Ashford Jack 8 Shaft Floor Loom
Feeling held back by limited shaft looms or clunky designs that take over your space? The Ashford 8 Shaft Floor Loom is compact, smooth to operate, and built to empower you with both versatility and ease in your weaving practice.
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For fibre artists ready to expand their creative potential, the Ashford 8 Shaft Floor Loom is where exploration meets comfort. This compact jack-style loom offers a generous 97cm weaving width without demanding a whole room, letting you dream bigger, right where you are.
Crafted with thoughtful features like a folding back for space-saving storage, a bottom beater with a built-in race for smooth shuttling, and an easy-to-use rear friction brake for effortless warp advancement, this loom doesn’t just support your weaving, it elevates it. With parallel lamms for quiet operation and an intuitive tie-up system, the weaving process feels fluid, focused, and beautifully satisfying.
Whether you're diving into intricate twills, double weave patterns, or mastering cloth production, this loom gives you the tools, and confidence, to bring your ideas to life. It's a joy to use, and even more joyful to create with.
Key Features & Benefits
- 8 shafts and 10 treadles for complex and flexible patterning
- Compact 97cm weaving width, ideal for creative versatility without taking over your space
- Smooth jack-style action with large rising shed and quiet operation
- Folding back saves space when not in use
- Bottom beater with built-in race prevents dropped shuttles
- Built-in raddle and castle shelf for added convenience
- Factory lacquered finish offers durability and timeless good looks
- 1 x Ashford 8 Shaft Floor Loom
- 1 x 12dpi (48/10) stainless steel reed
- 1 x 35cm (14") boat shuttle
- 5 x Cross sticks
- 10 x Wooden warpsticks
- 800 x Texsolv heddles (100 per shaft)
- Threading hook
- Built-in raddle and castle shelf
- Loom Type: Jack-style 8 shaft floor loom
- Treadles: 10
- Weaving Width: 97cm (38")
- Finish: Factory lacquered
- Assembly: Required
- Reed: 12dpi (48/10) stainless steel reed
- Shuttle: 1 x 38cm (15") boat shuttle
- Heddles: 100 Texsolv heddles per shaft (800 total), 26.8cm (10.5") length
- Additional accessories: 5 cross sticks, 10 wooden warpsticks, threading hook, tie-up cords
Ashford - Weaving on the Ashford Jack Loom
This video is a quick overview of how to warp an Ashford Jack Loom.
Ashford - Winding a Warp
There are many ways to wind a warp for your table loom. Here is one way - using the warping frame and making two crosses.
Ashford - How to Put a Warp on Your Table Loom Part 1
Putting your warp on your table loom does not need to be stressful! Learn how to put your warp on the loom with no stress.
Ashford - How to Put a Warp on Your Table Loom Part 2
There are many ways to warp your loom. This is one way - using a warp wound on a warping frame with two crosses.
The Ashford 8 Shaft Floor Loom accommodates a variety of materials, including cotton, wool, silk, and synthetic fibers, allowing for diverse project possibilities.
The Ashford 8 Shaft Floor Loom offers excellent versatility and potential for creative growth, making it a fantastic choice for beginners eager to explore the full range of weaving possibilities. While it features multiple shafts and treadles, which may require some initial learning, it provides ample opportunity to develop your skills at your own pace. With consistent practice, you'll quickly become proficient, unlocking endless weaving designs and techniques.
The Ashford 8 Shaft Floor Loom offers a larger weaving width and is floor-standing, providing greater stability and capacity, making it ideal for larger projects. Operated by treadles, it offers smooth control over shaft tie-ups. In contrast, the Louet Jane 8 Shaft Table Loom is more compact and portable, with a table design that doesn’t require treadles, offering greater flexibility in pattern creation with no restrictions on shaft combinations per treadle sequence. It allows for easier adjustments in smaller spaces and is well-suited for weavers who prefer a more hands-on approach. The choice depends on project size, space, and personal preference.
The Ashford 8 Shaft Floor Loom is designed with a fixed number of shafts; upgrading beyond eight shafts would require investing in a different loom model.
A jack loom, like the Ashford 8 Shaft Floor Loom, raises selected shafts to create the shed, while a counterbalance loom uses a system of pulleys and weights to both raise and lower shafts. You can read more about the different loom systems here.
The built-in shuttle race on the Ashford 8 Shaft Floor Loom ensures smooth shuttle movement across the warp, reducing the likelihood of dropped shuttles and enhancing weaving efficiency.
Regular maintenance includes cleaning the reed and heddles, checking for loose screws or bolts, lubricating moving parts as needed, and ensuring the loom is stored in a dry environment to prevent wood warping.
The Ashford 8 Shaft Floor Loom does not come with a second back beam; adding one would require custom modifications, which may not be supported by the manufacturer.
The friction brake system on the Ashford 8 Shaft Floor Loom allows for precise tension control by applying adjustable resistance to the warp beam, facilitating smooth advancement of the warp during weaving.
Accessories such as additional reeds of varying dents, boat shuttles, and warping tools can enhance the loom's functionality, allowing for a wider range of weaving techniques and projects.