French Ornamental Turning Lathe,
ca. 1790


A French Ornamental Turning Lathe of 1790 showing the degree of development of the lathe by this time. Accessories pictured show a boring collar, a simple geometric chuck, elliptical turning chuck and other work chucks and accessories. Note this method of overhead drive with bow and high-mounted flywheel. This was by this time a highly complex machine with a traversing mandrel which would cut screws of up to six different pitches. It was driven by a treadle, aided by the bow-spring overhead and the flywheel, and capable of very intricate work.(From Bergeron's L'Art du Tourneur, 1796.)


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Last revised February 4, 1996.