ratchet system for pole lathe

[John Barleycorn]

You dont need a ratchet.

I remember at school almost 50 years ago there was a treddle lathe.

The treddle drove a large flywheel via a crank.

The flywheel drove a small pulley on the tailstock via a round leather belt.

Depending on which way you started it, you could run it clockwise, or anticlockwise.

Flywheel smoothed out the motion.

easy.

[dervishcarving]

Yep, a treadle lathe would be fine but I have to work with what i have We use pole lathes that are a very old design.

[delabodge]

robin wood uses a traditional lathe ,and he turns big bowls, he uses a mandrel to wrap his leather rope around which gives more torque,,and a big larch pole,nobody said it was easy,,hence they moved on to the treadle lathe, then belt driven,then motor,,,if they could have used a motor they would have, !! i use both, mainly between centres on my pole lathe now adays!

(rob copied his lathe from george laylies lathe which is in the reading rural life musuem).

[Baggy]

Big bowl on pole lathe here, Robin Wood turning it

 

[dervishcarving]

My question wasn't if its possible, I have started turning a big bowl with a normal pole-lathe and it works ok, its just a complete thug. My question was more about efficiency. Big bowl + momentum. the ability to conserve that momentum would be more efficient

[delabodge]

has to be a bigger an stiffer pole then? good luck,,,

[Baggy]

this may help

 

The Slidy Mandrel - The Story

[Daniël Bos]

this may help

 

The Slidy Mandrel - The Story

 

Nice work there. It's exactly the same as a bicycle kick-back brake, beautiful mechanics.

[dervishcarving]

yep, finally got onto the bodgers site list to ask there. amazi9ng wood-engineering on that piece