Warping

Basic Techniques
     Warping Front to Back
     Warping Back to Front
     Sectional Warping

Basic Equipment
     Warping Pegs, Board or Mill
     Sectional Warp Beam
     Spool Rack (bobbins, bobbin winder)
     Tension Box
     Raddle
     Lease Sticks
     Sley Hook
     Packing Paper

Sectional Warping

Sectional warping is a quick way to warp a loom with a sectional warp beam and is best suited for very long warps (15 yards or more), any size or style of yarn and 2 inch repeats (most sections on a sectional warp beam are 2" wide). It is not very well suited for mixed warps with many or random yarn changes. It also requires more space and equipment than other warping methods - spool rack with bobbins, bobbin winder, sley hook and a tension box or warping paddle/guide.

Here are basic instructions:

Wind warp onto spools (bobbins) - one spool per each warp end per 2" of warp. You will be winding only one section of your sectional warp beam at a time - therefore your spool rack should hold the number of bobbins of warp needed to fill one section of your beam at the desired number of ends per inch. If your weaving is set at 12 e.p.i, and your sectional warp beam sections are 2", you will need 24 bobbins of warp in your spool rack (2" x 12 e.p.i. = 24 warp ends, hence 24 bobbins per 2" section).
Position spool rack behind the loom.
Center the warp. Count the number of warp sections in your project. For a 28" wide fabric, use the center 14 sections (28" divided by 2" sections = 14 sections). Centering your warp is important. Do not simply start at one of the extreme ends of your sectional beam and move to the center as you fill up each section with warp, your loom will not be balanced!
Tie a cord to the warp beam in each of the sections you will be using.
Thread a warp end from each bobbin through your tension box or warping paddle. The tension box or guide should be attached to the back beam to help you wind the warp ends onto each section with even tension. The width of the spread in your tension box reed or guide/paddle, should be slightly less than 2" to allow for the width of the pegs on the sectional warp beam. You may need to put more than one end per dent or paddle hole to achieve this.
Knot the bundle of warp ends (that you have now threaded through your tension box or warping paddle) as close to the end as possible.
Begin at either of the outside sections of your specified sections. (In this example we are using the center 14 sections on the beam. Start at section 1 or 14 of this group). Tie the cord from the warp beam to the knotted warp ends using a clove hitch knot. Make sure the tension box or paddle is positioned on the back beam directly above the section to be filled. Note: the bobbins on the spool rack are heavier at the beginning of the warping process. This weight makes the first sections tighter than the later ones. It is best to have the tighter sections on the outside edges. Do not start at one side and fill sections in order straight across the beam. This will produce fabric with warps tight on one end and loose on the other. Similarly, starting at the center and working towards the edges will produce fabric with rippled edges.
Turn the beam, watching carefully to see that the section fills evenly. If the warp piles up unevenly, adjust the position of the tension box. Count each revolution of the beam as you fill the first section. All the other sections should be filled with the same number of turns to avoid tension problems in the warp. Make sure you are rotating the beam in the right direction.
When the section is full, place a piece of masking tape across the warp ends to keep them in order. The tape takes the place of a cross. Cut the warp one inch beyond the tape. Pin the tape into the filled section to secure it.
Move the tension box or paddle to the other outside section and fill it. Work your way to the center, filling a section at a time, alternating between either side.
When all the sections are full, remove the pins from each section and pull the warp over the back beam toward the shafts. Lay a long stick across the width of the loom and tie it to the sides of the loom to secure. Tape the warp sections to this stick.
Thread the loom as for warping back to front (thread the heddles, sley the reed and tie onto the front apron rod).

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