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Boards & crafted goods • Custom gift

Warp drive, for yarn

A Star Trek-themed cherry warping board. A useful weaving tool with science fiction built in.

Documented December 2020From the workshop

A tool with a theme

I made a 4.5-yard warping board in Michigan cherry and gave it a Star Trek theme, with an Enterprise motif and lettering inspired by Deep Space Nine.

From one kind of jig to another

The pegs organize yarn in preparation for weaving. At the time, I described it as the weaving equivalent of a woodworking jig: an unfamiliar use, but a familiar kind of making problem.

A working tool with a theme

I built this warping board from Michigan cherry and added the Star Trek-inspired carving because a shop tool does not have to look generic. The peg layout still had to work for winding yarn, so the theme could not interfere with the function. I handled the fabrication, CNC carving, assembly, and oil finish. The result is a practical weaving tool that also carries a personal reference in the design.

Credits & project notes

Design and making: Michael Pytlowany.

Personal project inspired by Star Trek. Not an official or licensed Star Trek product. The archive identifies this as Star Trek, not Star Wars.

Sources

Mike's Functional Artistry project archive
02 December 2020