spring pole lathe or non-electric

**snakeman** · 06-11-2009, 07:41 PM

I am starting to get into chair building so as you might guess, a lathe helps. I like to make the legs and the spindes the same kind of wood and it can be challenging trying to find 8 dry, good sized, spindles, of the same wood that aret rotten, or "bad". I recently made a chair out of sourwood, I got the materials readily, but the more I use , the less I have. I think it would be much easier to get a bigger branch or trunk, split it, and then turn it. Carving 8 spindle smooth makes my hands hurt after a while. So, anyways, does any one hear have some intructions on how to make a non elctric lathe that doesn't reqire a "whole" lot of work. By that I mean something simple that a kid can make with out proper tools and skills. I know erunkisurvival was working on one, how is that coming along?

**Rick** · 06-11-2009, 07:57 PM

Try this link:

www.manytracks.com/lathe/lathe.pdf

I don't do much lathe work but are you working the wood green? If it is greater than 19% moisture it's really difficult to work sometimes, depending on the specie. You might also consider a draw knife for roughing out your work. Then use the lathe to clean it up.

**Rick** · 06-11-2009, 08:44 PM

Snakeman - The thing I like about the treadle lathe (or any treadle powered tool for that matter) is it is as nearly continuous running as you can get with human powered tools. If you use a spring powered lather where the rope wraps around the stock then the material turns as the spring is pulled down, stops, then turns as the spring returns to the neutral position. With treadle power you eliminate the stop and start because the fly wheel turns the stock continuously. I hope that made sense.

**Gray Wolf** · 06-13-2009, 10:27 PM

Bragg made some great chairs, check them out.
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ghlight=chairs

What about a Drawknife (found a real old one today). Drawknives are a great way to get rid of a lot of material quickly. Among chair makers, it's the tool of choice for rapidly making spindles, stretchers, and all the long straight parts of a chair.

**gryffynklm** · 06-14-2009, 05:41 PM

Here is a favorite site I came across when researching the subject. a bout 4 years ago. You might like to consider a fly wheel lathe. I helped make a treadle/ flywheel lathe that used a flywheel made from a cement filled car tire and an old axel. It wobbled a bit be cause the tire needed to be balanced.

http://www.bodgers.org.uk/index.php

http://www.bloodandsawdust.com/sca/lathes.html