Importance of Dobby Harness
Too much importance cannot be attached to the rigging of the dobby harness. A 30/9 ply linen cord is desirable and a lingo of about 16 to the pound. After deciding on the character of the tie-up required, and when the harness has been threaded in the compart boards, the lingoes should be looped on the strings, and then left to stand and settle for a couple of days before leveling. It is better still to run the dobby machine for a few hours, lifting all the harness and then dropping them, so as to settle the strings and take out any kinks or loose places which are bound to exist in a highly cabled linen cord of this character.
The labor required in the tying up and leveling of a string harness suggests the advisability of great care in determining the tie-up to be used, so that changes of pattern can be made easily without involving changes in the tie-up. In order to prolong the life of the harness, in the adjustment of which so much time and care must necessarily be spent, it is advisable to apply a dressing of boiled linseed oil, which should be thoroughly worked into the strings by running the harness for several hours, using one and one change cards. This should be followed by a dusting of talc or soapstone, which will add much to the smoothness of the finish.
To reduce the friction of the strings which operate in the several outside compart boards, where the strain and wear are particularly acute, and also to prevent the strings from cutting into the boards themselves, it is good practice to fix strips of ground glass between the different rows of strings, just above the compart boards. These strips of glass may be threaded through drilled holes in the compart board frame.