Make Your Own Treadle Lathe
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About this ebook
"Make Your Own Treadle Lathe" is a practical, step by step guide to building a foot-powered lathe for light duty wood turning. You can build your own treadle lathe by following the well illustrated steps presented in this compact book.
The book covers:
- Materials & components
- Frame and headstock
- Belt and tensioner
- Tailstock
- Tool rest
- Flywheel
- Using the lathe
The author also provides information on some non-turning uses for the lathe and sources for, and some shop-made alternatives to, the parts you may not have. All of the wood needed to build your lathe can be found at your local lumber yard or home center. Use ‘Make Your Own Treadle Lathe’ to make a near-duplicate of the author’s lathe or as inspiration to build the unique human-powered lathe of your dreams.
——————————————
From the Introduction...
-- Why this book exists:
During the twenty years or so since I built this foot-powered treadle lathe, I have received many requests for drawings or plans. The lathe has been used as part of our traditional woodworking demonstrations and it never fails to draw a crowd. Of course, the reason the lathe exists is because I felt a need for it as a tool.
-- Design considerations:
Some of the main considerations when designing the lathe were:
• Human powered – our solar energy system was pretty small at the time
• Size – it had to be less than 42" tall to fit into our old truck
• Compact – since it would sit in our small shop most of the time, a small footprint was essential
• Portable – as in not too cumbersome or heavy
• Functional – it had to perform the basic duties of a light-duty lathe
• Adaptable – I had in mind several non-traditional uses for the tool, such as sanding
———————————————
Many unique and usable lathes have been built using earlier editions of this book. This book provides you with the instructions, photos and illustrations, and inspiration to build your own treadle lathe!
Steve Schmeck
Steve Schmeck has been involved in woodworking since he was young and it has been a large part of his life ever since. He, with his wife, Sue Robishaw, designed and built their own off-grid house and homestead where they have lived for forty years. It is full of Steve’s passion for hand-made and his life as a fiddler, wood carver, boat builder, artist and tinkerer. He is a nationally recognized bowl and spoon carver with both bowls and spoons in many private collections.
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Reviews for Make Your Own Treadle Lathe
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Book preview
Make Your Own Treadle Lathe - Steve Schmeck
Make Your Own Treadle Lathe
by Steve Schmeck
Copyright 2022 Stephen K. Schmeck
Published by ManyTracks at Smashwords
Thank you for downloading this eBook. The content of this book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoy this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.
Published digitally using 100% solar power.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1 – Materials & Components
- Terms used in this book
- Wood
- Components
2 – Frame & Headstock
- Design considerations
- Layout & construction
3 – Belt & Tensioner
- The belt
- Tensioner
- Headstock pulley
4 – Tailstock
5 – Tool Rest
6 – Flywheel
- Rim design
- The wheel body
- Cut the wheel to shape
- Mounting the wheel
- Build your own crank connector
- Grooving the flywheel
7 – Drive and Tail Centers
8 – Using the Lathe
- Direction of rotation
- Speed chart
- Positioning stock
- Non-turning uses
9 - Some final thoughts
Sources of Lathe Components
List of illustrations
About the Author
Other Books Published by ManyTracks
Connect with Steve Schmeck
Introduction
Why this book exists
During the thirty + years since I built this foot-powered treadle lathe, I have received many requests for drawings or plans. The lathe has been used as part of our traditional woodworking demonstrations and it never fails to draw a crowd. Of course, the reason the lathe exists is because I felt a need for it as a tool.
Design considerations:
Some of the main considerations when designing the lathe were:
• Human powered – our solar energy system was pretty small at the time
• Size – it had to be less than 42" tall to fit into our old truck
• Compact – since it would sit in our small shop most of the time, a small footprint was essential
• Portable – as in not too cumbersome or heavy
• Functional – it had to perform the basic duties of a light-duty lathe
• Adaptable – I had in mind several non-traditional uses for the tool, such as sanding
Background
During a demonstration at a Steam and Gas Antique Village many years ago, I had the opportunity to use a monster treadle lathe with a 6' diameter wood flywheel and 8' long bed. This old timer had been used during the lumbering boom years in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to turn decorative porch posts for some of the fancier Lumber Baron's
homes. As you might guess, it took a lot of energy to keep that big, heavy wheel turning, even when the piece