This lovely little loom has been neglected by me for a few years, but previously by 30 years. It sat in a basement, in pieces until the seller had decided to part with her. I had just finished taking my first weaving class with Jean Betts and she offered to come with me to look at the loom and see if it was worthy of buying. When we arrived we sifted through the parts and thought they were all there, so I bought it. I took it home and put it together and started on my weaving journey. In the back of my mind there was a thought to buy an 8 shaft loom. The opportunity arose, I found and bought a 8 shaft Jack loom and started weaving with it. I liked the weaving possibilities but the loom wasn't quite right for me. It was larger and taller and I am short, so there was some stretching. It was a jack loom and I knew with some weave structures, I had to push down hard on the treadle to raise 6 or 7 shafts. My Mira was now in the basement of my house, but I wanted to keep her for when I was older and frailer. Well I recently decided I needed space and the 8 shaft went up for sale. It sold in a few days and now I had the Mira to fix up and bring up from the bowels of my basement.
I used some colonial Min wax to clean up the scratches and bought new ties for the treadles and new large eye heddles for the shafts. It is a counterbalance loom, so everything works on a pulley system, making it very easy to treadle. I replaced the wraps for the rollers, (the original wraps are horse hair) with some soft velcro. There were a few missing 0 rings that sit next to a bolt. Fortunately my years of collecting things like nuts, bolts, clips etc. paid off and I found replacements. So off I go again in the 4 shaft world.
I used some colonial Min wax to clean up the scratches and bought new ties for the treadles and new large eye heddles for the shafts. It is a counterbalance loom, so everything works on a pulley system, making it very easy to treadle. I replaced the wraps for the rollers, (the original wraps are horse hair) with some soft velcro. There were a few missing 0 rings that sit next to a bolt. Fortunately my years of collecting things like nuts, bolts, clips etc. paid off and I found replacements. So off I go again in the 4 shaft world.