A thought occurs

To mention once more; the two sticks that were placed through the two shed openings created by the figure eight when we first laid our warp-cords around the two poles.
The ends of these two sticks were tied to each other at that time, and these two sticks have remained tied together and separated only by the crossing of the warp-cords, since. Our purpose in doing this at that time was to hold this separation of our warp-cords from becoming tangled while moving and retying our piece to its present vertical position.

But first lets rename these two sticks that we have tied together, one above the other and within the two openings of our warps,that is caused from our figure eight configuration of warps.
We will now call the top stick the top or front shed rod, while calling the lower one our lower or back shed rod.
This may help confusion at a later time.

So now we have our top and bottom shed rods tied into the position of holding open our front and back shed openings.
Holding the two shed openings in place, (now; top and bottom) until the time arrives that allows us to remove and tie another rod on the outside of the warp-cords, and below the upper shed, which will remain being held open by the other (top) rod, that will remain in place inside that top shed.
Another way of saying this is to say the top rod will stay in its location throughout the weaving process. But we will tie off the lower shed opening to another rod. This will be done while the lower shed rod remains in plase, so as to hold those back warps toward the front position while we make this tie to our lower shed pull rod, or lower 'held rod'.
Once this is done the lower stick that remains inside the lower shed can be removed to allow those warps to return to a position behind those held open with that remaining upper shed rod.
This will have the effect of allowing the upper shed to always remain open in the looms natural position of rest.
Naturally, this precludes that the opposite would be true of the lower shed. It will remain in the 'back' or closed position during the loom's natural resting state. In order to activate or open it to the front position therefore, it becomes evident some means is needed to pull those back warp cords through the openings between the top or 'front' warp cords, in order to close that top shed and thereby open the bottom shed.

So now it is seen that the (upper) shed rod will always hold the upper shed open. The lower shed will only be opened when our lower 'held rod' is pulled to allow us to insert a batten-stick, that will then be turned edge-wise to hold this shed open wide enough for us to pass our weft cords through, in order to weave within that lower shed. We will address the instruction ofr placement of this lower held rod shortly.
Because removing this lower rod from within our warp-cords and tying it to allow it to open this lower shed would be our next move in setting up our loom if we were ready to do so.

We are probably not.

The reason I am allowed a degree of certainty in saying this, is because I know it is now time to take our "loom" to a quiet place and affix it in a location where it may be tied top and bottom with a stout cord or small rope, in order to start the slow process of stretching it, long before we may begin to weave.
This may be a small stand of scrub Black Oak or Cedars near our hogan, or a side of our pueblo out of the evening sun, where a roof support pole is handy for tying the top beam.

If we are not fortunate enough to have a close-by stand of Cedars, where we may bury the ends of a log under some piles of rocks, or tie the bottom beam to the bottom of the trunks to affix it, and tie the top beam overhead so the evening sun is blocked from their shade, other methods must be found to stretch our work.

I can only attempt to describe and show a few photos of the methods I have used in the past, and how I proceed at the present time.

The most elaborate setup that comes to mind; was when I had a great house on a Appolosa stud farm and rodeo arena, up in the north.
I had a room set up for weaving and placed a very large loom at one end of it.
This was constructed with some old barn-beams that ran from floor to ceiling, on a slight angle. They were about 8 or 10 inches by 6 inches and I notched two smaller beams of 4 inches by 6 inches into them, a few inches below and above the floor and ceiling.
There is still one photo of that one around here, I think.
It is not very important though, as that was a great case of 'Overkill' by a young and foolish mind. The next that comes to mind; is one I had set up to weave a very large blanket on. Though I had first done it on a smaller scale, at another location

A house I had purchased in the Garden Oaks area of Houston had a spare room with a fireplace and an open, adjoining room,
(I believe they were called the Living, Dinning rooms.LOL) that happened to have the floor and ceiling joist running the same direction and on 16 inch centers. This also happened to be the opposit direction I needed to run a loom, in order to get a width of 12 feet without blocking the flow of the rooms.
All that was required here, was to run some 6 inch eye-bolts into the reinforced joist above and below, in order to stretch the ropes to the loom beams and tie them off. This is no problem if you OWN the house and/or are in the construction trade, so don't mind replacing dry-wall and hardwood floor-boards an/or carpeting. ;)~
(Like in San Angelo that time..)

Most of those who weave the 'Navajo' rug-weave of today's methods, are not stretching their work to near the tightness I require of mine. Therefore, it is not a concern as to whether the floor or ceiling joist will be pulled up or down around ones ears, if enough joist are not incorporated and reinforced in the task.
Only a simple method to affix and stretch ones work is needed in order to proceed.
So I will close with a note on describing what I now use and also a few improvements that I would make in hind-sight. Now that eight or ten years have passed to let me see some of the folly in my original plan.

I drew the print for the loom I use now, and have been using from around 79. It is made from cast off steel tubing from project for Texas State House of Correction bunk beds. The company holding that contract was just down the road from here, where they rented a big building to build all those bead. I guess rent and labor was cheaper than in Texas. They made it from scraps laying around their shop.

It cost me $58. for the steel and the welding to make it up, back at the time. I would change but little now, were I to make another. I had portability in mind when I had it made, because I was tired of having to move looms in the past, while work was on them. It has not moved four feet from where I placed it in 86 and only once from the time it was made in 79!!! LOL But it has served me well for the $58. investment!!

It is a very simple design, consisting of double-walled 1�" box-tubing, 1" double-walled box tubing, and four 5/8" nuts and bolts and two home made shoes or 'feet' to allow it to set on the carpet. It is almost a square, except for the two sides that extend below the bottom about 6" to make legs that allow me to carry the piece around the bottom as I finish weaving it. Just as I can also carry the warps over the top when I wish to do that. If I ever wish to weave a 16' long piece that will come in handy!

The only thing unusual about it is that instead of just being a square, it is a telescoping square that will go from just below 5' to outward of over 8' or any combination of a rectangle between those two measurements.
There are two L's made 5'x2�' from the 1' tubing that go inside the two top corners, half way across the top and all the way down the sides, as well as one more going all the way across, inside the bottom. So it will open up to a width of around 8' or 9' wide and even that tall in a tall room. A hole drilled into the outside tubing with a nut welded over it and a bolt going through, to lock it to the inside tubing, is how you set it to the size needed for the piece being woven.

I have also built a U shaped beam to saddle the bottom beam of the frame, to lend a flat and even surface for my weaving to slide freely over on its trip to the back of the loom. This is just a simple U shape of conventional 1"x3" and 1"x4" sized lumber that saddles the bottom iron box tubing beam of the loom.
I am considering also making another for the top beam, that will be made of a much stouter stuff. I am picturing a composite made from the populate one quarter inch  laminated mahogany that comes on a four by eight foot sheet, and is used in construction to go on floors before installation of vinyl floor coverings.

My plan calls for another U shape beam with the sides extending down the front and back of the loom about six inches and an inside opening of about two inches, to enable it to saddle the top beam. Its main purpose will be to remove much of the bend that happens to the top beam when great pressure is applied from tightly stretching a large piece.
 When the loom is set at above six foot in width now, the top beam bows about two to three inches in its center. While it always springs back into a true position when released from pressure, it if none the less an aggravation to have it do this, from an asseitic point of view, if for none other. 

I have and still do build on occasion, the smaller wooden looms of various types. Many in the past have been like most of those advertised for sale today. Over-built, ineffective and inadequate for the purpose intended. Not to mention over-priced.
Facing facts as they exist, it is only required that something is at hand to affix the top and bottom beams of our loom to, in order to stretch our warp-cords enough to allow us to weave. I now construct a small 'lap loom' to give to those wishing to learn the art of primitive weave. It is decoritive, practical and very simple and frugil in cost. It consist of two turned decoritive table legs, purchased at the local over-sized lumber mart that caters to the happy home owner. An eight foot section of stair railing and two iron angle braces, four inch and a half lag bolts and eight one inch wood screws make up the material list to build it.
It can be used for small pieces or be built to weave one as long as six foot by three foot-eight inches. Not bad for a lap loom.
 When it is complete it resimbles the roman numeral 2. The stair rail is cut into two pieces to be bolted flat side down, onto the ends of the two chair legs. The bolts are counter-sunk below the level of the top of the rails.
The top and bottom stair rail beams are attached inside and away from the side chair legs, so they extend past them a fourth of their length. The iron braces are attached in the inside corners of where the top and bottom meet the sides. Simple.
 Additional dowel rods or 2x2 lumber can be affixed to the two ends at the top of the loom when needed.
 This is done when a long piece is being woven while using the loom as a lap loom or when legs are needed because of a lack of a wall to lean the loom aginst.
Additionally, they may be used as a place to tie to, when cords need to be tied , while setting up the loom to weave. Differing lengths of legs may be needed depending on the use being made of them. They are easily applied or removed through the following method:
Drill a hole through the leg that is the same size as the lag bolts being used. Also drill a smaller pilot hole into the end grain of the top beams ends. Place a washer onto the bolts before and after putting it through the leg, so a washer is below the head of the bolt and another is between the leg and the beam. Thennd screw them into the ends of the beam. Tighten them enough to allow them to remain in position or to be swung down with a little force. A small amount of glue into the hole before the bolt, will help insure them remaining tight.

edit:sept,14/01
jan,28/04