Northern Community Bow

[GregB]

On another quick scouting mission over to the Northern side...and I don't like what I see! How you expect us rebs to hold our own when yall got all that new fangled "technelogically SUPERIOR" equipment?    Heck, all we could scrounge up for a bow sock was to make one out of an old tater sack!

[Dane]

Maybe us Yanks have the good technology, but you rebs have the leadership on the field of battle. Or so the rumor says, is it true? A tater sack..that is so sad.

But, I bet you it is some sort of sneaky rebel trick. And don't be wrapping your secret plans around some cigars. It didn't work too well the first time.

Darn, I said too much.

Okay, kids, a few more shots of the weaving process. This is the last set I will post until I finish the fabric. Shoot, I should not be up past midnight messing around with looms, and I am going to feel it in the morning!

The first shot shows the threads, all 140 of them, in the heddles and the loom completely set up.

The second shot shows the threads from the view of sitting in front of the loom, with two of the tredles depressed. You can see the boat shuttle in the top right part of the shot. It contains a bobbin, and I shove the thing to the left (and the right, and the left, and the right), over and over. As the fabric grows, I depress a foot pedal and a break, and it feeds me more threads, through the bobbins and reed. The tension is constantly changing slightly as your fabric grows, as that shifts the area the shuttle can travel through, so it all has to be factored in.

Finallly, you can see me beating a weft thread into the work. It pivots at the bottom, so you can pull it foward toward you.





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[GregB]

Hey Dane,
Shouldn't you have chosen blue for your fabric color?   You can make us a gray one while you're at it...wouldn't want you to feel sad about our tater sack sock!

[DanaM]

Can't wait to see the finished product Dane. Them Rebs is gunna be hangin their heads

Dana

[Ryano]

Thats pretty cool!

[Dane]

Hey Dane,
Shouldn't you have chosen blue for your fabric color?   You can make us a gray one while you're at it...wouldn't want you to feel sad about our tater sack sock!

Blue, eh? Does that color have some sort of meaning?

I will consider a gray one, but only consider it. These things are a lot of work. After all, I am going create you Reb's certificate, and that is already crossing into the enemy camp. Your tater sack sock sounds pretty good; be sure the letters on the sack are visible, to give it that more Ma and Pa Kettle vibe. If you throw in a few potatoes, it will be even better.

[Dane]

Ryan, Dana, thanks guys. Coming along.

[GregB]

Dave, just continuing to have fun with this yank and reb thing.  The north wore blue, the rebs gray (or whatever they could find most of the time). Just kidding around, remember I mentioned before that my sister is married up with a yank and lives in Maine. Maine is where Chamberland was from and eventually became Governor, he held us rebs back at Little Round Top, Gettysburg!

[Dane]

Greg, I knew that - I was just being stupid Considering the early war volunteer regiments had almost any range of colors you can imagine, any color would be War Between The States-approved. I was thinking of calling this sock "Zouve Red". All you need is a fez instead of a regular flap to protect the bow - how is that for weird?

Even late war has some interesting uniforms going on, 'specially on you'all's side, with butternut shades, Richmond Grey, etc. and etc. And usually, the trousers were all sky blue on both sides. I have even seen captured US belts being flipped upside down and used by the southern boys.

I used to be a CW living history guy. I still have my old frock coat, brogans, all that. 4th US Infantry was my unit - Regulars, not those rag-tag state regiments, by God. I occassionally went over the the dark side, as the Rebel Yell was just too much fun, and the Reb camps were always way more fun at night. Before that, I did live fire NSSA stuff, including cannon, which is just way too much fun. Got sick of cleaning my 3 band after a while, so I swtiched over to field music. A fife made life simple.

[T]

You guys,
If I can find the Ram's horn's in the freezer (There should be two) Could you use it for something to do with this project?
 I dont want to hold anyone up, so if I do not find it by Monday it means its not there. The Rams name was: "Tug of War"


Dane: Good job there, Looks to be a twill weave from here.
About dressing the loom...arg...that was the part I use to dread the most.
Pretty near took a week at times. A very time consuming process. Its good
to see a weaver on board. Now I know who I can brainstorm with.

T.

PS. wouldnt it be awful to accidental post on the opposing side?!

[Dane]

T, good to meet a fellow weaver. I actually like setting up the loom best. Just like making bows, you can just go off in your own world, focusing on something good instead of the white noise of life.

It is a tabby, actually. Maybe these last shots will show that?

Well, everyone, I finished the inital piece of cloth. I have decided to weave a second piece - you will have to wait and see what I eventually do with it. It might be a while, since work has been, so far, three weeks straight without a weekend off, so I am a bit wiped out.

Last shots for now. In the first one, you can see a full picture of my loom, with the cloth partially finished.

The second one is the fabric washed and now drying. Muchs softer now.

The last one is a pretty lousy shot of the weave, a tabby, if you can make it out.

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[T]

Dane: What a difference in visuals. On the previous set of pic.'s (middle shot) You can see a diagonal pattern.
Next time I get a chance to "dress" a large loom I think I may borrow you. T.

...oh yeah, I am suppose to be digging in the freezer for something.

[GregB]

Dane, my oldest brother does civil war re-enacting...probably his only hobby. The only time I've watched him he had crossed over as a yank. They were attacking confederate lines when my brother dropped his weapon and took off running and screaming "we're all going to die!". Some of the other yanks shot him down.

[Dane]

T, thanks. I see what you mean. Next weaving project, I am doing a twill. I wonder if the digital images will make it look like a tabby?

Gregg, the battles were fun, and I did my share of dying. 1860s medicine must have been really advanced, as we always somehow got resurrected.

I would have shot him in the back too, A double traitor, I'd say. I hope your bro isn't farb.

Pepe (aka Doug) is or has done CW living history. He's around here somewhere.

Totally off subject, but I am chefing a gourmet bbq for a CW battle this coming June at my trolley museum. I'm thinking of  grilled salt pork, they'd love that, not.

[T]

Sad to say, "Tug of War's" horns are not in the freezer!

*********Any updates to the bow/arrows etc.******

PS. Dane: Strange, isnt it. By the way, your loom looks similar to what I use to have.
Mine was a 45" counterbalance.
T.