Thread: Feasibility of bike powered tools

They did it tough in the old days:

Foot-Powered Machinery.

Thats some cool old machines in John's link

I think a person pedalling is rated at about 1/4 hp ?

So things like a scrollsaw, drill, small lathe could certainly be powered by a person. I think in some 3rd world countries it's probably still done that way. The thing is that 1/4 hp electric motors are so cheap now thats it's easier and cheaper to just bolt one of them on.

Cheers

Ian

There's a long history of lathes and scroll-saws being treadle-powered.

Pedalling can deliver more power than a treadle, as you use both legs and can utilise the up-stroke as well as the down-stroke.

For a lathe, bandsaw or circular saw to be effective, the trick is to incorporate a large(ish) flywheel to smooth out the delivery and help maintain a constant work speed. Otherwise you can get into a frustrating stop/start cycle that's a right PITA. With the flywheel, it's more work to get it up to speed in the first place, but by the same token it takes more working force (read: a bigger "jam" ) to slow it down.

(I've a treadle lathe; I'm still adding weight to the flywheel and still ain't 100% happy... )

Why?

Thats not a belittling question, but a genuine query.

Why?

Just to prove it can be done

Cheers

Ian

so we are only talking scroll saws, nothing that will cut through oaks and other hardwoods?

For some reason, this discussion reminds me of the web video I saw somewhere (this forum? Utube?) of a bicycle powered ny a cordless drill. Weird looking thing.

Originally Posted by charlieart66

so we are only talking scroll saws, nothing that will cut through oaks and other hardwoods?

Before electrickery and it's magic black smoke came along, a helluva lot of milling was done by blokes with nothing more than handsaws.

Given that most people are stronger in the legs than they are in the arms, along with the fact that it doesn't break any laws of man, physics or nature to have more than one person pedalling, why is it that so many people seem to find it inconceivable that heavier operations can be done by pedal power?

Here's a page from FWW, about a guy using a Barnes pedal lathe. He reckons there is good speed control, and the wood machines well. His output is pretty fantastic, so gotta believe what he says!

Cheers,

One of the current US mags - not FWW - currently has an article on a lathe powered by a set of modified bicycle gear, I just can't remeber which one, as I was browsing Border's airmail mag$.

This one's slightly off topic, but found it while looking for plans for a kids trike - I think kids should have to earn their pocket money!
http://anticipatethis.wordpress.com/2006/11/ You'll need to scroll down to the pic about half way down.

I've seen a pedal power lathe in operation at the Woodford Folk Festival. As I recall, a young kid, about 12 or so, from the audience pedalled whilst the turner worked on a chair leg. I think there was a fairly large fly wheel.

Connect the bike to a battery charger?


ian