Materials & Tools

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 Disclaimer
Liability for contents
All products we suggest are either materials we use ourselves or recommendations
based on material composition. We have not tested out all materials and products on
the list. The links included are based on experience or recommendations only. We
cannot guarantee that the recommended product is compatible with your setup. We
take no responsibility if you are not satisfied with the material or product.

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This PDF file contains links to external third-party websites over whose content we
have no control. Therefore, we cannot assume any liability for these external
contents. The respective provider or operator of the sites is always responsible for the
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at the time of linking. Illegal contents were not recognizable at the time of linking. All
links worked at the time this file was created. If this is no longer the case, we can not
take responsibility for it.

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does not contain any affiliate links that provide us with benefits or commission in any
respect. These are honest recommendations from our side. The links are only to
showcase the products, so you know for what you are looking for. You don't have to
buy these specifically.

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 Dear tufting friend
On this list, we show you what materials and tools you need to master the
craftsmanship tufting.

With any material we first reveal what we use at KRAMIS and then what we
recommend you. It depends on how advanced you are and how much money you are
willing to spend.

Our materials and tools are for the professional use - the alternatives are for hobby
use.

For transparency reasons, we listed our suppliers, even if you can't purchase anything
as a natural person.

This list is a perfect preparation to get everything you need for tufting.

After this, you will be ready for our tutorial videos to become the master of tufting.

Stay tuned and have fun.

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 Tufting machine

Our tufting guns

We use a high end tufting gun from the German brand "Hofmann". This gun is
the most expensive solution. We recommend you this only if you are a
professional or advanced tufter. In addition, you would also need an air
compressor to use this gun and the knife parts must be strictly maintained. It
can be dangerous for beginners, because you could break something and waste
much money if there is a lack of know-how.

Website from Hofmann

These are our models we use:

Tufting gun for cut pile: VML 12
Tufting gun for loop pile: SML 10

The recommended specifications for the air compressor:

8 bar, 200 l/min

Cheap alternative
(recommended)
This is a cheap tufting gun for beginners. You can make
cut & loop pile with it.

US: The Duo — Cut & Loop Pile Tufting Machine

EU: AK DUO - Cut & Loop Tufting Machine

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 Tufting frame

Our tufting frames

Our oversized tufting frames consist of a heavy wooden structure that is
adjustable and sunk into the ground.

For smaller rugs, we have a steel structure, which is equipped with nails on the
back.

These constructures were assembled for

us by professional local wood and
metal workers.

Our reccomendation
Here is a great and easy tutorial on YouTube that shows you exactly
how to build a rug making frame yourself. (height adjustable)

Video: How to build a rug making frame - step by step guide

(Credits: No Fun® Studio)

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 Tufting frame

Our spring balancer

We use a normal spring balancer together with a snap hook which is connected
to our tufting guns. It helps you to relieve the arms and it also helps you to
make straight lines which will be very important in the upcoming tutorials.

Unfortunately, only the tufting guns from Hofmann have a ring on the front side
of the machine.

Don't worry, there is a trick to fix that problem for your tufting gun.

Our reccomendation
Here is a great and easy tutorial on YouTube that shows
you exactly how to add pully for your tufting frame which
connects to your tufting gun. You will also find the links
to buy the needed products.

Video: How to add pully for your tufting frame

(Credits: Rene Atari)

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 Tufting yarn (wool)

Our tufting yarn

We use pure virgin wool from New Zealand and Europe, which is processed into
yarn at the company "Wollspinnerei Huttwil". The yarn has a special mixture
which is exclusively made for us. They buy the wool directly from the farmers.
We recommend you to look for New Zealand wool, because they provide you
the best quality for tufted rugs.

Website from "Wollspinnerei Huttwil"

This is the thickness of our yarn:

(Metric count) NM 4,2/3

Wool is the best material to work with and provides you the highest quality. We
also use linen but we don't recommend you this, since linen is very hard to tuft
with and it also dulls the knives very fast. The cheap tufting gun could break.

Our reccomendations
These are great materials to produce high quality rugs:

US: Reflect Wool Yarn (NZ)

EU: Tufting Wool Yarn (NZ)

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 Yarn creel

Our yarn creel

We use yarn creels only because of the quality of life. The yarn stays at the
place and it reduces the chance to jam in the machine. We get them also from
the German brand "Hofmann".

On the following link you see all products from Hofmann including the yarn
creel.

PDF-file Hofmann

Alternative
You can just put the yarn on the floor, because the yarn
holder on the frame already helps you with a precise thread
guide.

If you missed this part in the tutorial, you'll find it from the
timemark 10:28 on following video:

Video: How to build a rug making frame - step by step guide

(Credits: No Fun® Studio)

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 Tufting cloth

Our primary tufting cloth

We use a grey premium polyester cloth as our primary backing. The company
named "Fiberlane" is based in Germany and supplies us with great quality. They
also supply natural persons with small quantities (worldwide).

Website from Fiberlane

This is the technical specification we use:

PES 225 (setting: 60/60)

Alternatives
These are also great alternatives to make high quality
rugs:

US: Primary Tufting Cloth - Gray

EU: Grey Polyester Tufting Cloth

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 Tufting cloth

Our secondary tufting cloth

We use a white cloth made of polypropylen. The supplier is also "Fiberlane".

Website from Fiberlane (You can't find this one on their website but below you
can see the technical details)

This is the technical specification we use:

Quality: Swivel fabric 64 white

Setting: 28 x 2 / 31

Warp: Polypropylene

Weft: Polypropylene

Weight: approx. 225 g/sqm

Alternatives
These are also great alternatives to make the back look
better:

US: Final Backing Cloth

EU: Final Backing Cloth

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 Tufting glue (backing)

Our tufting glue

We use a glue which is a special mixture for us that the company "Weserland"
made. The problem is that you need to order at least about 1'200 kg for the
company to deliver it. So we can't recommend you this. Also the consistency is
very thick, which is not ideal for hobby use. So you couldn't use this properly.

Website from Weserland

Alternatives
(recommended)
These are also great alternatives to glue the back:

US: Carpet Backing Adhesive

EU: Rug Glue

You can basically buy any Surface adhesive for flooring

without solvent which you can find in your nearest DIY
store. These are ideal adhesives to coat the back of the
rug to anchor the pile on the other side.

This is an example of what glue you could use

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 Finishing tape

KRAMIS tape
Glueing the border on the back around the rug is an important working step
that shows a perfect finished rug on a professional level.

We have our own tape which is special produced for us. We had a long
developement phase till we finally managed to have a tape that glues the border
better to the back of the rug than every glue does. We have never shown this
adhesive tape in public before. This changes as of today.

On our tutorial videos we show you exactly how to use this tape, so the finish
looks perfectly on the back.

www.tufting-tutorials.com

Where to find?
We have decided to supply following tufting
shops with the KRAMIS tape.

US: Tuft The World

EU: Tuftingshop

This is the only product on this list where we

benefit financially, as it is our own product
sold through our partners.

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 Carpet shearing machine

Our shearing machine

We use a stationary carpet shearing machine from the German brand
"Hofmann". We are able to shear rugs up to a width of 5,6 meters.

Website from Hofmann

This is our model we use:

TS 300 S

This machine is only for the professional use. It costs a lot of money and you
need a big room for that. As a hobby tufter we don't recommend you this.

Our reccomendation
We recommend you a sheep shear machine which we also
used back in the days.

Hofmann: Electric Clipper ES 896

Alternative

US/EU: Here you find some Sheep shears on Amazon

(All of them can be used to shear the surface of tufted rugs)

EU: Rug shearing machine

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 Carpet carving machine

Our carving machine

We use a carpet carving machine from the German brand "Hofmann".
Unfortunately this only works with air pressure which makes it difficult for
hobby use, so we don't recommend you this.

Website from Hofmann

This is our model we use:

MS 40A Carpet Carving Machine

Our reccomendation
We recommend you carpet carving clippers. They work
with electricity and are much cheaper.

US: Carpet Carving Clippers

EU: Carpet Carving Clippers

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 "The Ruggler"

Our "Ruggler"
The Ruggler is an absolute all-rounder tool for tufting and we could hardly
imagine working without it.

We have many uses for it such as separating colors, beautifying curves, pulling
out threads, straightening odd lines and many more.

On our tutorial videos we are going to show you exactly how to use this tool
correctly.

Unfortunately you can’t buy The Ruggler anywhere since ours were custom
made, back in the days.

Our reccomendation
In this video, we are going to show you how you can make
the ruggler with a normal fork.

Video: How To Make The Ruggler

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 "Thor's Comb"

Also known as Stretcher

The Stretcher is a mallet with nails and a helpful tool to stretch the primary
tufting cloth. With the help of the leverage effect you can stretch the cloth as
much as possible, so you can tuft on it easier.

On our tutorial videos we are going to show you exactly how to use this tool
correctly, so stretching the cloth gets to an easy task.

Are you ready to become the god of thunder?

How to make it
In this video, we are going to show you how you can make
Thor's Comb.

Video: How To Make The Cloth Stretcher

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 Tufting Accessoires

Duckbill Scissors
Your best friend when it comes to cutting individual threads or creating an even
surface. We use that a lot to control the structure of the rug. It's always by our
side while tufting.

US: Duckbill Scissors

EU: Duckbill Scissors

Fabric Scissors
The fabric scissors gets useful when you need to cut the primary or secondary
tufting cloth. In the finishing process we always use the scissors to make the
edges looking neat around the border of the rug.

US/EU: Here you find some fabric scissors on Amazon

EU: Heavy Duty Fabric Scissors

Cutter L-500 P
You definitely need a high quality cutter like this when it comes to cutting and
finishing tufted rugs. We use exactly the one on the following link. Of course
you can use another cutter for that but be careful, this is a dangerous tool.

US/EU: Cutter L-500 P

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 Tufting Accessoires

Tweezers
You need this tool when you make loop pile rugs. We use tweezers to either
push the loops further into the rug or pull them out a bit. This way you can
adjust every loop like you want.

US/EU: Tweezers

Spirit Level (Width 5 cm)

With this tool you can make the edge straight all around, giving the rug the
correct 90-degree shape. After tufting you can press the spirit level several
times to the edge to make it straight. In the finishing process you can use the
spirit level to cut the fabric around the rug, so it has everywhere the same width
before you glue it around. The length you can choose freely, but for the width I
would look for it to be 5 cm.

US/EU: Spirit Levels

Stripping Plate
We use the stripping plate during the finishing process. This tool is placed under
the edge of one side of the rug at the end, so you can then use the Fabric
Scissors to cut the edge. This way you have an ideal and even reference point
and the border around the rug looks neat, without weird threads around
pointing any directions. You can look for something like you see on the
following link. You can also use something similar.

US/EU: Stripping Plate

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 Tufting Accessoires

Rubber Mallet
We need the rubber mallet to fix the glued edge on the back, so that the glue is
firmly attached to the back of the rug. You have to hit on the border all around
the rug, so the edge no longer opens up and we have a neat edge finish. (From
behind) Look for a mallet like you see in the picture.

US/EU: Rubber Mallet

Plaster Spatula
With the help of the plaster spatula you can glue the back of the rug like a
plaster and distribute ideally so that the glue goes into the holes properly and
the fibers are anchored.

US/EU: Plaster Spatula

Putty Knife
After glueing the back we use a putty knife to take away the glue that came
over the border. This is very important because you can lay around the fabric
around the rug much better when the glue dried.

US/EU: Putty Knife

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 Tufting Accessoires

Projector
You need a beamer to project your design to the fabric. We use an overhead
projector which sounds oldschool but it is actually better for us because you are
more flexible to get the right angle and size. Unfortunately it is cumbersome to
handle with it because you need a printed transparent film and this is why we
recommend you a normal projector. Just use a normal projector, there are no
special requirements.

US/EU: Projector

Edding 3000
Hands down, this is by far the best pen to draw on the fabric. It is long durable
and water-resistant on all materials. It is very important to use only black pens.
We made bad experiences with other colors because it rub off to the surface.

US/EU: Edding 3000

Awl
When you connect the awl and edding 3000 with a thread, you are able to draw
a circle, so you can make round rugs. This way you can draw any diameter you
want. Just pierce the awl in the middle of the fabric and you can draw a perfect
circle as long you keep the thread straight and stretched. We also use the awl to
enlarge the entire line in the fabric, so you can count the lines and see where to
drive with the tufting gun.

US/EU: Awl

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 This is just the beginning
Now you are fully equipped and ready to start with the journey to become a
professional tufter.

Some materials and tools may be new for you and some you already worked with.

Now you know exactly what products we use and what we recommend to you.

One day we received a very interesting question:

What influences the quality of the rug the most?

The answer is the following order:

1. Yarn (The yarn is the most important thing that makes the difference between a
cheap and a luxury rug)

2. Fabric (Using the right fabric is very important to get a high durability)

3. Glue (Because of the right anchoring of the fibers)

4. Tufting gun (It's just a quality of life thing while producing the rug)

So as you can see, it doesn't really matter what materials and tools you use but it can
affect the quality. You should focus on your personal goals and follow your passion
and dreams - step by step.

Do you want to master the craft and produce rugs like KRAMIS? We are offering you
a digital package, so you learn all our tricks and secrets after 40 years of tufting. We
teach you every part of the rug-making-process including the details.

This is the gateway to professional tufting: Video Course - Rug Making Tutorial

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www.kramis-teppich.ch www.tufting-tutorials.com