How it use to be done?

[Terry B]

Dear All
On sale on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Vintage-Antique-bushcraft-wood-turning-lathe-tool-ooak_W0QQitemZ130007837691QQihZ003QQcategoryZ84012QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Looking at the crude nature of the lathe it is amazing the quality of objects that were made at the time. We have it very good.

[rsser]

Good post Terry.

A treadle lathe like this made an appearance in a film of one of Tolstoy's novels. Powered by an aristocrat dabbling.

Of course before this were pole lathes - and they really make you grateful for the advance of technology.

My partner has a bowl prob. about 300 years old - it was roughed out pretty closely by some means, the facets are still visible, and then turned. In all likelihood it was used as a food bowl. And that would have spelt class since the hoi polloi competed with each other to spear food out of the cooking pot.

[La truciolara]

The lathe you show us is a more modern version of mine (used as avatar).
It is not that difficult to use. On the e-bay picture, like on mine, missing is the transversal plank which enable you to lean on it while you stand on one foot while the other in peddling.<O:p</O:p
That is the first exercise you need to do to keep equilibrium and try to pedal regularly. To help you can add weight on the Big wheel. This gives you some inertia enabling you to turn small details while on your two feet.
However, apart for demos, I much prefer my Vicmarcs ;) <O:p</O:p