August 8, 2017 | ProgressTH The final version of the loom is currently up on Thingiverse. It also now includes a string heddle jig for making your own string heddle, and we will be adding a full string heddle design to work with this rigid heddle loom plus a reed system for beating.

The string heddle is also being developed for the automated tabletop loom. 3D printed heddles have a limitation on how many dents per inch you can make, limiting projects to larger sized yarn. If you want to make fabric for making clothes with much finer threads, you need more dents per inch. 

You can learn how to make string heddles with instructions found at this website, under the subheading: "Making String Heddles." 

Our jig uses 2 bamboo chopsticks with 5mm diameters. They are pressed into the 3D printed block only, no glue required. We used 2 clamps on either side to hold the block down while working. We printed a second block out with only two long chopsticks on the outer ends to place finished heddles on. This makes it much easier to tie without other heddles getting in the way. 

With a single row of string heddles, you can get about 30 per inch, 60 if you use overlapping heddles. 

We haven't tested out string heddles yet, so there is no way to tell if it is a viable design. What we do know is that 3D printing out more dents per inch isn't working out so well. 

Follow ProgressTH.org on Facebook here or on Twitter here.