Lathes
Can Be Traced Back To Ancient Egypt
Lathes
have been used to turn wood for centuries.
The first lathes were simple bow lathes.
With these primitive machines the piece of
wood being turned was placed between two uprights.
A cord or bowstring was wrapped around the
piece being turned. Operating the lathe was
a two man task. One man would grasp each
end of the string or cord and pull one end
of the string and then the other. The first
pull would turn the piece toward the second
man who was holding the chisel. The second
pull would turn the piece back to the original
position so the process could be repeated.
The back stroke was useless to the chisel operator,
but was necessary so the forward stroke could
be repeated.
By the Roman era the ends of the string were
tied to a bowed piece of wood, making it easier
to turn the piece with one hand. This advancement
gave one man, the Turner, the ability to perform
both tasks, turning the piece and shaving with
the chisel. This development lead to the treadle
lathe, which was developed in Medieval Europe.
The treadle lathe was used into the early 20th
century when electric motors were finally employed
to turn the lathe.
Used
Lathes Are Readily Available
There
is a market for both new and used lathes. Used
and reconditioned lathes hold their original
value well. These are durable pieces of equipment
if they receive reasonable care and maintenance.
Industrial supply houses, auction companies
and dozens of Internet sites are excellent
sources for used and reconditioned machines.
Woodturning lathes tools have developed over
centuries of use and encompass an array of specialized
gouges, knives and chisels. These tools include
calipers and other measuring tools, gouges of
all configurations, scrapers, chisels, scrapers
and parting tools.
The idea behind a lathe is turning a piece of
wood between two points. Do-it-yourselfers can
make home built wood turning lathes that will
do a good job of turning wood. There are a number
of sources for plans to build a lathe. These
can be found in woodworking magazines, on woodworking
shows, in hobby shops and home supply depots.
They are also readily available on the Internet.
Lathes are among the first tools that man employed
and some beautiful work has been turned on very
primitive machines. When setting up woodworking
shops, among the first tools sought are lathes.
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