Spring 2 - Winding on a warp

In order to wind on a warp, you need to use 2 hands, one to lift the brake release and one to wind the warp.   This can make winding a warp a little more awkward.

The original Spring had a ratchet on the warp beam and many weavers used the ratchet to prevent a warp from unwinding.  This was a solution born through evolution.    The Spring originally did not have a friction brake, only the ratchet brake.    Since the friction brake started as an accessory, the ratchet remained part of the loom.  Eventually the friction brake became a standard part of the Spring loom.

To assist in winding on your warp, you can use a piece of texsolv cord tied between the top of the castle directly above the tension brake handle and the tension brake release handle.    You can use a texsolv peg to secure and adjust the tightness of the cord.   Lift the brake slightly so that it releases tension sufficiently to allow the brake to slip in order to wind your warp, but still hold sufficiently not to unwind when you release the brake handle.    Adjust the texsolv cord with the peg until you get the right position.