50 years ago yesterday

[RETIRED]

George Lailey was "the Last Bowlturner"

http://apps.buckscc.gov.uk/modes/projects/SWOPimage/RHW12280.jpg

He made wooden bowls on a foot powered lathe the same way they had been made in medieval times. He died 50 years ago yesterday aged 89.

He forged all his own turning tools which are kept with his lathe at the Museum of English Rural Life at Reading. He could turn nests of bowls, one cut inside the other and get 4 bowls out of one block of wood. 30 years after his death I saw those tools, learned to forge copies of them and then to turn bowls.

For about 10 years I was the only pole lathe bowlturner. After demonstrating and showing lots of people how it is done there are now plenty of people who can turn a few bowls and the craft is safe for the future.

I spent yesterday turning a very special big nest of bowls as a kind of tribute. I don't do many big nests any more but it was really a very good experience.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb176/thewoods_album/IMG_6964.jpg

and this is alongside one of Lailey's bowls

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb176/thewoods_album/IMG_6971.jpg

My wife Nicola did a video which is on youtube showing how they were made.

YouTube - George Lailey commemorative bowls (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JIgElQwMJpY)

Shifted this here.

[rotten_66]

Brilliant to see that some people keep the traditions alive.

:2tsup:

How long did it take to turn the nest?

[robin wood]

Brilliant to see that some people keep the traditions alive.

:2tsup:

How long did it take to turn the nest?
Thanks, its not the easiest way but i enjoy it. It took most of the day from cutting the blank to finished bowls.

[prozac]

Beautiful nest of bowls. They have a very no-nonsense comfortable look about them.

Can you post some photos of the hand forged tools that you used?

[prozac]

Just watched the video. Fantastic!

[wheelinround]

Robin great memories .........I agree a WIP on the tools would be excellent or even just photo's of the cutting edges an shapes.

Ray

[3 toed sloth]

Thanks for that post Robin. It is an absolute pleasure to watch that video.:)

[robin wood]

Thaks guys, glad you enjoyed it. I have about 60 odd tools and don't have photos of many but here are a couple of typical ones.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb176/thewoods_album/hooks.jpg

[wheelinround]

Thanks Robin :2tsup::2tsup:

[Ilya]

Thanks for sharing your experience, great reading and excellent video!

[Al B]

Excellent, I really enjoyed watching the video of you making the bowls, Thanks for sharing this with us. :2tsup:

[orraloon]

Robin,
I always love to see things done the old way. The tools are interesting too. The core cutting looks so simple but effective. Makes us power lathe users humble.
Regards
John

[munruben]

Fantastic:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[tea lady]

Brilliant. I would love to try using a foot powered lathe. I love working on a kick wheel for pottery, but haven't done it since college.

What wood have you used. Really interesting grain. The consensus in Aus is that our hard woods would be too hard for a foot powered lathe. What do you reckon?

[robin wood]

Brilliant. I would love to try using a foot powered lathe. I love working on a kick wheel for pottery, but haven't done it since college.

What wood have you used. Really interesting grain. The consensus in Aus is that our hard woods would be too hard for a foot powered lathe. What do you reckon?

Thanks,

I think it is very similar to kick wheel to use and also similar in that the bowls made this way have a very different feel.

Many Aus woods would be too hard I am sure but some would be usable too. Richard Raffan roughs out a lot of green wood and I remember talking with him about Aus woods, sadly can't remember species but there were some that he felt were comparable to european hardwoods. There are some greenwoodworkers using pole lathes in Aus too.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

What wood have you used. Really interesting grain. The consensus in Aus is that our hard woods would be too hard for a foot powered lathe.

I wouldn't try turning Ironbark or Dead Finish, but our "common" timbers such as Redgum, Tas. Oak, etc. turn very nicely on a pole/treadle lathe. When green, anyway, but I'm sure thats true even of woods from over the pond..


There are some greenwoodworkers using pole lathes in Aus too.

:yes: I also started to build a pole lathe, but was saved from the attraction of the Dark Side when I came across my small treadly. [Phew!]

I don't s'pose you know of any links to hand-forging hook tools on the web, Robin?

[TTIT]

Brilliant stuff Robin - so good to know the skill hasn't died out completely - would be such a shame. If I ever get to the UK I'll be wanting to see a demo :;

[RETIRED]

Moved this here.

[RETIRED]

Some probably have not seen it.

[rsser]

Cool.

Helen has an antique turned bowl. It has some flats left on the outside and I figured that the rough-out had been done with a hatchet or the like. Acc to the photo looks like it may well have been.

[watson]

That almost makes me want to learn to turn.
Maybe next life.

[rsser]

Just get onto the ball of one foot and throw yr arms clockwise Noel and you'll turn just fine :D

Yeah, great bowls.

bit of end-grain tear-out but the figure distracts the eye.

[watson]

Just get onto the ball of one foot and throw yr arms clockwise Noel and you'll turn just fine :D

Yeah, great bowls.

bit of end-grain tear-out but the figure distracts the eye.

Then I'd have to learn to Dip :rotfl:

Beaut wood too!

[rsser]

Et tutu, Brute

;-}

[powderpost]

Interesting demo.. thanks. Saw a Japanese turner operating in Proserpine a coup;e of years ago. He used very similar tools, but a different technique. He also demonstrating making a tool from a bar with an oxy torch.
Jim

[NeilS]

Thanks for moving this thread into the woodturning forum. Had missed it wherever it was posted originally.

What a magnificent set of nested bowls. Straight off the hook tool, no scraper or sandpaper have been near them!

You might detect that I'm a Robin Wood fan. I can highly recommend his beautiful book, 'The Wooden Bowl'', which includes a very scholarly history of his craft. But then I'm a bit biased, it's the only book on woodturning I ever bought!....:B

Ern, my antique bowl (pic attached), made in the same manner, also appears to have axe cuts on the base where it has been trimmed off its spigot.

.....

[Ed Reiss]

Robin...thanks for posting the tibute to George Lailey:2tsup:

[govarney]

Robin,

Great video. I enjoyed both the content and the video production. please thank your wife too:2tsup:

[Evan Pavlidis]

Thanks Robin; great video and the bowls are stunning. Who needs sandpaper when the figure jumps out at you.
Good see how turners of yesteryear practiced their craft. Great work; clean and simple.

Cheers, Evan :)

[hughie]

I don't s'pose you know of any links to hand-forging hook tools on the web,

Here you go Skew

Wood Turning Hook Tool: Make Your Own (http://aroundthewoods.com/hooktool.shtml)