Shannock Loom - Paper Clip Heddles

This is my baby Shannock loom which is a small portable tapestry loom that I have had 'forever'.  It was the first tapestry loom I ever bought and the only portable one I currently have.  All the other portable tapestry looms have been sold or given away since I always ended up weaving on this one.  It is quick to warp, easy to use and allows me to switch from weaving on the back to the front  of the tapestry depending upon what I am trying to achieve.  I normally weave from the back but in detail situations I often need to switch to the front in order to get a dot of color exactly where it needs to be.

Tony asked for some photos of the shedding device on this loom so I took a few.   Next time I warp the loom, I will try to remember to take some action shots to show how easy it is to warp.

I have always thought the shedding device quite brillant; it uses paper clips instead of strings as heddles.   The shed is created with paper clips which hang on a heddle bar.  They are attached to every other warp and when the heddle bar is under tension the clips are pulled forward to make a shed.  When the heddle bar is released they relax and the opposite shed is created.   It's quick to set up and creates a uniform shed.

Moving the handle of the heddle bar downwards create the tension
 on the paper clips and makes a shed.

That nut in the foreground can be moved
in and out to change the shed size. 

Here the paper clips are in a relaxed position creating the alternate shed. 

The paper clips are the large ones; just shy of 2 inches.
 It's important to put them onto the heddle bar in the same direction or the edges tend to catch.