More on the Megado

I got round to opening up the box of electronics on the Megado. Inspection showed that it was surprisingly undusty and that the capacitors in the power supply were okay. I am not expert enough to carry out more tests so I consulted with Alan at Handweavers Studio and it was clear that lots of testing would be required. It also turned out that buying a completely new box was nothing like as expensive as I expected and that would have some definite advantages. So Alan is going to get a formal quote from Louet. But this is clearly going to take some weeks to get the Megado up and running again. So I am getting on with the red cashmere scarf I described in my last blog. Warp is wound. And when I have finished a spot of framing photos, I will install the warp on the Schacht.

I have finished binding `Amusements in Mathematics. It is shown below.

Megado, Megado

Last time I blogged, I was saying that the Megado was about to be brought into use. The last time I wove on it was October 2018. Since then I was ill for 6 months, then took some more months to get better while coping with getting the Jeremiah Fielding book printed and on the market. Well, the Megado does not work. It was quite adamant about this. It does not work. My first thought was the device to get a serial port speaking to a modern day computer. And I got in an expert but he thought that bit was fine. So I turned to the unthinkable - the Louet itself. And suddenly realised that when I switched it on, there was no satisfying loud Clunk. Eventually, after consulting Cally Booker, I called Handweavers Studio and talked to Alan who was most helpful. So I have to take off the side of the relay box and check the power supply. After all, I bought it in 2004 so it is a bit elderly. I can manage this operation/inspection myself BUT on Thursday I managed to turn my ankle (excoriating) and have been limping about the house with a wrapped up ankle. But it was not serious and I will be fit enough to uncover the works tomorrow. So all in all, an eventful few days.

Because it is clear that I will not be working on the Megado for a week or two, I am working on a new project on the Schacht. I am taking the opportunity to use some of my stash. This time 2 skeins of  cashmere from Just Our Yarns, space dyed in red and dark red. I am doing a variant  of a Bateman weave.

So now I need to wind the warp!

I am also about finished binding another book for The Bookbinders annual do in July. Called `Amusements in Mathematics`. And when that is done I shall start on a Coptic Book and a book, as yet undefined or designed but to hold one print of each lino-cut I have done in the last few years.

Starting back on the Megado

I have caught with lots of deadlines recently and gone back to bookbinding classes with Lori Sauer where I am enjoying myself enormously. I managed to finish the binding of Curlew Coast when at Lori`s. This is a book written by Judith Ellis about East Anglia. She wrote `Two Points East`  and my binding of that book was one of those exhibited all over Norfolk last summer. For the cover of this one, I managed to get two photos of curlews from an RSPB warden and processed them in Photoshop, then printed it on canvas and bound the book.

But more important, someone at the bookbinding class said she was into Coptic books after seeing mine and she was just about to start on a new one. At which point, I remembered that years ago, I had obtained from a furniture maker three sets of wooden covers for Coptic books, all A5 size and all gorgeous black walnut. So this Wednesday, I start on a Coptic book. I have prepared the paper (130 gsm) for the text block (A2 cartridge paper under the spare room bed!!!!!). If you detect an air of glee, you would be right.

So what else? Well I decided that I could do with some cards for notes and thank you letters and so on. I found a nice suitable lino block for a card of caladium leaves and practised last Friday. This week, I will have solved the registration problem and we will set out to print 20 or so.

And what about the Megado? It is all ready to go but I need to see to the IT side of things. Tomorrow is laid aside for that. I have a lot of other ideas for weaving. I listened to a talk by Sue Hiley Harris last Saturday and it did spark a number of ideas. I will be warping up the Meyer to do some experiments.

The new website is coming along nicely. Next week I think it will be up and running.