Issue Snainton Woodturners’ Vol. 02 No. 05 February 2011 Club Newsletter Printed copy 20 p; e-copy - free Meeting held at the Snainton Supplies, Barkers Lane, Snainton, North Yorkshire YO13 9BG Snainton Woodturners’ Club Pole Meeting at Snainton Woodworking Supplies Turning on Thursday 3 February 2011 by Jim Snainton assisted by Trevor Harland Woodturners’ Club

Meets at 1930 hr at Snainton Woodworking Supplies on the first Thursday of each Month:

--- Next Meeting --- 3 March 2011. Mick Hanbury Decorative Work with Spalting --- 7 April 2011. Keith Brevitt - ? --- 5 May 2011. Bob Chapman – Singapore Ball --- 2 June 2011. Ian Clarkson – From Log to Bowl --- 7 July 2011. Sue Harker – Something Different --- 4 August 2011. Club AGM & Bring-and-Tell --- 1 September 2011. Joey Richardson – Colouring, Texturing, Air Brushing, Piercing & Design --- 6 October 2011. Margaret Garrard – Off-centre Textured Bowl with Involuted Flowers --- >> Continued p.2 Col. 1 Page 1 Snainton Woodturners’ Club February 2011

Background

Spindle Jim W Wood demonstrates pole-lathe support turning and his business, based in Spindle, Hale Garth, Alne, deals in Vintage Spindle support between with handle Tools, Spares and Bygones. Many centres of his demonstrations of pole-lathe Tool rest turning are to school-age youngsters to encourage them in the craft of Lathe Bed . pole Thong Contact: Telephone 01347 838204, Fixing wedges Mobile 07791 679352, e-mail [email protected] Hazel pole attached to upright on Preparing the spindle A-frame

Jim had taken a suitable trunk and cleft it, as would have done the Treadle, on hinged base-plate greenwood pole-lathe turners of old. These people, called bodgers, would then use a draw-shave blade on a shave horse to rough the spindle to the vertical strut of the legs by four in the vertical spindle-supports into round. Jim saved time by using an long M12 bolts. which a wood wedge was fitted to electric lathe! hold the spindle-supports firmly in Two hazel poles (about four-metres place. Pole Lathe Set-up long) were strapped securely to the vertical members of the A-frame A roughly rounded spindle of wood legs; the lower ends of the poles was mounted between centres – two were inserted into the gap between threaded, metal rods with pointed In somewhat of a rush, as they had the two beams of the legs that rested ends, held to the spindle-support been delayed on the way to Snainton, horizontally on the floor see( above). boards with a bolt on either side of Jim and Trevor Harland brought in the support. One rod had a handle and set up the pole lathe bed, made attached to the end, by which the of strong ash planks. rod could be screwed in to hold the spindle tight between the centres. Two strong A-frame shaped support- ing legs (5 x 10 cm; 2 x 4 in) were A wooden batten was tied joined by two strong horizontal bed- horizontally to the protruding stops beams (15 x 10 cm; 6 x 4 in) held to at the side of each spindle support to act as a tool rest, at an appropriate distance from the wood to be turned.

Between the top ends of the two hazel poles, a leather thong (a boot- lace) was tied horizontally. Tied to the centre of the horizontal thong, and dangling vertically, was another long leather thong that was longer than the distance to the floor, to provide enough length to tie to the The spindle supports comprised two treadle. boards slotted between the two hori- zontal bed-beams of the lathe (see The thong was wrapped for one turn left, previous column). Bolted to the round the spindle to be turned, with spindle-support boards were two hor- the vertical strands of the loop being izontal pieces of wood on either edge on the same side of the spindle as that held the boards vertical between the operator. The lower end of the the two horizontal bed-boards. Below vertical thong was then wound round the level of the horizontal bed-board planks, a square hole had been cut >> Continued p.3 Col. 1 Page 2 February 2011 Snainton Woodturners’ Club and tied to the protruding end of an rotates the spindle in the opposite A-shaped treadle-frame whose base direction. When this happens, the The Lailey Pole Lathe was fixed by two hinges to a flat gouge or must be lifted slightly board. When the treadle is pressed to clear the work. down (with a travel of up to some 45 cm, 18 in), the spindle should make The next cut is then made when the more than one full rotation, other- treadle is pressed downwards again. wise the turning will not produce a Turning on a pole lathe is thus slower cut all the way round the spindle! than on an electrically powered lathe! The tools are used in the same way they would be on an electric lathe: Making a Pole Lathe spindle gouges, and round-nosed, skew or flat . A good - rubbing technique is capable of giving The following can be referenced for a fine, smooth finish. more information about making a Jim told us that, during World War pole lathe: II, a Government contract was issued to a pole-lathe turner, the http://www.bodgers.org.uk/index. late George Lailey, said to have php, and the detailed plans for a been England’s last traditional lathe in http://www.bodgers.org. bowl turner. uk/plans-menu/58-bodgers-plans. http://www.dchopkins.co.uk/wood/ He produced wooden bowls out index2.htm, gives details for a pole of for use in measuring out lathe and includes a mandrel needed gunpowder for naval munitions: a for turning bowls. An Australian ver- non-sparking, static-fee solution. sion of a lathe using a single, angled pole is described in http://www.mark- The Museum of English Rural Life ju.net/more/lathe/how_to_build.htm. at Reading University contains Jim said that plans for his rig were many Lailey items. Together these obtained from a book on making artefacts tell the story of an ordi- greenstick furniture. nary Berkshire man whose work came to have a profound impact Note: This arrangement was on early twentieth century craft. shown in ancient Egyptian picto- rial representations. It is a simple Wooden bowls were the stand- example of how vertical motion After a trial by Club members, Jim ard eating vessel across Europe can be translated into rotational turned an egg. With care, a skew from about 500 AD to 1600 AD. movement, which is an easily chisel was used to shape the top When Lailey passed away the rich remembered demonstration for end, then shape and cut into the international scope of this ancient youngsters. narrow end. He then parted-off the technology died with him. finished item: when nearly through, one hand held the chisel and the A replica of his lathe made by Turning other was placed round the rotating a contemporary artisan, Robin spindle, between the chisel and the Wood, has helped to revive Lai- cord-drive, ready to catch it when the ley’s techniques, assisting in the To make it easier to operate, Jim wood had been cut through. reintroduction of bowl turning on a turned a cove at one end of the pole lathe to numerous countries spindle, into which the thong would Note: We were told that expert across the globe. run when the treadle was correctly pole-lathe turners of old were positioned underneath the lathe bed. able to turn 632 egg cups in a 12 See: hour shift! http://www.reading.ac.uk/merl/ Jim first demonstrated how to use research/merl-historyoftheworld. the lathe. The method requires good aspx co-ordination: pressing down on the Wood treadle with one foot turns the top The artefacts in this display include of the spindle towards the operator, an incomplete bowl sitting on the when the cutting edge of the gouge or can be turned, but it is lathe, which Lailey is said to have chisel can be pushed gently against more difficult on a pole lathe: green been working on around the time the wood to make a cut. wood is softer and self-lubricating. of his death in 1958. Bodgers assemble chairs using still- Releasing pressure on the treadle damp wood, so that when the wood allows the hazel poles to flex out- dries out the joints are forced togeth- wards and pull the thong up, which er as the wood deforms slightly. >> Continue on p.4 Col. 1 Page 3 Snainton Woodturners’ Club February 2011

Trial by Members Jim, share the satisfaction and joy of producing something with our John Whiteley was the first to try own hands – starting with a lump of out the pole lathe, and he turned wood and on very basic equipment. a cove or two. John had recently completed a This unusual event, peppered with monkey- the occasionally breaking drive- puzzle bowl BW cord, well-used tools that required with attrac- re-sharpening, etc, certainly had an tive circular Wendy Greenwood demonstrated element of charm and added to the brown bough- entertainment. colourings in a yellow Steve confesses that he did enjoy surround that the evening, and he says, ‘Let’s he brought hope that nothing which occurred to show the will deter our Committee from occasionally trying “something dif- meeting. The ferent”. The Committee is faced soft centre in BW with a difficult task at times, and the base had they should be congratulated on been filled with arranging such a varied Club pro- metallised resin that she is not a mere amateur turner, gramme. Variety is, after all, the to complete this even though she was interrupted by spice of life.’ [Thanks Steve; sev- spectacular bowl. the drive-thong breaking again! eral other members agree with your views on the programme! Ed.] John Allred was quick to learn Steve Etherington was unphased how to co- by trying out Snainton Woodworking ordinate this method Supplies (SWS), and make of turning, but Tel 01723 859545 cuts with after having http://snaintonwoodworking.com the gouge had a go on ______applied ‘on- this pole lathe, New Products: and-off’ to he says that Henry Taylor: Decorating Elf and the spindle. he would hate the tools to go with it, as featured to give up his in Woodturning magazine No.223. T o n y beloved DVR! Langthorne Charnwood: a Velcro kit and initiated his Phil Green- sanding discs, 6 and 12 in. trade-mark wood (RPT) risqué jokes. showed how Robert Sorby: ProEdge large (Too much a professional and small Knife Sharpening Jigs. information turner does ----- about how it, making the BW Opening Hours: you wake up, task look all Monday - Saturday 9 am-5 pm Tony! Ed.) He too easy. Sunday CLOSED showed us Bank Holidays 10 am-1 pm how much ----- at home he Comment from the Floor February New Offers and Prod- felt with this ucts – available 24/7 from the equipment. Steve Etherington felt that expand- On-Line Shop ing our knowledge of the history of ----- Lance Garrard took one look at the the turning craft could have added Record Power Spring Show: tools and rushed to sharpen them an interesting dimension. It is, after 1000 to 1600 hr on Satur- before he did some turning. The lathe all, the forefather of the high tech day 26 February 2011. Free displayed its displeasure by breaking kit we use today. Dedicated turners Master classes, Show deals the thong, which was then rejoined. in the audience, as with the fasci- and woodturning demonstra- nated schoolchildren mentioned by tions.

Photos, Copy & Newsletter Edited by Gordon Malan © 2011 Comments, copy, and suggestions or additions to the e-mail list to: mobile: 07809605969, tel: 01944 758287; [email protected] Thanks to Brian Wrigglesworth (BW) for his DVD of the event, from which some images were captured, and to Stephen Fearnley for kindly arranging the printing of this newsletter

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