garage built hand driven wood lathe

I built a wood lathe recently. It's not great but it gets the job done. The next version will be better (or I'll buy a real wood lathe).

Here's a link if you'd like to see the results...

garage built wood lathe

That's sweet. I know how you're going to entertain yourself this winter.

Jeremey Weeks : I could not get your video to load, but my Mac does not play well with others, I am sure that you have most of the handwork done now !

Do a google search for a (spring) pole lathe, or a treadle lathe, old timers sat down to use it, and generally used just one foot to 'treadle' it like early sewing
machines, I think that that is exactly what you are looking for ! Big AL !

I'll look for another way to load the video.I'm sure there's a way to post it straight from my wordpress site. thanks for all the encouragement!

Here's the video:



EDITED to add: For some reason, it won't embed. Oh well, just click it.

Got it! Youtube is a difficult beast to tame.

I think I have a work around on my post now. I just added the video a second time and didn't use YouTube.

The thing that excites me most about the lathe is that I can make gears now. More to come about that.

--JS

An update:

I found a treadle (to a dentist drill) and hooked it up to the lathe. It's still slower than using a motor powered lathe, but it's very reasonable.

Jeremy : some where there is a crazed collector looking for your foot powered dentists drill, if it was made after the thirties it probably was made for the Armed services !
Another need to acknowledge their sacrifices ! Great find ! nice pictures Big AL !

I knew it was a dentist drill because I had spotted one two weeks before, at an antiques store in Sacramento.



The price tag was $500. You can believe I'll sell my treadle if I can find the rest of the parts to make a drill!

It takes me about 45 minutes to turn a block of cherry wood to what you see below. (Scissors are for scale)

I remember my Mennonite friend , Jonas, having a foot powered dentist drill. He would climb out the window to adjust a mirror on the roof as a spotlight to see in your mouth.

Maybe an Amish catalog makes parts?

The treadle version leaving both hands free is faster and safer, wouldn't go for the had powered one unless you have a child needing the exercise

I got some Roy Underhill DVDs for Christmas. They show some interesting and better designs.