Brooklyn Troubleshooting tips

Back Beam Ratchet/Pawl Doesn’t Engage Reliably

Problem: The ratchet and pawl that lock the back beam for warp tension can be hard to get to click into place or may feel like it doesn’t hold tension properly. Users describe needing to “help” the plastic lever past the clicker pin every time.

Fix: ✅ Try loosening the bolt holding the pawl slightly — this can allow better movement and engagement until the mechanism breaks in. ✅ Rock the loom gently front to back when setting the brake; this can help the pawl find and engage the ratchet teeth. ✅ With use the plastics and pawl action often loosen slightly and operate smoother over time — this is a common characteristic of the nylon parts. ⚠️ If the part consistently fails to engage at all, contact LoftyFiber for replacement pawl/ratchet parts.

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Beater Gets in the Way During Threading or Feels Awkward

Problem: The Brooklyn’s overhead beater swings back and auto bounces forward, but some weavers find it obstructs access when threading the heddles or sleying the reed, and they wish it could be swung out of the way completely.

Fix: ✔️ Plan threading with beater position in mind — flip your seat a little further back and slide the warp forward so you have easier access between the shafts. ✔️ Some users find removing the reed entirely during threading gives extra space to work comfortably. ✔️ If this is a frequent pain point, consider routing your setup so the loom’s front sits over a table edge during dressing, giving easier overhead access.

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Uneven or Hard-to-Maintain Warp Tension

Problem: Like many small table looms, new users find setting even warp tension a challenge — especially if the warp is not wound on evenly or the ratchet/pawl doesn’t immediately lock tension well.

Fix: ✔️ Wind the warp on carefully — keep layers even and check both selvedges roll on together, which greatly reduces tension variation. ✔️ Check that the ratchet pawl is correctly mounted and engaging the back beam as intended (see issue #1 above). ✔️ If needed during weave-up, loosen and re-advance the warp so tension is balanced before you start weaving. ✔️ Use warp separators or cardboard sticks between layers as you wind — this helps hold even tension across the warp.