A European Pole Lathe

The pole lathe depicted has a heavy wooden timber frame and the drawing shows the pole which was fixed at one end in the wall and connected at the other to a cord. The cord was wrappd around the workpiece and connected at its other end to the treadle. In use, the turner pumped the treadle with one leg while balancing on the other and could lean against the cross-bar in the foreground which served as a back-rest to steady and support his body. The posture necessitated by this lathe was fatiguing and not very secure. (From Holtzapffel, vol. IV)


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Last revised February 4, 1996.