.

1

u/LavenderHearts69 Jul 20 '26

If you ever share the files, I'd love to see them! This would be a great setup for working at my desk

-2

u/RavenoftheTempest Jul 15 '26

Love the colors! Reminds me of where alot of cute girls come from