Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Ratchet Treadle Lathe
Don Stephan
The March/April (#15) Fine Woodworking issue had articles to make a treadle lathe and a freewheel (bicycle mechanism) lathe drive. The latter article by Richard Starr said the idea for his freewheel mechanism "came from Berny Butcher . . . who converted a springpole lathe to continuous rotation by adding a ratchet mechanism."
Has anyone seen a description, or better yet a photo or drawing and plans, for such a ratchet on a foot powered lathe?
Re: Ratchet Treadle Lathe
John C Lucas
I.saw it at an AAW symposium. Seems like i saw plans somewhere. Possibly i. AMERICAN woodturner. Ill try to remember to look.
Re: Ratchet Treadle Lathe *LINK*
Dick Coers
If you research a freewheel, you can get several ideas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piO8VH_LTig
Re: Ratchet Treadle Lathe *LINK*
William Duffield
Don Weber invented one with plans by Popular Woodworking:
https://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/bicycle-lathe-plans
https://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/a-bicycle-built-for-bowls
Re: Ratchet Treadle Lathe
Warren in Lancaster, PA
In January 1981 my friend David built a bicycle ratchet lathe built based on the Richard Starr article. I had just built a pole lathe based on the plate in Roubo. I would say my lathe was much more successful.
Compared to the pole lathe the bicycle lathe was slow and weak. I think all that mechanism introduces quite a bit of inefficiency compared to the much more direct energy transfer of the pole lathe.
Re: Ratchet Treadle Lathe
Bob_Macgregor
I was going to mention bicycle gears, too. The rear cluster on a racing bike has internal pawls that only allow it to engage in one direction. However, if you used it with a spring pole, you'd be wasting the springpole's purpose (energy storage). I think pedals would be the way to go...or (unless you are in some remote location), you could just use an electric motor.
Re: Ratchet Treadle Lathe
RP
Andy Chen in our club (Brazos Valley Turners) here in College Station built a bicycle powered lathe that he took to China for a demo. He has it back in his shop in Texas. He demonstrated it at one of our meetings. It took two people, however. One pedal pusher and one turner.
Re: Ratchet Treadle Lathe
John Stegall
Our club, Hill Country Turners, used an Exercycle to turn a modified Sears “Pipe” lathe to turn tops wth young students (or their parents/teachers) doing the powering. It is an easy way to attract attention but a pedal lathe appears a lot more efficient.