Your Guide To Buying A Second-Hand Floor Loom

My 1976 Harris floor loom, purchased second-hand in 2015

Floor looms are easily one of the most intimidating weaving tools for beginners. They’re full of strange levers and gears, labelled with obscure names, and look like they would take months of work set up before you can begin weaving. 

That’s definitely how I felt when I first started out! But after I got over the initial nerves, I fell in love. At one point I even had six floor looms on the go in my weaving studio! And every single one had been sourced second-hand and delivered in a chaotic jumble with no assembly instructions. Setting up each one was a daunting task, but once you understand how they work, putting a loom together is relatively straightforward- even if it does require some heavy lifting 💪🏻

I won’t be doing a deep dive into the nature of loom mechanics (that’s for another blog post!) but you can read a quick overview here. In this post, I’m going to be sharing some of my tips for getting a second hand loom- what to look for, where to find them and what to do if they need a bit of work to get them up and running. 

Harris and Glimakra floor looms in my studio in 2019

Choosing A Floor Loom

The first step of embarking on your hunt for a second hand floor loom is to be clear on the type of loom you’re looking for. Are you looking for something small to practice on or a larger loom to stretch your skills? Do you want to weave tapestry, rugs or cloth? 

As a general rule, for tapestry or rug weaving you need 2-4 shafts, a wider-spaced reed, and a sturdy warp beam ratchet that can handle a heavier warp. For cloth weaving, you’ll want more shafts (think 8-16 shafts) and a finer spaced reed. 

My second-hand LeClerc Fanny II came with some parts missing which I was able to replace from a LeClerc supplier

You should also think about the manufacturer of your loom, even though you’re not buying new. Well-established loom makers like Glimakra or LeClerc have a lot of available information about their looms on their websites, including assembly instructions. You’ll also be able to source missing parts directly from them. 

Having said that, don’t be put off if you find a loom you love that was made by an independent loom maker or a company that’s gone out of business. Most looms have roughly the same mechanisms so instructions for one loom can carry over onto another. Plus there’s lots of help out there! The Weavolution forum was an invaluable resource for me when I was restoring my first loom, and it’s worth searching to see if someone has a similar loom and can share advice. 

My final bit of advice is to not get too hung up on the terminology! You can spend hours agonising over whether to get a counterbalance or countermarch loom but at the end of the day, it comes down to what you like to weave on. If you can, I recommend visiting a weaving school or a space with looms for hire so you can try out different ones and see what you like.

I was offered this 1940s Lervad loom for free in 2019

Sourcing A Second-Hand Floor Loom

Once you have an idea of what you’re looking for, it’s time to start hunting! Here in the UK, the best places to source second hand looms are specialist websites like The Loom Exchange and of course Gumtree and eBay. In other parts of the world, Craigslist or Facebook marketplace are also good sources. 

Back when I was looking for a new loom, I had alerts set up on Gumtree so I got notified every time there was a new listing for a floor loom. Two of my second-hand looms came from there, two more came from the Loom Exchange and two came from people reaching out to see if I was interested in a new loom!

It’s also worth doing some research to see if there’s a local weaving guild in your area, as members will share there first if they’re looking to get rid of a loom. 

Again, when you’re looking at second-hand floor looms online, make sure you do your due diligence! Ask the seller how long they’ve been using the loom, what they’ve used it for, and check that all the parts are there. 

Make sure you also confirm how the loom is fixed together! Most looms are bolted together so the sides come off for easy transportation, but some older looms are glued and can’t be taken apart easily. It’s best to find that out before you collect it and can’t get it back in through your studio doorway… 

My Harris floor loom when I went to collect it - it had been in a garage for 30 years!

Restoring A Second Hand Floor Loom

Finally, if you’re up for some DIY, you may be able to get a really good deal on a loom that needs some restoration work. I got my first ever loom virtually for free (I just gave the seller £20 cash to cover the cost of her online ad) but then spent 8 months restoring it. 

On my looms, I’ve sanded down old grimy wood and polished it with beeswax to protect it. I’ve cleaned rusted bolts and rusted reeds with a combination of vinegar, WD40 and fine grain sandpaper. I’ve replaced badly rusted reeds, heddles and bolts with new ones that I’ve sourced elsewhere. I’ve removed mouldy or disintegrating cloth aprons from the warp and cloth beams and replaced them with apron cords instead. These looms are all up and running and I’ll be weaving on them for years to come. 

My Harris floor loom now- lovingly restored

The only things to watch out for are structural issues with the loom itself. Looms kept in damp conditions for a long time are prone to rot or woodworm, which are a major hassle to treat and can lead to structural failures further down the road. You should also always check that the ratchet teeth at the end of your cloth and warp beams are intact. These can sometimes rust away on older looms, and they are very difficult to replace. 

However, looms are built to be sturdy and long-lasting. I firmly believe that almost any loom can be back up and running with the right amount of TLC, and they are well worth the effort. 

If I could give one piece of advice to someone looking to get a second hand floor loom its - try it and see! There are plenty of weaving schools around where you can give weaving on a floor loom a go to see if it's for you. And if you think you are ready for a floor loom, the best thing you can do is get one and spend time getting to know it for yourself. Experience is the best teacher! I made so many mistakes getting my own looms up and running but now I know each one inside out.

Last of all, if you're looking for help learning to weave on a floor loom, we are offering a brand new online course! Here I'll be sharing how to weave rugs on your floor loom, from the first steps of warping your loom to cutting the rug off the cloth beam and finishing the edges.