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Make Your Own Treadle Lathe
Kindle eBook edition. Both B&W and Full Color 'workshop-friendly' paperbacks are also available.
“Make Your Own Treadle Lathe” is a practical, step by step guide to building a foot-powered lathe for light duty wood turning. You can build your own treadle lathe by following the well illustrated steps presented in this compact book.
The book covers:
- Materials & components
- Frame and headstock
- Belt and tensioner
- Tailstock
- Tool rest
- Flywheel
- Using the lathe
The author also provides information on some non-turning uses for the lathe and sources for, and some shop-made alternatives to, the parts you may not have. All of the wood needed to build your lathe can be found at the local lumber yard or home center. Use ‘Make Your Own Treadle Lathe’ to make a near-duplicate of the author’s lathe or as inspiration to build the unique human-powered lathe of your dreams.
——————————————
From the Introduction…
Why this book exists:
During the twenty years or so since I built this foot-powered treadle lathe, I have received many requests for drawings or plans. The lathe has been used as part of our traditional woodworking demonstrations and it never fails to draw a crowd. Of course, the reason the lathe exists is because I felt a need for it as a tool.
Design considerations:
Some of the main considerations when designing the lathe were:
• Human powered – our solar energy system was pretty small at the time
• Size – it had to be less than 42" tall to fit into our old truck
• Compact – since it would sit in our small shop most of the time, a small footprint was essential
• Portable – as in not too cumbersome or heavy
• Functional – it had to perform the basic duties of a light-duty lathe
• Adaptable – I had in mind several non-traditional uses for the tool, such as sanding
———————————————
Many unique and usable lathes have been built using earlier editions of this book. This book provides you with the instructions, photos and illustrations, and inspiration to build your own treadle lathe!
“Make Your Own Treadle Lathe” is a practical, step by step guide to building a foot-powered lathe for light duty wood turning. You can build your own treadle lathe by following the well illustrated steps presented in this compact book.
The book covers:
- Materials & components
- Frame and headstock
- Belt and tensioner
- Tailstock
- Tool rest
- Flywheel
- Using the lathe
The author also provides information on some non-turning uses for the lathe and sources for, and some shop-made alternatives to, the parts you may not have. All of the wood needed to build your lathe can be found at the local lumber yard or home center. Use ‘Make Your Own Treadle Lathe’ to make a near-duplicate of the author’s lathe or as inspiration to build the unique human-powered lathe of your dreams.
——————————————
From the Introduction…
Why this book exists:
During the twenty years or so since I built this foot-powered treadle lathe, I have received many requests for drawings or plans. The lathe has been used as part of our traditional woodworking demonstrations and it never fails to draw a crowd. Of course, the reason the lathe exists is because I felt a need for it as a tool.
Design considerations:
Some of the main considerations when designing the lathe were:
• Human powered – our solar energy system was pretty small at the time
• Size – it had to be less than 42" tall to fit into our old truck
• Compact – since it would sit in our small shop most of the time, a small footprint was essential
• Portable – as in not too cumbersome or heavy
• Functional – it had to perform the basic duties of a light-duty lathe
• Adaptable – I had in mind several non-traditional uses for the tool, such as sanding
———————————————
Many unique and usable lathes have been built using earlier editions of this book. This book provides you with the instructions, photos and illustrations, and inspiration to build your own treadle lathe!
56 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 25, 2014
32 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Steve Schmeck
5 booksSteve and his wife Sue Robishaw live on their backwoods homestead on 80 remote acres in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. They live in an ‘underground’, sod-roofed home that they built themselves, have a large organic garden that provides much of their food, and power their off-grid homestead with solar power.
Steve became involved in art and woodworking when he was young, and it has permeated his life since. Majoring in Art in college, Steve emerged into his art career in the late 70’s, when he decided to realize his vision of living and sculpting in the North woods. He is now a nationally recognized bowl and spoon carver with both bowls and spoons in many private collections.
Other areas of interest are music (he is a fiddler), musical instrument restoration and repair, and recumbent bicycles (for years he rode a home-built, wood recumbent). Lately he has been riding his age in miles to celebrate his birthday; last year, 69 miles.
Steve became involved in art and woodworking when he was young, and it has permeated his life since. Majoring in Art in college, Steve emerged into his art career in the late 70’s, when he decided to realize his vision of living and sculpting in the North woods. He is now a nationally recognized bowl and spoon carver with both bowls and spoons in many private collections.
Other areas of interest are music (he is a fiddler), musical instrument restoration and repair, and recumbent bicycles (for years he rode a home-built, wood recumbent). Lately he has been riding his age in miles to celebrate his birthday; last year, 69 miles.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 13, 2023
a great explanation of how to build a lathe
Really good explanation I do have one complaint this is a non-powered lathe and for the most part it talks about how to build this lathe with power tools, specifically cutting a v-groove with a router no explanation on how to do this cut with hand tools. I think this can be done on the lathe with a triangle file
Really good explanation I do have one complaint this is a non-powered lathe and for the most part it talks about how to build this lathe with power tools, specifically cutting a v-groove with a router no explanation on how to do this cut with hand tools. I think this can be done on the lathe with a triangle file
August 10, 2014
Some cool ideas and a project that should be mostly doable with hand tools. I know a guy who does metal working, which will help with the key driver component, but otherwise it's mostly wood and hardware store components. Definitely want to do this someday.
March 15, 2015
Perfection
This book is the perfect guide for the bigger. May you have fun building and using your own treacle lathe.
This book is the perfect guide for the bigger. May you have fun building and using your own treacle lathe.
February 14, 2016
Loved it
I've been looking to make a treadle lathe for some time and this book has easy to follow instructions. I can't wait to make and use this new piece in my workshop.
I've been looking to make a treadle lathe for some time and this book has easy to follow instructions. I can't wait to make and use this new piece in my workshop.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews