# Rigid Heddle Loom Accessories

> Printed heddle holders and reeds, from stepped support panels to modular sections assembled between wooden rails.

Canonical page: [Rigid Heddle Loom Accessories](<https://devanmetz.com/portfolio/rigid-heddle-loom-accessories/>)

Project date: Jul 2022–Oct 2022

Updated: 2026-10-15

Category: Weaving accessories

Status: Physical builds

Tags: 3D printing, CAD, Product design, Weaving

- **My work:** CAD design, printing, and revisions
- **Objects:** Panel holders, holder blocks, clip-on arms, and reeds
- **Print options:** PLA or PETG; parts fit a 256 mm cube print volume

## In short

I designed and printed holders and reeds for rigid heddle looms as product designs for my planned 3D-printing shop. The holders support one or more heddles, the slotted frames that guide the loom's threads. The reeds range from a small nine-slot piece to modular sections assembled between wooden rails. I revised each design through several versions; measurements should be checked against the loom before printing.

![A mirrored pair of flat tan printed panels, each with three stepped rows of hook-shaped slots and mounting holes along the inner edge.](<https://devanmetz.com/_astro/heddle-three-panel-pair.CDqXhDV__ZdokTF.webp>)

The three-row holder panels form a mirrored pair, with mounting holes along their inner edges.

## Overview 

I designed and printed these rigid heddle loom accessories as product designs for my planned 3D-printing shop.

A rigid heddle, also called a reed, is a frame with alternating slots and holes for the warp threads, the threads running lengthwise through the loom. Lifting or lowering it opens a gap called the shed. The weft, the thread woven across the warp, passes through that gap.

I worked on both the reeds and the holders that support them.

## Stepped heddle holders 

Heddle holders, sometimes called heddle blocks, hold the heddle in its up, neutral, and down positions. Extra rows let a weaver use two or more heddles at once for more complex cloth.

The mirrored three-row panels are each about 145 by 115 by 14 mm, with a row of mounting holes along the inner edge. I also made four-slot holder blocks, about 100 by 115 by 14 mm, with screw holes.

The clip-on arms have a long top hook that hangs over the loom frame and stepped hooks down the side for resting heddles. These designs are about 83–91 mm wide, with hook and no-hook versions and two- and three-step variants.

## Small and modular reeds 

The mini reed is a narrow piece with nine slots and eyelets between them, about 54 by 104 by 4 mm.

For a full-width heddle, I made modular reed sections that line up between two wooden rails, with small printed end caps. Each section is about 112 by 100 by 13 mm.

I made sections in more than one dent spacing. Dent means the number of slots plus holes per inch. My reed designs include 5, 8, and 10 dent variants, including a six-inch reed.

## Revisions and loom fit 

I went through several computer-aided design (CAD) versions of each design. The files are printable in PLA or PETG on a Bambu Lab A1-sized bed, with a print volume of 256 mm in each direction.

Fit to a particular loom brand is not confirmed. Check the holder dimensions, mounting holes, and reed measurements against the loom before printing.

These sit alongside my [Catan organizers](<https://devanmetz.com/portfolio/catan-organizers/>) as printed product designs built around the objects they hold.

## Build photos

![Two tan three-row holder panels laid one above the other, showing stepped hook-shaped slots and a line of mounting holes on each panel.](<https://devanmetz.com/_astro/heddle-three-panel-stacked.2KZ3be_D_Z27ooOg.webp>)

The same panel pair laid out to show the slots and mounting holes.

![Two cream printed four-slot holder blocks lying side by side on a dark surface.](<https://devanmetz.com/_astro/heddle-four-slot-pair.DePd4_5Y_2hmSzC.webp>)

A pair of four-slot holder blocks laid flat.

![Two cream four-slot holder blocks standing upright facing each other on a dark surface, with screw holes visible.](<https://devanmetz.com/_astro/heddle-four-slot-standing.uohpiqf6_Z22lW6o.webp>)

The four-slot blocks upright, showing their stepped supports and screw holes.

![Two tan printed holder arms with long top hooks for hanging over a loom frame and stepped hooks down their sides.](<https://devanmetz.com/_astro/heddle-clip-on-hooks.CM_bgPH1_Z2oiXNz.webp>)

Clip-on arms use a top hook to hang over the loom frame and side hooks to rest heddles.

![A small narrow tan printed reed with nine slots and eyelets between them, lying on a light wood surface.](<https://devanmetz.com/_astro/heddle-mini-reed.oKkf9LLu_ZuR1xe.webp>)

The nine-slot mini reed measures about 54 by 104 by 4 mm.

![A full-width rigid heddle made from several printed slotted modules held between two light wooden rails on a dark surface.](<https://devanmetz.com/_astro/heddle-modular-reed.BvWTIoWB_KHcWu.webp>)

Printed reed modules line up between wooden rails to make a full-width heddle.

![A low-angle close-up looking along the repeated slots and holes of a long assembled printed reed.](<https://devanmetz.com/_astro/heddle-reed-closeup.C5nL5Fzb_1ohslC.webp>)

A close view along the assembled reed's alternating slots and holes.

## Related reading

- [Catan Organizers](<https://devanmetz.com/portfolio/catan-organizers/index.md>)
- [Ring and Jewelry Organizer](<https://devanmetz.com/portfolio/ring-organizer/index.md>)
- [From the Workbench](<https://devanmetz.com/portfolio/workshop-builds/index.md>)