george wilson
10-15-2010, 6:09 PM
These pictures were put on the same 8"X10" photograph,so I've posted them together.
The cathead chuck is so called because of the "whiskers" sticking out all around. Anything with long protrusions might have been dubbed a "cathead",it seems. The long timbers at the bow of a sailing ship,which kept the anchors away from the hull were "catheads."
Jon and I made the treadle lathe now in the Gunsmith's shop years ago,copied from an original in the British Science Museum in London. Then,I made some accessories for it. The only thing I bothered to photograph was this chuck.
It is the equivalent of a 4 jaw chuck,able to be made with simpler means back then,though. This chuck looks like it is trouble to use. It is. But,it has an advantage over more modern 4 jaw chucks: It can grip an uneven,or odd shaped forging,and the screws can be manipulated until the part desired to run true,will run true.
The chuck is about 3" in diameter. The thread is 1" X 8 threads,to fit the spindle of the treadle lathe.
I must go by the Gunsmith's shop,and photograph the treadle lathe,and its other accessories,like the 18th.C. style faceplate.
This chuck was also useful,because in the 18th.C.,wrought iron bar stock was not rolled as accurately as today's. A precision chuck was not necessary,therefore.
The screws are hardened so they will not mushroom and become un extractable. They are an excellent thing to keep your knuckles away from! Safety was not a priority back then!!
Fortunately,on a low powered lathe,you might get a good gash in your hand at most. They did have high powered water driven lathes,such as those used to bore and turn large cannon at the Woolwich(sp?) Arsenal. You definitely did not want to get tangled in those.
The pocket knife is not a copy of any particular one. I made it offhand for my shop's donor. It is made rather crudely in the blade,as it would have been. The ivory handle has been aged a bit. There is a half "ram's horn" lever that you can give a half turn to to hold the blade open,or shut. It is technology that they had. This is a pretty early type of folding knife,as they had pocket knives with back springs by the 18th.C.. This type could be a few hundred years earlier. knives like this with wrought iron handles are seen in a Dover publication showing very early iron work in an old museum in France,which burned years ago.
The knife's handle is about 4" in length.
The cathead chuck is so called because of the "whiskers" sticking out all around. Anything with long protrusions might have been dubbed a "cathead",it seems. The long timbers at the bow of a sailing ship,which kept the anchors away from the hull were "catheads."
Jon and I made the treadle lathe now in the Gunsmith's shop years ago,copied from an original in the British Science Museum in London. Then,I made some accessories for it. The only thing I bothered to photograph was this chuck.
It is the equivalent of a 4 jaw chuck,able to be made with simpler means back then,though. This chuck looks like it is trouble to use. It is. But,it has an advantage over more modern 4 jaw chucks: It can grip an uneven,or odd shaped forging,and the screws can be manipulated until the part desired to run true,will run true.
The chuck is about 3" in diameter. The thread is 1" X 8 threads,to fit the spindle of the treadle lathe.
I must go by the Gunsmith's shop,and photograph the treadle lathe,and its other accessories,like the 18th.C. style faceplate.
This chuck was also useful,because in the 18th.C.,wrought iron bar stock was not rolled as accurately as today's. A precision chuck was not necessary,therefore.
The screws are hardened so they will not mushroom and become un extractable. They are an excellent thing to keep your knuckles away from! Safety was not a priority back then!!
Fortunately,on a low powered lathe,you might get a good gash in your hand at most. They did have high powered water driven lathes,such as those used to bore and turn large cannon at the Woolwich(sp?) Arsenal. You definitely did not want to get tangled in those.
The pocket knife is not a copy of any particular one. I made it offhand for my shop's donor. It is made rather crudely in the blade,as it would have been. The ivory handle has been aged a bit. There is a half "ram's horn" lever that you can give a half turn to to hold the blade open,or shut. It is technology that they had. This is a pretty early type of folding knife,as they had pocket knives with back springs by the 18th.C.. This type could be a few hundred years earlier. knives like this with wrought iron handles are seen in a Dover publication showing very early iron work in an old museum in France,which burned years ago.
The knife's handle is about 4" in length.