Teaching in england, sweden, and home, part 2 we left off last time with the 2 workshops i taught in london which were spread out over two weekends. Please use the links to see some information on making a pole lathe, and on turning items. Green logs can easily be split along the grain and worked with an axe, then shaped with other simple tools. The basic pole lathe design goes back many hundreds of years, and it would probably have been made entirely with hand tools.
The main body of lathe has feet beneath it so you can hold it down in your vice. In between we went up to brookhouse wood where i taught another workshop, this time for experienced turners. This lathe incorporates the same principles as the lathe above, but uses a novel spring and pulley arrangement to return the treadle, instead of using the lever system of the lathe shown above. A lathe in which the work is supported between centres on posts rising from the bed, turned by a strap which passes two or three times round the work. The pole lathe plans book paperback october 30, 2006 by mark pottinger author visit amazons mark pottinger page. Desuk ltd book order 28 oldaker road newick lewes east sussex, bn8 4lw. Buy the pole lathe plans book by mark pottinger from waterstones today. The pole lathe plans book by mark pottinger, 9780954618933, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The main body of the lathe consists of a pair of x beams that form the bed of the lathe that are bolted on either side of the x legs that raise. From buying a woodland to making a chairwoodland craft by ben law.
This was more than just a project for a society for creative anachronism sca arts and sciences competition, it was also a tool which i could use to make more authenticlooking turned items, such as tool handles, chair legs, and game counters. With a maximum working length just over two feet, i cannot turn table legs on this lathe, but i can. The frame of my lathe is only 40 long for two reasons. Pressing the treadle pulls on a cord that is usually wrapped around the piece of wood or billet being turned. However, this one uses pre sawn and planed 3 x 2 and 4 x 2 inch wood from a diy store, making construction much easier. We built the 17th century german design rediscovered by roy underhill. Led by the north easts foremost green woodworker and teacher maurice. The roman historian pliny records that a lathe was invented by samos in 740 b. I will be using roy underhills plans for a breakdown model for easier transport. With a spring pole lathe, you can only turn on the down stroke, so you have to get used to pushing the tool into the work on the down stroke, and pulling it back every so slightly on the. Lathes were first used for woodturning in europe and asia 2,500 years ago, but this type of pole lathe was probably popular from around ad 500 and had its heyday in medieval europe. In 1897, colliers universal dictionary of the english language defined a pole lathe as follows. From there, i plan on some carving patterns that havent made it to video before. The lathe has been used as part of our traditional woodworking demonstrations and it never fails to draw a crowd.
A selection of green wood crafts being demonstrated by sussex and kent bodgers including pole lathe turning, bowl turning, bowl adzing, trug and rake making. When in 1975 i read herbert edlins seminal book traditional woodland crafts i discovered the craft of chair bodging, that is using the pole lathe to turn the legs of windsor chairs from fresh cut beech trees. A reciprocating lathe that uses a springy pole to return the treadle and drive cord to the start position for the power stroke. First, these lengths are easier to pack when traveling, second, the scavenged 2 x 4s were 80 long. Turning on a pole lathe this three page section is a summary of my entry into the world of green woodworking, starting with making a shave horse in 2009. Last year sometime anders lindberg, a well known swedish craftsperson and author, emailed me to ask about attending a pole lathe class i had scheduled in new york. Loft woodworking advice, woodworking plans, woodworking. Harry rogers shows you through the whole process of making a heightadjusting pole lathe, including all the meaurements. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
A treadle lathe has the great advantage of turning the up and down motion of the pedal into continuous assuming the rope doesnt slip. Turning tools for the pole lathe are different to those used on a power lathe. The best advice is to watch a number of pole lathe turners rather than power lathe turners at work and to form ones own opinion. Because the power cord must run through the opening of the end vise at a fixed location between the puppets, some of the stock cannot be readily turned without reversing.
These applied turnings are on a chest of drawers from boston, c. Further resourcesmike abbot has a chapter on how to make a pole lathe in his book, living wood. I bored a slightly undersized hole through the tail stock upright, heated the pintle with a propane torch holding it in. Im making some for a chest loosely based on the originals. Mark pottinger soft back, 48 pages, 25 black and white pictures. The lathe bed, puppets headstock and tailstock and legs are based on mike abbotts pole lathe 2000 design with some minor customisations. Full three day course to build your own treadle operated pole lathe then learn to use it. Traditionally, the other end of the cord reaches up to the end of a long pole which acts as a return spring. A pole lathe is the traditional tool for making round objects from wood. Pdf spring pole lathe plans plans diy free build a. The lower end of the strap is connected to the treadle, and. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. I am definitely a beginner but it is possible to turn out a half way decent spindle with less than an hour experience.
The pole lathe plans book by mark pottinger waterstones. Pole lathe turners and green woodworkers bodgers ball wimpole hall duration. The pole lathe plans book by mark pottinger soft back, 48 pages, 25 black and white pictures. A pole lathe, also known as a springpole lathe, is a woodturning lathe that uses the elasticity within a long pole as a return spring for a treadle. Readytoturn with the exception of a single long pole or side poles for use with shock cord. Loppers and secateurs measuring and marking pole lathe bowl turning. However, it is probable that this lathe would have been. The pole lathe looks similar to the modern powered lathe, but instead of an electric motor, the power to turn the wood comes from a foot treadle operated by the turner, the person operating the lathe and making cuts in the turning wood. Introduction make your own treadle lathe why this small book exists in the last twenty years or so since i built this footpowered treadle lathe, i have received many requests for drawings or plans. While i am following his published design closely, i am going to use some modern machining to make the conical points run much more smoothly and with considerably less friction. A detailed tutorial all about how to build yourself a pole lathe for bowl turning. Alexander and peter follansbee this is a great article with details about building a similar lathe but using an end vice for the tailstock.
Pole lathe turning and green woodworking at rhs wakehurst. Visit author central to change your photo, edit your biography, and more see author pages frequently asked questions. Durable timber frame construction easily disassembles by means of wedge keys and allows for portable transportation. Most recently, pww magazine august 2016 ran an article by roy on the building of the lathe. A manual pole lathe is the classic centuries old method used to turn green unseasoned wood with little effort and without the noise, dust, or danger involved with modern mechanised turning. The room was dominated by the pole lathe a simple framework of posts and beams with a tenfoot springy pole attached horizontally, above head height. Farmers guide november 2019 by farmers guide issuu.
Build your own pole lathe and learn to use it woodcraft training. This ingenious spring pole lathe is operated by a foot treadle and provides ample power for turnings up to about 16. They show the overall dimensions as what ive used and how things are laid out. The lathe itself there are many types is often described as the first machine tool and its origins go back to the bronze age. Touch wood, ive got my health, as i hope you have too, and i. Pressing on a foot treadle pulls on a cord that is wrapped around the piece of wood blank being turned. Comprehensive plans and instructions for building a traditional pole lathe. Spring pole lathe by christopher swingly a nice article showing the details of building a bungee. Changing situation bowl turning in decline, chair making on the increase. The use of polelathes almost died out in england after world war ii. Spindle lathes pole lathes, increased in number to over 100 in the chilterns, but records are few because bodgers were always on the move. And relatives economic consumption spring perch lathes to make moderate legs and spindles and if youre exit to coat rack plans cover wood on the springpole lathe you might as well get the outdo unity adapted this plan.
A polelathe is a woodturning lathe that is operated manually. Invariably they have shorter handles because there is not so much of a control issue as there is with the high speed of a power lathe. I enjoyed making this low cost lathe which is quickly and easily built, is light but stable, and folds away nicely. This is a reciprocal, driven by a cord wrapped around the piece being turned, and only cuts on the downstroke of the foot treadle. Learn how to build your own pole lathe for turning wood. If all goes to plan, the book will be printed, published, and on sale by late november. It was full, but the spoon carving class that was in tandem didnt fill so the trip wouldnt have been worth it.
Lathe, spring pole tool chest howto the woodwright. Comprehensive plans and instructions for building a traditional pole lathe by pottinger, mark isbn. A free download of my lathe plans is available here. I cobbled together a primitive pole lathe in the attic of the farmhouse where i. Tool forging to book a forging day email me to arrange a date.
Spring pole lathe the design for this lathe is inspired by an old german design published by roy underhill in episode 5 of season 24 of the woodwrights shop. Pole lathe chisels tools books sharpening starter kits finishing tool care intl shipping gift ideas craft wood ecommerce, open source, shop, online shopping. It ended up he couldnt make it, which was ok as i had to cancel the workshop anyway. Most pole lathe turners will welcome questions and are. A pole lathe is a predecessor to the electricallypowered wood turning lathe found in many home and commercial woodworking shops. The use of a broad 2 chisel for smoothing is pretty unique. Although shavings are produced at a reduced rate, the lathe helps you get fit in a more interesting way than on an exercise bike. Wilhelms collapsible spring pole lathe wilhelmszabel.
On a spring pole lathe that i built 40 or so years ago i made an adjustable tail center from an old piece of gateshutter hardware that looked like this. How to build a pole lathe easily permaculture magazine. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. The other end of the cord reaches up to the end of a long springy pole. Please wash your hands and practise social distancing. The woodturners workshop woodturners guild of ontario. Pole lathe tools and accessories woodsmith experience.
You can certainly make it as tall and as long as you want, the only essential is. The association of pole lathe turners and green woodworkers was created in 1990 by a group of a dozen likeminded individuals who wanted to promote the art of pole lathe turning and green woodworking to the rest of the world. There isnt a lot of detailing here and thats because its intended that you can adjust things to suit the materials you have to hand. It also contains tips for turning and specifically turning tool handles. The basic rule is to use whatever works safely and effectively for you. Some years ago mark pottingeran his wife managed to fulfil a lifetime ambition of owning their own wood. Bowl lathes were heavy and fixed, spindle lathes pole lathes were light and portable.
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