LOOM MAINTENANCE

1) Tightening the Bolts
The single most important thing you can do to extend the life of your loom, and preserve its operation, is tighten the bolts that hold its frame together. These will loosen over time, due to changes in its environment and to your own creative exertions. A loom which is allowed to become loose-jointed will certainly cost you weaving time, perhaps affect the quality of your work, and definitely become older than its years.

2) Lubrication and Cleaning
There are several mechanisms on your loom which will benefit from the occasional light application of an appropriate lubricant. Not all lubricants are suitable in the weaving environment. Machine oils and greases, for example, may provide plenty of slick, but they also capture yarn dust and will, over time, actually impede the action of your loom.

Loom Parts	Lubrication and Cleaning
Shuttles, Shuttle Race, Single-Box Flyshuttle Picker Grooves	Paste Wax
Slide Rods (double-box pickers, bobbin winder)	Steel Wood
Axles (pulleys, spring levers, overhead beater)	Silicone Spray
Warp Beam Metal Rods (where metal works against the wood frame)	Paraffin
Warp Beam Brake Drum	Sandpaper

3) Cleaning a Filter
Unless you have an AVL Air Shuttle or other pneumatic accessory, you will have only one filter on your loom, and then only if you have a Compu-Dobby. This is the fan filter and it performs two functions: it cools the unit and it removes dust from the air before it is drawn into the fan.

a) Compu-Dobbies I
The filter is easily overlooked on our early generation Compu-Dobbies because it is hard to access.
The filter on older units is located on the back of the unit, below the solenoids. This means you must remove the CD to clean it. If the filter becomes clogged, it will restrict air flow, heat will build-up in the box, and sensitive electronic components may fail and will need to be replaced. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, we recommend that you remove the filter altogether. It's better to operate with no filter, than with a clogged filter.

b) Compu-Dobbies II
In our Compu-Dobby II design, we corrected the access problem.
The filter here is extremely easy to find: it sits atop the solenoid box.
In either case, remove the snap-on plastic cover that fits over the fan vent. Remove, rinse, and dry the foam filament. Replace. It is imperative that you clean this filter regularly. We recommend every two weeks, depending on how much you use the loom and what type of yarn you use.

4) Checking Cords and Cables
Check those cords and cables. All machines wear, and cords are usually the first things that fatigue on a loom.

5) Tool Kit and Spare Parts
Here's a list of the basics, nice-to-have-around items:

a) Minimum Tools
[ ] Socket wrench with: ..... [ ] 7/16", 1/2", 9/16" socket
[ ] 6" or 8" crescent wrench
[ ] Medium standard blade screwdriver
[ ] 4-1 Screwdriver or medium phillips and standard screwdrivers
[ ] 1/8" allen wrench
[ ] Paste wax
[ ] 0000 steel wool pad
[ ] 220# sandpaper
[ ] Paraffin wax

b) Spare Parts You Might Consider Having
[ ] Spare Treadle Cable (left/right)
[ ] Spare Flyshuttle Tie-Up Cord (Flyshuttle only)
[ ] Spare Picker Returns (Flyshuttle only)
[ ] 6' length of 350# Braided Dacron Cord (for emergency repairs)

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