The Weavers.
The average weaver runs four looms, but in many sheds provision is made for three, or even two-loom weavers, whilst qualifying themselves for the higher number. In some North-East Lancashire towns five and six-loom weavers are not infrequent on narrow strong goods. The weaver’s duties require some little skill, and consist of piecing up the broken ends of warp and drawing them through the heald and reeds, filling the shuttles with weft and placing them in the loom as those in working become empty, oiling, doffing “cuts,” putting in the coloured headings—an important part of dhooty weaving—oiling, and performing simple repairs.
The wages obtainable on ordinary goods, such as shirtings and printers, should not be less than 11s. per pair, to give satisfactory results, while 12s. 6d. per pair on dhooties and simplest fancy goods is good.
The waste in this process is important, four per cent. being allowable on common yarns, say 36’s, this being reduced on finer and consequently better copped yarns (weft).
The foregoing remarks apply to the weaving of plain cloths only, and that by the most usual methods. In any process whatever, it may be that some variation will be found to exist, and, before concluding this part of the subject, the modifications of the one standard type of loom may be referred to.
In shedding, the tappets may sometimes be placed on a third shaft, driven from the tappet shaft, and termed a twill shaft, because by altering the tappets and the speed the loom may be made available for weaving twills. When the tappets are fixed to the twill shaft they are smaller than those fixed to the tappet shaft.