Shop Made Mini Lathe

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Harpazo

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The idea of making a non-electric pen lathe has me intrigued and I'm wondering if anyone here has done this and how it worked. I thought it would be great to have one to play with. In any case, I would want it to be fully functional for turning small objects.

Just a quick google search brings up tons of plans but that would take me weeks more planning and I would just like to same the time if I can.

Anyone have a lathe like that? Suggestions welcome! Thx.
 
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Snyper - I love to build it myself but it's just a bit more than I need on my plate at the moment. A ready-made mini lathe would be best for now. It would also be better if I could try using one and see how my aging knees like it. Maybe a club or a woodworking supply store could help me with this.
 
Just my 2 cents !! Being a tool collector, I have several treddle powered machines from the late 1800's and early 1900's. One being a Roger's from around 1915. Very ornate to look at, but a real beast to do any type of precise work with. It has both scroll saw and lathe operations. If you are not inclined to put in a lot of time to make a very precise machine, I would not suggest taking on this task. You can go to Harbor Freight and buy a mid size VS lathe for around $100, plug it in, and see if you like turning or not. It's the add ons ( chucks, drill bits, turning tools, etc. that are going to raise the price of turning things no matter what you buy or make. I have built several mini lathes in the past to make items for doll houses, and they work fine for very small pieces, powered by drill motors and Dremal tools. It's hard enough consentraiting on turning with your tools, and not having to work your feet and legs trying to maintain a constant speed. It's nice to go back to the old ways of doing things the way they did in the past, but unless you over design and build, I don't think you will be happy with the results. It usualy takes a lot of sanding to make a nice piece. Been there, done that !! There is, however, nothing like a powerless workshop, with only the sound of your hand tools cutting into wood, to give you pride in the work you are doing !!! Just my view. Jim S
 
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I've turned a couple things on treadle lathes...essentially the same ones Plantman posted about (mine are also combo lathe/scrollsaw). It takes a bit of getting used to as you have to figure out what your feet need to be doing and it's quite different from what your feet would normally be doing at the lathe.

You can't shift side to side and the overall design is a bit compact, so at some point, your body is in the way of where you want your turning tool to be...and you can't just slide over because then your feet can't reach properly.

We just picked up a 1921 Singer treadle sewing machine at an estate sale. It has essentially the same treadle arrangement as my treadle lathes...and the manual for the Singer says both feet belong on the treadle plate...one forward and one back. Power is applied with the balls of the feet (alternating pressing with the forward foot and then the rear foot). I've tried using the treadle lathe with just one one foot, applying pressure with your heel at the rear in place of the other foot's front doesn't work as well as you'd expect.

Also, I found I got a lot of shavings in my shoes. :smile:

Roy Underhill ("The Woodwright's Shop") has plans for a larger treadle lathe that he's often demonstrated works with just one foot. It uses a much longer motion though which leaves you standing/working on one leg while the other applies power.

The treadle lathes of the late 1800's were a "gentleman's" tool. They were not intended for hardcore use...spend a bit of time making stuff on one and I think you'll quickly agree there are far better ways to power a lathe. :smile:
 
Great comments guys. Yes, we romanticize about the "good 'ol days" but few really want to muck stalls, and care for animals in the cold, or...

My idea to have a 'show' lathe for fun demos is mainly to attract attention if/when I am ever able to do a show. I'm likely to have electricity at the shows and when I need to sit I could switch to my electric pen lathe.
 
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