Thread: Windsor Chairs and Pole Lathe

No explanation of those long shavings in this video . Everything else looks the same though.

An Introduction to Green Woodwork - Part 4: The Pole Lathe - YouTube

Rob,

I've seen these things when I used to walk the dogs in a woodland area called Pepper wood. My home Village was Fairfield so I used to go walking there alot and used to see various made on site tools knocking around in the open spaces where they were felling.

Maybe a trip to the UK is in order?. I'm off next year so will take some snaps when I revisit.

The shaving length is determined by the diameter of the 'pulley' and the length of the treadle stroke. The pole is just a big spring that lifts the treadle to the top of its travel. The rope is wrapped around the spindle and turns it as it moves up and down. It only cuts on the downward stroke and you take the pressure off the tool as it moves back up. Probably a big gouge for hogging the material off. If you make the stroke too long it would be uncomfortable to lift your foot up and down.

Most likely a hook tool.

Like the lathe, the tools they used were often locally made from materials to hand. A hook tool is very efficient at removing large shavings quickly but, like the skew, takes practise to use safely.

It's one of the tools that failed to make the transition to electric lathes with their much higher rpms and is almost forgotten about nowadays... except by those of us who still enjoy treadling, pumping and otherwise driving electron-free lathes.

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

Rob,

I've seen these things when I used to walk the dogs in a woodland area called Pepper wood. My home Village was Fairfield so I used to go walking there alot and used to see various made on site tools knocking around in the open spaces where they were felling.

Maybe a trip to the UK is in order?. I'm off next year so will take some snaps when I revisit.

Unfortunately, old time bodgers are a thing of the past.
Samuel Rockall: last of the chair bodgers — Stuart King.

Although there are a few who are reviving the craft.

see here

Home | APT&GW

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

Most likely a hook tool.

Yup. And the wood will be green.

There is an English turner called Robin Wood who has been studying pole lathes for over 20 years now and has a thriving business making wooden bowls etc. He’s written at least one book on the subject with a foreword by Richard Raffan who describes a bowl Robin made for him that is in daily use for his breakfast oatmeal. He also has a few videos on You Tube; there’s a brilliant one where he races an electron burning turner to make a bowl; even if the powered lathe didn’t spit out the bowl 2/3 of the way Robin had already won the race.

Wooden bowls, plates, spoons - handcrafted woodware - Robin Wood

If you want to try, it is pretty easy to put such large together.

Simplest is to just make some poppets and clamp them to your bench. Spread a bungee under your ceiling and put together a simple treadle.



That's what I did and worked surprisingly well. Costs hardly anything.

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Originally Posted by Cklett

If you want to try, it is pretty easy to put such large together.

Simplest is to just make some poppets and clamp them to your bench. Spread a bungee under your ceiling and put together a simple treadle.



That's what I did and worked surprisingly well. Costs hardly anything.

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For some maybe , but I like my technology.

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

Yup. And the wood will be green.

There is an English turner called Robin Wood who has been studying pole lathes for over 20 years now and has a thriving business making wooden bowls etc. He’s written at least one book on the subject with a foreword by Richard Raffan who describes a bowl Robin made for him that is in daily use for his breakfast oatmeal. He also has a few videos on You Tube; there’s a brilliant one where he races an electron burning turner to make a bowl; even if the powered lathe didn’t spit out the bowl 2/3 of the way Robin had already won the race.

Wooden bowls, plates, spoons - handcrafted woodware - Robin Wood

I have one of Robin's bowls and his book. I admire what he does.

The first lathe I used was a treadle sewing machine converted into a lathe. I was happy after that to move onto powered lathes.