I headed to the big orange box hardware store on Saturday to purchase the materials for another copper pipe loom. The first one I made using the push-on copper elbows. That meant I made the loom in about 10 minutes, but it also meant that the loom "racked" or twisted all the time. This being immensely frustrating, I wanted to make another and I wanted to solder it.
As I was standing in the check-out of that big orange box store, a gentleman came running up to me and said, "THIS isn't a textile store!" and ran off. I was wearing the pictured T-shirt. However, he is clearly wrong. Archie Brennan says all the time that you can buy looms at the hardware store. They just aren't labeled as such.
The assorted parts for the loom came in under $20. A tensionable tapestry loom for less than $20? Yes please. Of course I had to buy the tools and those ran me another $35. I was, however, thrilled to be shopping for a torch and solder. I even knew what flux was when the guy at Home Depot asked if he could help me find anything. Yes sir. I might be a person who works mostly with yarn, but if I can run a smattering of dye pots successfully I certainly can figure out how to solder a little copper pipe.
I'll let you know how it comes out.