Yellow Bear Posted October 26, 2018 Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 I have eventually got a grip on my FILs workshop, having finished doing the house, and this has come to light. I knew it was there but no more. Can anyone shed any light, oh and it is treadle driven. Further pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 26, 2018 Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 sitting here open mouthed..........never knew a treadle lathe existed ..........was it for making church clocks and the like ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow Bear Posted October 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 Family hearsay states it was made circa 100 years ago by a pompey dockyard apprentice/engineer, how true this is we do not know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted October 26, 2018 Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 Have never seen one before, I think the closest i have seen is the wood lathes used in making rustic furniture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 26, 2018 Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 that is a piece of social history.........something like that i would tidy it up....chuck all the furniture out of the front room ...bar one chair...and assemble it there....then use it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wisdom Posted October 27, 2018 Report Share Posted October 27, 2018 What did your father in law use it for? It's lovely but unusual which makes it very interesting indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow Bear Posted October 27, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2018 FIL used it for general small jobs. He inherited it about 25 years ago from the family friend who built it.we believe. He we think used it to make miniature steam engines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonwolf444 Posted October 29, 2018 Report Share Posted October 29, 2018 The come up every now and then on eBay and the like but i have never seen one that hadn't spent the last 10 years on a farm yard scrap pile. Beautiful piece of engineering history; looks like you could give it a brush off and start turning out parts please please put it to good use. Such a machine should be cleaned and oiled and used to make beautiful things learn to use it and enjoy it very uncommon to find a machine of that age with a full set of accessories and accoutrements. The treadle lathe has some advantages over a modern one powered by an electrical motor; firstly when the power goes out the electric motor one is absolutely useless. Secondly because the chuck is every so slightly always speeding up and slowing down ( though this effect is somewhat eliminated by usually a big fly wheel ) tool acting on the work piece cant induce a resonating frequency, therefor when you have a lot of material sticking out the chuck of the lathe you get less chatter; less chatter = better part ( other variables come into play ). When you have a good deal of material sticking out the lathe chuck the surface finish can be affected, and you can remove or at least reduce this chatter by speeding the lathe up and slowing it down very quickly - i do this manually on my motor driven lathe by allowing the drive belt to slip by applying the brake and then letting it off. ( if anyone wants to know more about this phenomenon there is a you tube vid i can link which explains it better than i can ) my dream workshop would be to find some land by a stream and build a workshop powered by a water wheel, overhead belts flapping and the wooden bearing blocks groaning.. why? why not! Link about lathe chatter and the beginning explains whats going on and why, the rest is making some electronics to achieve a non - constant speed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po5VUW3I8P8 Also if you like old stuff take a look at this wind powered sawmill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6FxG3ll-lw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnphilip Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 Oh loving that sawmill , it works at my pace. Back to the lathe , i wonder if it was used on wood aswell, see all the turning chisels .just can see a tool rest though . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 That is amazing what a find. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.C Posted October 31, 2018 Report Share Posted October 31, 2018 (edited) Indeed that's an amazing find, so envious. I've mentioned before I use a belt drive treadle lathe most days of the week, twin mahogany beam bed and a flywheel that'll still be running after you've made a cup of tea. It's much simpler than yours and was made late 19th century by Holzapffel. Just checked May 3rd 1842 Edited October 31, 2018 by Mr.C added pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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