Some time ago, I posted some questions about spring pole turning. Several asked for pictures of the lathe I made. This is an embellished copy of Roy Underhill's pole lathe, which is a copy of the one Moxan wrote about in the seventeenth century.
I make Windsor chairs, and reenact the same at eighteen century events. This past weekend I attended the Vincennes Rendezvous, and took some pictures of the lathe. I've not yet been able to achieve any real skill on the lathe, as it is very different from turning on my electric lathe at home. You have to balance on one foot, pump maddly with the other while moving the lathe tool in and out of the wood with precision as the reciprocating spindle reversed direction with each pump of the treadle.
I was going to convert it to a continuous rotation lathe with a crank and fly wheel, however, with the double spring poles and lever action (just out of the pictures) with the rope wound around the spindle, it is a real crowd pleaser.
I have found people will stand and watch as long as I will stand and pump the lathe.
I've never posted pictures before, so I hope they appear below.
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