Restoring My Floor Loom: An Update!

sweetstitchingcrafts — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 20:37:12 +0000

The start of 2025 has been a busy one as I work to catch up on some of the projects I started last year—projects I had optimistically hoped to finish before the year ended. The biggest and most important of them all? Refurbishing the floor loom I acquired early last year.

The Restoration Process

During the summer months, I sanded the loom down to bare wood using a combination of a Black & Decker Mouse sander and good old-fashioned hand sanding. It was a big job, and I completely underestimated how long it would take. My initial goal was to complete the sanding by late fall, but thankfully, the weather held up long enough for me to continue working outdoors.
When it came time to varnish, I opted for Osmo PolyX Oil—a product I had never used before but discovered through Felicia Lo’s YouTube video on refurbishing her Fanny loom. I was drawn to this finish because of its low fumes (since I’m sensitive to strong scents) and its ability to enhance the natural beauty of the maple wood without an overly glossy finish.

Finding the Right Varnish

Osmo PolyX Oil wasn’t readily available at my local hardware stores, so I had to do some searching. I found it on Amazon and Lee Valley Tools, with the latter offering a better price—so that’s where I made my purchase. They had two sizes available: 125ml and 750ml. Estimating how much I’d need was tricky since, unlike flooring, I couldn’t easily calculate the square footage of wood I’d be covering.

The Application Process

Applying the oil has been much easier than expected! The varnishing process is moving along quickly, as a little bit of PolyX Oil goes a long way. I purchased staining pads from my local hardware store to ensure an even, thin coat. To make application easier, I cut the pads into small rectangular pieces that fit inside the container. So far, I believe the small container will be enough to complete the project, but I’m considering getting another one—just in case. I’d rather not risk running out when I’m so close to the finish line!
The oil requires two coats with an eight-hour drying time between applications, but thankfully, no sanding between coats is necessary—definitely a plus in my book.

How It’s Coming Together

I’m loving how the loom is turning out! It doesn’t look brand new, but that was never my intention. Instead, it looks refreshed and beautiful. Once varnishing is complete, I’ll apply a wood conditioner to enhance the sheen, give it a smoother feel, and provide extra protection against dry conditions.
At this point, I have just a few more pieces to varnish. After that, I’ll assemble the loom and make sure everything fits together properly. The last major task is removing some rust from one of the reeds—then I’ll officially be done!

What’s Next?

I can’t wait to see this loom in action. My biggest motivation for completing this project is getting it up and running with a weaving project. Plus, I’m excited to update Grace, the loom’s original owner, on its transformation.
If you missed Part 1 of this restoration, you can check it out [link here]. Stay tuned for a future blog post where I’ll share the final reveal!

Have you ever restored a floor loom or considered taking on a similar project? I’d love to hear about your experiences—feel free to leave a comment below.
Until next time, happy crafting!

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Restoration Journey of a Weaving Floor Loom: Part #1

sweetstitchingcrafts — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 00:47:21 +0000

Where do I begin? How did I end up with this loom? I wasn’t searching for a floor loom since I already have a 1920s 36-inch Leclerc Mira that works well for me. But when I found out that a 45-inch Leclerc Fanny was available for free, I couldn’t resist. I saw pictures of it and imagined what might happen if I didn’t save it. The loom was a bit worn out, but nothing that hard work couldn’t fix. The important parts were intact; it just had some cosmetic issues like scratches and dents. While I don’t mind a few scratches, there were too many for my liking, especially since this loom will be in a prominent spot in my home. So, I decided to take you along on my journey of refurbishing this 45-inch Leclerc Fanny.

Step 1: Identify what needs fixing and make a list of tasks to complete.

Here is the list I have to date. This list may change over time during the process of refurbishing this loom.

Remove the scratches and minor dings by sanding the old varnish.
Varnish wood with 2 coats.
Replace the rusty heddles with new wire heddles or possibly texsolv heddles (made from polyester and lightweight in comparison to wire heddles)
Scour and clean rusty reeds
Replace friction brake (metal circular band)

Step 2- Tackle the most important and biggest job first!

At this stage, I’m focused on sanding. With the summer weather, it’s perfect to do this messy work outside. I’m not new to sanding, having started a coffee table project before, though I didn’t finish it. I learned from a Sweet Georgia YouTube video that I need three grades of sandpaper: 60 grit to remove old varnish, 120 to smooth the wood, and 220 to sand between coats. I’m using a Black and Decker mouse hand sander for larger areas and sanding by hand in tighter spots. Ideally, I would remove all the hardware first, but I didn’t want to fully disassemble the loom, so I’m doing more hand sanding. As I strip the old varnish, the original light wood color is revealed, while areas like the logo will keep the darker aged wood color. I’m not aiming to make the loom look brand new, just cleaner and more polished. I’ll see if my approach was the right one once the project is complete!

I’m still sanding and haven’t kept track of the hours spent, but I know it’s taken a lot of time. My next task will be scouring and removing rust from the reeds or varnishing the loom, which I’ll cover in another blog post. As you can see, there will be a series of posts about refurbishing the Leclerc Fanny, and I’m excited to share this journey. If you’ve ever refurbished a loom, feel free to comment below!

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