Louet Jane Loom - Race and Shuttle Hints

The Louet Race is a big help for throwing the shuttle on the Jane table looms. However there are some considerations.

When all the levers are up (closed shed), the race should be positioned so the warp threads just touch — or come very close to touching — the race.

On Jane 16-shaft looms, it’s common to have the race set in the highest position so that the threads only just graze the race.

If you can’t get the warp ends close to the race when at rest, check the following:

1. Make sure the warp tension is not overly tight.

2. Adjust the shafts according to the Jane assembly instructions or video.

The race limits how far you can weave before advancing the warp. After advancing, we aim to have the fell line about 5 inches from the edge of the front beam. If it is set any farther back, the race pushes against the cloth, making it difficult or impossible to beat the weft into place. After weaving has progressed to about 7-inches from the edge of the front beam, the warp needs to be advanced.

When a shed is opened, the lower threads will raise slightly. The distance from the race will vary depending on the where the fell line falls. The picture below shows the threads a little higher than best case, so it's time to advance the warp. Note there is a floating selvage at the edge.

The shuttle is shown entering the shed that was shown on the prior picture. The shuttle pushes down the lower threads as it slides across the race; the tip of the shuttle is higher than the lowest threads, and the bottom is sloped such that any threads on the bottom shed are pressed down. For wide warps, the shuttle can be thrown safely across the race.

The Flying Dutchman and Schacht 11-inch Slim shuttles work well for us on the 16-shaft Jane with the race. However, when testing with the Schacht Mini Boat Shuttle, we found it did not work well.

Some shuttles may not be suitable for weaving on a table loom with a race. For example, very light shuttles, or those where the point on the end sits low enough to capture threads that aren't sitting flat, are not good candidates. In the following picture, a light weight shuttle isn't heavy enough to pull down the lower warp threads on this warp.