Phily
18th June 2017, 05:20 PM
Travelling through Spain we stayed a few nights in Toledo. Early one morning while wandering the streets I spied through a partly open door a very old lathe. Not being able to resist the temptation, I popped my head inside and was immediately welcomed in by Luis, a multi generational turner now in his early 60's.
conversing in his non existent English and my equally non existent Spanish, with the occasional aid of a pencil and a block of wood, I understood that the family business was set up in the old cellar in 1910. He still has the original heavy beamed timber lathe bed, now converted to a work bench. I suspect that his more modern steel bed was purchased not too long after the business was set up. Amazing!
when he discovered that I also turned, his enthusiasm increased even further. A wonderfull fellow. He showed me his rack of tools including his favourite skew chisel, used by his grandfather and now ground back to a 50mm stub. It seems his specialisation is spherical turning. His spheres are absolutely perfect. A great opportunity for lessons from a master if you have an understanding of Spanish.
He then took me into the back part of his "shed", a brick arched cellar built around the 13th or 14th century and now used to store timber etc. As we walked through, he pointed to the floor, the pavers were laid by the Romans!
After a bit of research I found out that the Romans first came to this region around 200yrs BC. The location of Luis' shed being close to where the original stone city wall (all but gone) was built. The Romans left around 400 AD. So at a guess, that would put the date of the shed floor at around the date of the birth of JC himself.
Has anyone come across an even older turning shed?
Unfortunately non of Luis's offspring are interested in continuing the family tradition and he is planning retirement in 3 years.
conversing in his non existent English and my equally non existent Spanish, with the occasional aid of a pencil and a block of wood, I understood that the family business was set up in the old cellar in 1910. He still has the original heavy beamed timber lathe bed, now converted to a work bench. I suspect that his more modern steel bed was purchased not too long after the business was set up. Amazing!
when he discovered that I also turned, his enthusiasm increased even further. A wonderfull fellow. He showed me his rack of tools including his favourite skew chisel, used by his grandfather and now ground back to a 50mm stub. It seems his specialisation is spherical turning. His spheres are absolutely perfect. A great opportunity for lessons from a master if you have an understanding of Spanish.
He then took me into the back part of his "shed", a brick arched cellar built around the 13th or 14th century and now used to store timber etc. As we walked through, he pointed to the floor, the pavers were laid by the Romans!
After a bit of research I found out that the Romans first came to this region around 200yrs BC. The location of Luis' shed being close to where the original stone city wall (all but gone) was built. The Romans left around 400 AD. So at a guess, that would put the date of the shed floor at around the date of the birth of JC himself.
Has anyone come across an even older turning shed?
Unfortunately non of Luis's offspring are interested in continuing the family tradition and he is planning retirement in 3 years.