VARNISHING A HARNESS
Varnishing is for the twofold purpose of making the harness twines wear better, and keeping them from being affected by the atmosphere.
Sometimes the harness is only partly varnished, particularly when it is liable to be changed in a short time, and then it can be loosed down and used again.
If it is to remain for a length of time—that is, for steady work—it should be varnished all over, but care should be taken to get a good varnish, as some of them destroy the twines, and others come off and are useless.
The common varnishes are made principally from shellac, beeswax, and turpentine, and can be procured at any heddle-maker’s. Sometimes white wax dissolved in turpentine is used to rub the twine at the cumber board, for fine harnesses for silk and other light work, the remainder being left unvarnished. Sometimes the neck of the harness and the sleepers are varnished, and the knots above the cumber board are brushed with paste, as each row is tied, to keep them from slipping.
Perhaps the best varnish is boiled oil, which, when well dried, gets very smooth after working for some time, and keeps the twines soft and pliable. It takes some time to dry, and does not suit well for using in a dusty place, but answers very well when the harness is built in a room for the purpose, and is afterwards taken to the loom.
Sometimes a very small quantity of beeswax or white wax is added to the oil to give it more firmness, and sometimes driers are used to make it dry more quickly; but it is better to do without driers, as they harden the twines and are injurious. Varnish should not be disturbed till quite dry, as, if the twines are separated and the loom started when it is soft, the outer surface will rub up and make a rough harness. The twines are separated by running a wire skewer between each cross-row. French chalk dusted down through the harness assists in smoothing it, and prevents too much friction when it is being started to work.
TO ARRANGE THE TIE OF A HARNESS
What is known as the tie of a harness is the arrangement or manner in which the harness twines are connected to the hooks of the jacquard—i.e. the number of twines that are tied to each hook, and the position they are to occupy in the cumber board. Ties for ordinary damask work may be divided into three classes—viz. straight, or single; lay over, or repeating; and gathered, or centred.
Straight or Single Tie.—This tie is only required when there is no repetition of any portion of the pattern, as in silk markers, and occasionally in handkerchiefs, d’oyleys, tablecloths, &c. Only one harness twine is tied to each hook of the jacquard, and there must be as many hooks as there are threads of warp. The twines are tied to the jacquard and taken down through the cumber board in regular order from first to last, and the warp is drawn into the mails in the same order. Any pattern that it is possible to put on the cloth can be wrought with this method of mounting.