Spring pole lathe that I made

[Bob Glenn]

I have moved into a new house and no longer have room for this spring pole lathe. I use to re-enact as a windsor chair maker at eighteenth century re-enactments, and this was a very popular demonstration.

I am wanting to sell this. Does anyone know what this pole lathe would be worth? The base and uprights are poplar with ash rails that hold the tool rest. The under slung spring poles are also ash. The base and styles interlock with locking dove tail joints and the whole thing knocks down and will fit into the back seat of a car.

[Robert Henrickson]

Interesting design. What is the arrangement at the top, to get the to come down vertically?

[Ralph Lindberg]

Looks like a well executed lathe, basically the "Roy Underhill" version.
I use a treadle, because I prefer continuous rotation like my regular lathes.
I've also been doing demo's with mine for 10+ year, but I suspect this is my last year...
So this is semi-topical for me, finding a buyer may be the hard part for both of us.
If I sold mine for $350 I'd be happy, and I have doubts I could...

[David Bassett]

... I use to re-enact as a windsor chair maker at eighteenth century re-enactments, and this was a very popular demonstration....

Perhaps it's time to find an apprentice? Someone to take the lathe, be trained, and to "supervise" at future reenactments? (I'm picturing a you with a cool drink in a period lawn chair under a nice shade tree, while some youngster gets sweaty. )

[Bob Glenn]

Sorry that the picture doesn't show the top part. Basically, there is stile extension going up from the right hand stile as you are standing at the lathe. At the top there is a pivot for a long pole with the rope from the under slung spring pole going up to one end and the other end is tied to rope that goes down and around the spindle, then down to the treadle. It basically teeters as you pump the treadle. It's pretty cool to watch in action as the power is transferred from the spring pole up and across and back down. Thanks for asking.

And yes, it is an upscaled version of the one Underhill uses. Bob

[Bob Glenn]

I found another picture of the lathe in use at the Vincennes Rendezvous. It shows the whole lathe in operation. Bob

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Nicely done. In the past three years, I have seen 4 original old treadle lathes come up for sale/auction. One dated 1829 had a huge metal pulley and tail stock, but everything else was wood. A 9 ft long job sold for $150 on Craig's list. I was about 70 miles into my trip to buy it when the seller called and said someone else beat me to him with the money. Another sold at a farm auction near Hershey PA and was purchased for a museum somewhere and went for over $700. It did come with some very old hand forged lathe knives. It had a huge wooden pulley about 4 ft in diameter hooked to the treadle. The last I saw on Craigs list and the buyer had no parts except the tail stock, head stock and tool rest. He was asking $250 for the three assemblies. The fourth was advertised for auction, but I did not make it to see what it brought. A fellow in Arlington VA had a newer one hooked to a bicycle apparatus that he wanted $200 for. The next thing gets into how historically correct the lathes are. The one in the OP's post looks about right for the 17th and 18th centuries . Some reenactment organizations get very very snooty about proof that an item is HC. Down to the point that if you have a ball bearing covered in the wood, they would reject you. Many years ago, I picked up a metal lathe that was foot powered. I tired of that quickly and put a motor on it.

[Robert Henrickson]

I found another picture of the lathe in use at the Vincennes Rendezvous. It shows the whole lathe in operation. Bob

Thanks for the additional picture and the explanation

[Bob Glenn]

Perry, thanks for all the information. FWIW, this lathe is period correct and has been accepted in several "juried" re-enactments. For instance, the pivot on the top teeter pole is a bees wax lubricated rocker joint instead of a pin, which would wear out. No ball bearings in the head and tail stocks, instead, bees wax lubricated dead centers.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Well Bob, I did some reenacting for 30 years. Went to NMLRA?NLHF rendezvous for many years. Usually the Eastern and once the High Plains, back when it was still going on. Mechanically, a spring pole lathe can be run with out bearings much easier than a treadle lathe. Although I saw a treadle lathe on which the leather belt drove the work piece the same way. The 1829 lathe appeared to have something like babbit bushings in the head stock for the spur drive to spin. There were small holes over the headstock bushings for drops of oil. It looked like a bit of rag was stuffed in each hole. No covers to keep dust and shavings out. Maybe the thing had been redone, because babbit metal as an alloy was not developed until a dozen years later. The museum sure wanted it.

[Bob Glenn]

Perrry, I had a lot of fun doing re-enactments. I usually had several chair legs on the ground in front of the lathe will I was turning another leg. A lady once asked how I kept my legs the same size. I told her and the crowd watching. that I just switch from my right leg to my left leg occasionally!

[Roy Petersen]

Perrry, I had a lot of fun doing re-enactments. I usually had several chair legs on the ground in front of the lathe will I was turning another leg. A lady once asked how I kept my legs the same size. I told her and the crowd watching. that I just switch from my right leg to my left leg occasionally!

I loved making statements like that when doing demos, but I'll admit that was pretty clever.
Had someone walk up while I was making a box on the lathe at a craft show, to ask "is that endangered wood?".
No, not any more, I said.
(It was actually maple)

[Don Bunce]

I used to do turning demos with a treadle lathe. I would tell people that my right leg was much stronger than my left leg and it would make me walk around in circles. I also told them I loved turning so much that when I died, I would turn in my grave....