I've been researching looms and it seems to me most jack floor looms have two more treadles than shafts. Four shafts have six treadles and 8 shafts have ten treadles.
I've since turned my attention to researching countermarch looms like the Glimarka Ideal and the Oxaback Lilla. The Lilla has eight shafts and only eight treadles. The Ideal can have eight shafts with eight treadles or ten shafts and ten treadles.
Am I missing something here? Why the fewer treadles?
I'm working on a project on an eight shaft baby wolf. It has ten treadles. I had to tie up eight Treadles for the pattern, but I had two treadles left and tied them up for plain weave. I always thought that was the reason for the extra treadles, so you can tie them up for plain weave. If I was doing an overshot pattern that required eight treadles on a countermarch, what would I do when it came time for the tabby picks?