Hi Lyn!
I think Tissart looms are great looms...just modify them for one's own needs. Pat Williams has one that's older than mine--the look of the frame is a bit different. Might be like yours, perhaps?

I got mine from an older lady in Atlanta as she moved to an assisted living situation back in 1988. She'd had it a number of years, having purchased it at the Mannings. For some reason, I like to know the history of my looms...just curious about who they've lived with over their working life.

I really am glad I had the steel beam added at the top. How wide is your loom? Mine is only 45" wide but I had two more treadle sets added to each side of the loom...from LeClerc. Since I'm building shapes and sometimes sitting at one side or the other for a period of time it was uncomfortable to stretch my leg to the middle to change the shed. Plus, just sort of "walking" up and down on the two treadles with each foot is how I prefer to change the shed anyway. I don't even open the shed very much with the treadles--just enough for my fingers to feel the space as I reach up. Of course, when weaving across a short distance I usually just pick the shed and don't fool with the treadles anyway. And, I've started thinking how I can possibly add leashes to the Tissart so I could use a dowel for the open shed and then have the leash shed available. I'm sure there's a simple way to do that but I haven't thought it through yet.

Thanks again for your comments!