Here is one of the most interesting YouTube videos I have ever come across! It is about the modern-day manufacturing process of Lloyd Loom wicker furniture called, “The making of Lloyd Loom by Vincent Sheppard.”
Most antique wicker furniture lovers, collectors, and repair experts know that the Lloyd Loom process of manufacturing antique wicker furniture actually started here in the United States in 1917 with the invention of the Lloyd Loom.
But in case you don’t already know about this type of paper wicker furniture, I’ve written an article on the topic to help you out, “What is Paper Fibre Rush and Paper Wicker?“
In the following Lloyd Loom YouTube video, we get to see how the paper fibre strands are currently made, then how the strands are woven on the loom to create the wicker fabric “sheets” and finally applied to the aluminum frameworks by the craftsmen and then painted.
Here’s a very fascinating, inside look at a wicker manufacturing process that has intrigued me for years and I’m sure you’ll be happy to watch it also.
The video was made in Hungary and the narration is in Dutch with no English translation, but the video is so good that it’s not a problem to follow along and do your own translation! Enjoy!
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Happy Weaving, until next time!
Hi
What type of paint would you recommend for a lloyd loom chair. I have a natural chair so it only has varnish on it.
Hi Angela,
To my knowledge, Lloyd Loom chairs were always painted from the factory, are you certain what you have is Lloyd Loom from the 1920s-1940s? Regardless, if the piece has varnish and it’s all intact, not chipping or peeling, then applying oil base paint would be fine. You might want to sand it a bit anyway, just to make sure you get good adhesion. Latex or water-base might be a bit tricky and I would ask a reputable paint store what they suggest, just to be on the safe side. This page on Painting Your Wicker Furniture might shed some more light on your project. Hope it helps!
Is there any repair done on Lloyd loom rockers?
I have two in need of weave repair so I can clean paint and reupholstery
Hi Maggie,
The answer to your question about making Lloyd Loom wicker repairs has both good and bad news. Until only about 15 years ago, when the Lloyd Loom sheeting became available, repair experts had to make the repairs or “patches” using individual strands of tiny spaghetti sized paper rush. This method of repairing the wicker was tedious and also left the patched ends or joins sticking out on the backs of the furniture. So this was doable, but not the best.
Now that we have the Lloyd Loom sheeting available it’s much easier to replace the whole back or underarm sections, rather than putting in the individual patched strands. But the downside of the sheeting material is that it’s not very wide, so can be tricky to use and get good results when I wide span is called for. Length is not a problem, but the width is only 36-40 inches or so, I believe. I have been very successful at replacing the wicker on several small child’s rockers, they went together beautifully!
Please check with the Chair Caning and Wicker Repair Experts on my National Furniture Repair Directory™ to see if there’s someone near you that can make the necessary repairs. Links are at the top of every page in the navigation area, too. And be sure to mention that you found them through their ad on WickerWoman.com! Thanks!