Grandma Buell: Dorothea Bristol Buell, born 1898. I forget which year she passed, but it was the early 70's, if memory serves. Dad and I were with Grandpa, in the hospital, when she passed.
Out of all the parents and grandparents, she was the most emotionally available and nurturing. She was the warmest of them all, and my favorite. She made rhubarb pie and watermelon pickles that were unmatched, by anybody. At least, in my opinion! As far as I was concerned, nobody else was even in the same class.
When she passed, she left stuff to various people. Her looms were well distributed. Mom (Marguerite) got one. While Mom had done some work with Grandma, the loom sat idle in the basement. That basement got flooded a couple of times over the years, but the loom survived. When Mom knew she was going to have to sell her house, she asked all of us family who wanted dibs on stuff in the basement. She gave me first dibs on the loom, because Mom knew how I felt about Grandma. And that I wanted to use that loom.
But wants are not necessarily reality. Life has many realities, and some are more urgent than others. Despite my best intentions - the loom has also been unused while in my possession. It is time to find it a home that will use her.
This is a four-treadle loom. Family history has it that this was constructed on commission, to a local craftsman, by Grandpa, for Grandma, during the steel rationing of WW2. So, of course, as little steel as possible was to be used. The construction materials and design support this story. The wood used in the large parts, based on the grain, is pine (which would have been readily available). Some parts appear to me to be other woods. Example, the breast bar might be birch, but I am no expert.
The joinery supports the no-steel part. Mortise and tenon joins are used at several points, and dowel fastenings are also used. The treadle axle/hinge point is an exception. It also needs some work to repair it. The treadle pin is held in place by being inserted through holes drilled in iron pipes. Larger pipe sections are securely fastened to the loom frame. Smaller sections of pipe, with holes drilled through them perpendicular to the pipe (for the treadle pin), are inserted into the larger pipe. One of these smaller pipe sections is missing, but appears to me to be a relatively simple repair.
Obviously, she needs some loving attention, but I don't see any reason why she couldn't be a working machine again, as she was meant to be.
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| Right side |
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| Front |
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| Back |
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| Back breast bar, showing mortise and tenon join with dowel fastener |
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| Front breast bar, showing 2 dowel pins |
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| Treadle, showing missing piece problem |
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A Bonus! An Inkle loom, for weaving belts and straps. Missing some dowels (?), but that would be easily addressed.
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