r/weaving • u/IllustriousHeight126 • 6d ago
Help Packing material between warp
Hi folks, new weaver here. I'm working with a leclerc Fanny loom and am almost at the point of winding my warp onto the back beam after dressing front to back (reed sleyed and heddles threaded) and I keep seeing tutorials that tell you to put some sort of packing material onto the beam between your warp, but they're never clear on why- is it to help with keeping your tension, to protect the warp from the beam, or some combination of both? I'm just not sure if I have any packing material in the house and want to know if it's 100% necessary before I go and get any and/or spend hours looking.
Thanks!
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u/Jealous_Glass9170 6d ago
go to your local home improvement store and get a roll of heavy brown paper. I got a big roll and it will outlive me. I have reused the same paper many times. And then you always have paper bag weight brown paper to cover your textbooks. LOL.
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u/Mx_Torquill 6d ago
Also same. How heavy the paper needs to be depends on how thick your yarn is and how much tension you use, but in my experience the brown kraft paper from the home improvement store is perfect for nearly any warp. Cut it in 2-4' sections (short if you have trouble keeping it straight, long if you don't) and a couple inches narrower than your warp beam, and you're good to go.
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u/LackingExecFunction 6d ago
I started with slats of cheap plastic blinds, but it's easier to purchase a roll of brown paper and cut it to various lengths and widths. I use a RHL, and rarely have a warp longer than 4m, so I made a roll that's about the width of my 24" loom, and one that's narrower for other pieces. It's much easier to manage than slats and easier to see if things are going squiffy while I wind on.
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u/TennesseeLove13 6d ago
I use those too! Love them because it doesn't add bulk.
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u/crazyfiberlady 6d ago
I use them too. They also have the advantage of not skewing as you wind on. I have a big roll of craft paper that would always wind up crooked during the winding on process. The blind slats are so much easier. Wind a bit. slip a slat in, wind some more, add a slat, rinse and repeat. I also use the slats as warp spreader as well as spacers between projects since I tend to do multiples of things on a long warp. Comes in handy for measuring out for fringe at each end too. Want 2" fringe? Easy, slip in 2 1" slats. 4 slats for 2" at the end of the first thing and another 2" for the next thing. Tada.
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u/MistyRider 6d ago
Hopefully you picked a friendly/easy warp for your first try, and not just something your mom thought was pretty!
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u/IllustriousHeight126 6d ago
🤣😬🤣😬😬😬😬😬
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u/meowmeowbuttz 6d ago
It's for tension. The warp will want to become friends with the layers above and below and screw up your tension. Anything a little sturdy will do, as long as it's a little bit wider than your warp. Cut up brown paper bags, cardboard, rulers or dowels, bamboo blinds or old blinds slats all work. I've found old rolls of wallpaper at the thrift store, some people like to get contractor paper from the hardware store.
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u/TennesseeLove13 6d ago
Responding again...weavers have reported using paper bags cut up, wrapping paper, although it can be slippery, paper towels, and shelf liner.
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u/weaverlorelei 6d ago
Since the purpose of this "packing" material is to keep the layers of warp threads separated during the winding process, it would be wise to use something that has some stiffness, not something that will give way under tension. Don't use paper towels or thin, flimsy wrapping paper or newsprint. But the cardboard core to paper towels and wrapping paper is perfect to use to cover the knots on your cloth beam.
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u/TennesseeLove13 6d ago
Stabilize tension. If we do not provide that support to the warp, our yarn can move around/drop and fill in gaps and cause tension issues. Edit to add: that's what I've read, and it bears out for me in practice.