So I'm into old movies, and I'm watching "The Man Who Would Be King", and in the very front introduction there is a scene in a market place,
with a man using a bow to spin a lathe, using a tool and his foot to guide it.
The movie shows about 10 seconds of this, and while awkward to the western posture, it seems rather effective, and far more portable than a treadle lathe or other ancient method of turning wood. I was really quite shocked to see it, and it makes me think just how easy it is to produce a turned wooden piece, using very primitive tooling.
Learn something every day, if you're not careful.
The movie shows about 10 seconds of this, and while awkward to the western posture, it seems rather effective, and far more portable than a treadle lathe or other ancient method of turning wood. I was really quite shocked to see it, and it makes me think just how easy it is to produce a turned wooden piece, using very primitive tooling.
Learn something every day, if you're not careful.
...I bet that would take a bit of practice, but the actual lathe itself looks super simple and easy to make.
Apparently, there is some evidence that the lathes of this type were used by the ancient Egyptians, so it's a very old technique. Like Kier mentioned, all
the 'simple' lathes require raising the chisel while the work is turning backwards.
