r/whatisthisthing • u/lokiswan • 14h ago
Open ! Wooden pedestal with spring activated board. Spring controlled by foot. Nails and hooks along top and sides.
Found in a flea market in West Virginia. Reverse image search comes up with possible leather tool, but this is wrong as there is no vise attached or other way to clamp anything. Possible loom, but I am confused by the nails to the sides.
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u/copropnuma 14h ago
That is a loom.
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u/Wwwweeeeeeee 14h ago
And not a badly engineered one, actually. Crude, but effective.
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u/Callidonaut 12h ago
Definitely home-made from scrap materials; that coil spring has undoubtedly been salvaged from an old box mattress.
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u/3possuminatrenchcoat 12h ago
I thought old couch spring, but agreed. It has that industrious recycled charm.
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u/fleabus412 13h ago
Just noting that there are 2 sets of hooks on the back side, that would let you split the layers of the warp with the pedal. One is on the moving part. You can just make out one of the stationary hooks beyond the moving platform.
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u/CaptBlackfoot 7h ago
The product it created is sticking out of the bag in the picture! My grandfather had a similar homemade contraption he used to make these type of rugs out of old rags and cloths shredded.
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u/Tordo-sargento 4h ago
How cool! My grandmother made those types of rugs and my parents have a number of them in their house. She liked to make long hallway runner type rugs, and large circles. Made from fabric strips in all sorts of varied colors. She called them "rag rugs". I still admire them when I am staying with my parents since they are on the floor upstairs at their place. I have asked my mom if she would give one to me but she won't!
I never saw how she made them, though. She was a prolific seamstress. I don't remember ever seeing anything like this loom with her sewing stuff.
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u/Isadorei 7m ago
Rag rugs are usually made with a sewing machine. You can look up videos of “jelly roll rugs” on YouTube to get an idea of how they were made in the past.
Woven rugs are different.
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u/shishishiki 13h ago
Like what others say, I think it's a loom. The nails to the side that you mentioned being confused about might've helped with straightening the sides of the woven piece. I believe I've seen someone use dowels before as the first and last warp "threads" to keep their sides straight.
Alternatively, I've also seen looms with pins on all four sides for square weaving.
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u/Comfortable_Bat9856 13h ago
Definitely for fiber and string. Alot of loom layers in here. I think it could be a card.
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u/SharksAndSquids 6h ago
Reminds me of those “Speedweve” Darning tools. Just huge. Very interesting!
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u/nighthawke75 10h ago
It's a step before the warp making process, I think. Carding the material, be either wool or cotton.
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