Medieval Style Lathe

igelkott · Post by **igelkott** » Mon Apr 16, 2001 4:19 am

I finally got my spring pole lathe functional. It's not quite done yet but it is far enough along to be able to use it. You can see pictures of it at http://sca.uwaterloo.ca/Nordenhal/AandS-pages/lathe.html

While learning how to use it, I tried to imagine how medieval craftsmen used it. Clearly they had chisels to do most of the work. As I was sanding a candlestick, it occured to me that I haven't read anything which indicates how they did the final sanding to get everything nice and smooth. Did they have sandpaper? Did they use fine files? Were they just incredibly good with the chisels so that they didn't need sandpaper?

Anyone out there know? (Please cite sources)

Chris

[This message has been edited by igelkott (edited 04-16-2001).]

Guy Dawkins · Post by **Guy Dawkins** » Mon Apr 16, 2001 9:26 am

Try this link below:
http://www.his.com/~tom/sca/abrasives.html

The Home page may be of intrest to you also.

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Guy

[This message has been edited by Guy Dawkins (edited 04-16-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Guy Dawkins (edited 04-16-2001).]

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Mon Apr 16, 2001 11:15 am

I suggest also reading a couple of Roy Underhill's books on early woodworking. The Woodwright's Shop is a good one. Check your library. He has some good information on springpole and treadle lathes and how to use them.

One of the tricks that Underhill uses is to take a handful of the shavings you have cut from your work and use those to burnish the work on the lather. You can actually get a good finish, that way.

-Patrick

Buran · Post by **Buran** » Mon Apr 16, 2001 12:54 pm

http://www.historicgames.com/lathes/springpole.html
http://currantbun.tripod.co.uk/handforged/polelathe.html
http://www.gallica.co.uk/celts/polelath.htm
http://www.his.com/~tom/sca/lathes.html

Try thses links. I just happened to be researching lathes for turning spear-shafts...

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http://www.geocities.com/baldurstrand/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/California_Viking_Age

igelkott · Post by **igelkott** » Mon Apr 16, 2001 1:15 pm

Thanks for the links....

To net, it sounds like:
1) green wood helps make it easier to get smooth work. (I'm currently using standard dry lumber)
2) technique is important (patience!)
3) final finishing can be done with shavings, cloth or stones.

This is my first experience with a lathe so I'm going to have to do some learning.

Buran · Post by **Buran** » Tue Apr 17, 2001 3:36 pm

Anyone know a good source for sharkskin? ;>

Thomas Powers · Post by **Thomas Powers** » Tue Apr 17, 2001 3:40 pm

well I bought a couple of sq feet of it at the local fleamarket for $3---it was near the laboratory skeleton parts...

you can see some odd stuff in a Central Ohio fleamarket...

Thomas

schreiber · Post by **schreiber** » Tue Apr 17, 2001 4:28 pm

Don't know who's on the coast...
Last year I hopped on a head boat to try and catch Boston Mackerel out of Deleware. The only things that were biting regularly were the dogfish. (Talk about a hell of a fish to catch...)

I skinned one, didn't know how to go about tanning fishskin, or even if it was necessary. So I salted it down and put it in plastic until further notice. Cat got to it about two months later, so I threw it out.

I'm gonna try to go again this year, so if anyone wants to tell me how to treat dogfish pelts, I'd appreciate it.

HELMUT

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Bridging the gap between his contemporaries, Helmut wore boxer- briefs.

Friedrich · Post by **Friedrich** » Thu Apr 19, 2001 1:51 pm

Courtesy from Alasdair in FL.

"You can treat sharkskin just like any other hide. After removing the skin, tack it to a drying/stretching board (flesh side out), coat with ash (charcoal works fastest, but oak and hickory are best), let ash dry/cure the skin (can take 1 to 3 days--may take more than one application of ash), then remove ash, and rub in olive oil, work over a stiff board or pice of metal (flesh side down) until soft. Reverse side should be quite 'rough', yet will be flexible like sandpaper. Good luck with it."

Friedrich