question re a one way bungee lathe

You must have dabbled in perpetual motion when you were young?

Can't get there from here, when the wrapped line runs out, the rotation ceases, and you have to reload.

Pittman, treadle flywheel and pulley is the minimum continuous.

Everyone ought to read this cover to cover once in a while.

Mother Earth News had an article on building one using a bicycle rear axle to maintain same direction. Piece of chain ran the axle and the bungee provided the return while inertia maintained direction. Their archive search site

Coaster brake disengages, flywheel fills in. Sounds like a way.

Hi Arch

One direction bungee lathe, use a free wheel rear axle from a bike and wrap your bungee around that, down free wheel, back up turn the sprocket end and drive the lathe that way, should be easy to do I think.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Arch wrote:

That certainly sounds right, but it's not. Somewhere, I have seen a design very much like the one the original poster mentioned. It might have been in Holtzappfel, but more likely somewhere here on the Net. Somehow, there is a way of routing the line so that it tightens up to transfer power when you shove the pedal down but loosens when you release the pressure, so that momentum will keep the workpiece spinning. Wish I could remember how it was done. It doesn't seem like you would be able to use much force on the tool during the upstroke, though.

Owen Davies

Many thanks Owen,

Whew! Just when I had decided to join the Flat Earth, Centrifugal Force and Perpetual Motion Assn's. you saved me.

Dug out my old Holtz and found the answer on pg 27. Obviously not the best practical solution for turner powered lathes, but possible and an interesting bit to know and archive.

Like boats, cars, etc, the increasing complexity and expense of today's turning gear & methods might lead some to enjoy the simpler turning pleasures. Maybe we haven't reached critical mass yet. but 3 ton, 30 in. throw, $7500.85 lathes might need some graphite rods inserted soon. :)

Shouldn't shopmade machines & tools be fun & easy to make & use for most anybody capable of turning wood? How about variations on Japanese style 'sitting down table lathes' powered in a continuous direction by using Holtzapffel's advice & both our legs? Aspirin for the squeaks & groans is cheap and the exercise might be good for our deep leg veins. For some other turner, you say? :)

Lots of 'pole lathe-green wood' info in books, sites and other groups, but what about sharing our 'alternate' turning styles here on rcw? Conformity can be boring. An award winning variation on the vertilathe anyone? :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

Speaking of Japanese lathes, I'd like to know a lot more about Japanese turning equipment and techniques. Does anyone know of an English-language info source online?

Owen Davies

Check the older WWA tapes one has about 15-20 minuets from a demo. The AAW taped the same turner at this years show, it may be included in this years tape.

Hello Arch,

When I retired in 1993, I built a modified spring pole lathe that worked very well. It went through several redesigns and modifications from then until 1996 when I documented it in the December 1996 issue of More Woodturning. Because I've had a few people ask me about it, I printed two PDF files of the four pages devoted to the story. For anyone seriously interested in building a small foot powered lathe, I'll be happy to e-mail them the two PDF files.

The lathe incidentally used a bungie cord for the return cycle and it had a spindle from a Sears lathe. The cord was wrapped around the spindle. It gave three forward rotations and it really served to teach tool control. I got to where I could turn quite well on it, but massive leg cramps ended my use of the thing and I gave it away.

If you are interested in receiving these pdf files, e-mail me at .

Fred Holder