# Treadle powered lathe



## ShawnR (Feb 5, 2021)

So, I am at the dump Wednesday and I pull up to the metal pile to discard some stuff. In the back of the truck is a small lathe that looks really interesting. The guy was foraging in the pile. I say to him, jokingly, where did you find that cute little lathe?  He says, Yea, open your truck and I will give you a hand loading it!  I am thinking geez, I don't need it but on the other hand, what a shame to see it sitting in the scrap pile. He said some "Old guy had it..." ...of which I guess I now am. it looks very well done but probably for a special purpos. It has a metal plate and buffer pad on it too.

So, here it is. Anyone know anything about these types? It is either home made or been reassembled over the years. Foot powered like the old sewing machines.


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## DPittman (Feb 5, 2021)

ShawnR said:


> So, I am at the dump Wednesday and I pull up to the metal pile to discard some stuff. In the back of the truck is a small lathe that looks really interesting. The guy was foraging in the pile. I say to him, jokingly, where did you find that cute little lathe?  He says, Yea, open your truck and I will give you a hand loading it!  I am thinking geez, I don't need it but on the other hand, what a shame to see it sitting in the scrap pile. He said some "Old guy had it..." ...of which I guess I now am. it looks very well done but probably for a special purpos. It has a metal plate and buffer pad on it too.
> 
> So, here it is. Anyone know anything about these types? It is either home made or been reassembled over the years. Foot powered like the old sewing machines.


Thats got to be a homemade jobby.  I can't believe you could get enough power to the spindle with foot power.

I know of an old foot power sharpening grinding stone that is foot treadle powered, because it has mass once the thing gets going it could do some work.  Maybe that lathe operates on a similar concept?


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## francist (Feb 5, 2021)

Home made. He used a grinding wheel stand for the spindle supports — I have one similar I used to use on a sharpening setup (see below). They were very common around the 1940’s.

However, my first wood turning lathe was a hand-powered rig made from a few blocks of alder, some bits of dowel, and a clothesline pulley hanging from the ceiling. Worked well enough to do a paying job repairing an antique corner cabinet on it though. I was about 12 at the time, still have the lathe too 

-frank


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## kevin.decelles (Feb 5, 2021)

My sebastian lathe (~1905...) was sold as treadle powered.


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## ShawnR (Feb 5, 2021)

Thanks for the input. Not sure what I am going to do with it. Put a motor on it and maybe make it into a tool grinder? Donate it to a local museum but without history on it, they might not want it. In the meantime, one more thing to trip over in my shop! Hating waste is a curse sometimes!


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## Swharfin' (Feb 5, 2021)

cool I like old. Off topic a bit but I was on a site earlier www. etsy.com looking at old machinist tools found some watchmakers lathes iddy biddy things. 
Your new find jogged something. take a look lots of old Starrett don't pay attention to the Victoria'srhapsody items hahaha I really can't see the connection Tools maybe


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## Rotaxxx (Feb 6, 2021)

I remember back in the day taking dump runs and coming home with more then what you brought out there! Nice save none the less, it would of came home with me too.


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## Swharfin' (Feb 7, 2021)

Yep lol I st


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## Swharfin' (Feb 7, 2021)

Yep I still do 
Don't know what happened last post Pilot error


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## RobinHood (Feb 7, 2021)

Swharfin' said:


> Don't know what happened last post Pilot error



It happens.

For your post #8, you can go back and use the “Edit” function. Make the changes to how you want it to read, an then hit “Save”.


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## Swharfin' (Feb 7, 2021)

Thanks all hints and tips are needed and welcomed


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## Swharfin' (Feb 7, 2021)

A couple aren't treadle lathes but still worthy some of books I have show the lathe used for both wood and metal early 1800's using the same 











tool rest and tools for both


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## Janger (Feb 7, 2021)

Ron - try to upload big pictures when you are uploading. You can pick a small size (thumbnail) to show on the page and then readers can zoom in to see the details.


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## Swharfin' (Feb 7, 2021)

Janger said:


> Ron - try to upload big pictures when you are uploading. You can pick a small size (thumbnail) to show on the page and then readers can zoom in to see the details.
> 
> View attachment 13186


Thanks I will try that. actually the site did that automatically and I overrode it to the thumb nail.


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