Authentic Reproduction 18th Century Wood Lathe

Other than at Williamsburg and Sturbridge, are there any genuine 18th century lathes in existence elsewhere in North America, preferably ones that have detailed online photos available for viewing, that one can look at. I kind of like the idea of peregrinating about the eastern half of this continent but I just don't have the time to visit more than one or two distant museums this coming year so I'd like to narrow my search to the most promising ones. My search is specific to the 18th Century. My Google and other Internet scrounging has unearthed a bunch of modern day adaptations but the museum folk I'm working with are very much concerned about creating as authentic a reproduction as humanly possible, and for that we need some genuine real articles to emulate. These historians love their documentation at least as much as their museum pieces, I'm afraid. ;-) We're not particularly interested in the "great wheel" lathes but more humble town and village types that were presumably as common as dirt at one time but which seem not to have survived in the larger, well known museums.

Thanks,

J.

Reply to
John
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I believe the Dominy shop at the Winterthur Museum has such a lathe. I'm not sure you'll find anything online, but the book "With Hammer in Hand" is an incredibly detailed account of the people and shop, and it should be of help.

tt

Reply to
Test Tickle

Yes, Winterthur is on my short list, it's just hard to get an exact idea of their collection from their website. The Dominy shop is iconic and perhaps for that reason everybody knows about it but few know exactly what's in it. I will consult that book just the same.

Thanks,

J.

Test Tickle wrote:

Reply to
John

"John" wrote in message news:VEDnh.52$c% snipped-for-privacy@newsfe12.lga...

I'd be inclined to reach out to someplace like Williamsburg and ask for some guidance. Williamsburg has a number of experts (Jay Gaynor is director of historic trades) and they have a couple guys (Jon Laubach and George Wilson) who make reproduction tools for use in the restored area. Check their web site for contact info... There is an on-line and similar print article about their tool making operation at

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I worked with Jon in the Gunsmith Shop in the mid-80s and knew George socially. Both are quite willing to share their knowledge. There is also an organization called the Early American Industries Association.
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I have no doubt that if you contact them they can point you to some folks who possess references with the requested information. I'd also think that Diderot's Encyclopedia would offer some pictures (though I admit it's been years since I hand my eyes on it...) In speculation, I have to wonder if a simple spring pole lathe wouldn't accomplish what you are after? In the period a Bodger might have simply made one of those on-site in the woods to turn spindles carrying little more than turning tools and some lathe hardware from site to site... I cannot imagine many of those surviving from the period and outside of old drawings or modern interpretations by folks like Roy Underhill or Don Weber there may not be much available in photographs.

John

Reply to
John Grossbohlin

Depending on what you're actually after- the technology is going to be the same at

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and links.
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is sort of fun. Check out the minimalist kit at
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, though a shop would certainly have something powered by someone besides the turner himself. Apprentices were cheap....

Reply to
George

Hi John

Fort William by Thunder Bay, has a lot of old equipment and knowledge, I have been there, and they do have a lathe, but I don't remember if this was still a original one or build to old specs.

Here's a link

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There was a wheelwright -- wagon maker living across from the place I was born and grew-up, there was an old wood lathe, used a wagon wheel as flywheel, I know they used it with 2 persons, one powering the wheel and one turning, even though I don't recall ever seeing them using it. I think that most of those lathes were home build on site, and the flywheel use was preferred over the pole lathe, for the continues direction made turning easier and faster. I don't think the lathe is still there, as the last owner of the shop past away a few years ago, and the house and shop was sold I think. Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

John wrote:

Reply to
l.vanderloo

A thing to bear in mind is that most of what is now the US was only thinly populated by Europeans in the 18th century. Historical societies in the thirteen original colonies and the Spanish and French occupied areas (Florida, Louisiana, California, etc) would likely be your best bets. Might spend quite a lot of time making calls before you find lathes.

I suspect that the wooden spring-pole lathes were mostly shop-built and idiosynchratic--if you can make it with hand tools and it works and looks something like the illustrations in the various histories then it's probably as "authentic" as anything you're going to find in a museum--but I don't have a source for that. Might be worth looking at it from an "experimental archaeology" viewpoint--make one that looks like a picture in a book, using hand tools only, and see what goes wrong, fix it, and after the fourth or fifth one you should have a pretty good understanding of what compromises are forced on you by the materials and tools.

--

--John to email, dial "usenet" and validate (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Reply to
J. Clarke

Gee, I've been to Williamsburg a few times and I never had an inkling of their toolmaking operation. I guess I was too busy ogling the period shops... When I get over this cold and get my voice back I'll give them a call, and ditto for EAIA. Thanks!

We were kicking the idea of the pole lathe around but some folks were very concerned that the mistake you make just once in your career -- accidentally cutting the drive cord -- might injure someone on snapback.

J.

John Grossbohl>

Reply to
John

Thanks. On the next trip across the pond I will try to drop in on one or two of those bodger organizations.

J.

George wrote:

Reply to
John

Thanks. It's worth a call or a letter just the same.

J.

snipped-for-privacy@rogers.com wrote:

Reply to
John

You may well be right. One of the college kids in the group tried his hand at a bungee powered pole lathe and learned a lot about how not to do it.

This past summer when in Nova Scotia and PEI I made an effort to visit a number of village museums. Lots of boats but no lathes. And the absolute coolest homebrew machine I ever saw - for making the little wooden pegs that used to keep lobster claws closed.

Next summer, Quebec most likely. I think I still remember enough French to navigate a woodworking museum.

J.

J. Clarke wrote:

Reply to
John

The tool making operation is generally not open to the public so it isn't something you would have found on their map!

Having worked on a spring pole lathe at Williamsburg (there used to be a couple behind the Hay Cabinet Shop) I don't see that cutting the cord would cause any harm to anyone. The pole would whip up but I'd hope that visitors would be kept back from the lathe while in use and the pole wouldn't be in line with the turner in any configuration I've seen.

Of course having worked in front of the public at Williamsburg I've come to understand that you can NEVER underestimate the ignorance of the visitors--I had people try to pick up items that they had just watched me heat up red hot and hammer at the forge and I had a woman come up and sit on the chopping block while I was splitting a walnut log. I guess the concepts of flesh-melting-hot and cut-your-arm-off sharp tools aren't common knowledge today. ;~)

John

Reply to
John Grossbohlin

J. About Nova Scotia, my province :-) , when we lived in Sherbrooke Village we rented for the first year a house in the Historic Village, a working 1750's vintage replica. There was a woodturning shop there for the chair maker, Rick Lair. He made great Windsor chairs, as in he has one in the permanent exhibition of wood in Ottawa. The lathes in the shop were all treadle lathes including a 19th century one that Rick had picked up and converted from metal to wood working. I am not sure what is available to the public now in the turning department what with all the cut backs and budget stuff, but it was great then. Rick is no longer there. He is now in charge of wood products for Parks Canada.

Reply to
Darrell Feltmate

Check out Lindsay publications online. That's just about made to order for what you're talking about. Not only could you buy detailed pictures, but probably get detailed plans and techniques for making and using the tools as well.

Reply to
Prometheus

You know, it crossed my mind as I was there to drop by and say hello and thanks for the info about the Oland tool but we were running late for the ferry to PEI, (little did we realize that the published schedule represented approximate departure times), and after all it was a Sunday. I figured on that particular day of the week you were earning your keep rather than playing in your woodshop. :-)

Stunningly beautiful countryside up there.

And thanks for the info about the Oland. It's a heavy beast but it works well.

J.

Darrell Feltmate wrote:

Reply to
John

John Sorry to have missed you. Next time try and stop in. There is always wood in the pile that needs a new home and coffee is generally close to hand.

Reply to
Darrell Feltmate

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