Double Pole Spring Lathe - Footpowered

I started a project that I could show at the 9th annual woodworking show sponsored by the Rapid City Woodworker's Association and Knecht Home Center.  The show is happening on April 22nd, 2017.  The project is to build a Double Spring Pole Lathe as designed by Roy Underhill.  The August 2016 issue (#226) of the Popular Woodworking Magazine published this article describing how to build the lathe.

BILL OF MATERIALS

PLANS/SKETCHES

Gluing up the posts - using some kind of 3/4 pine or similar wood.  Auction purchase, so type is unknown.

Cutting tenons on the end of posts to connect to the feet

Finally using my MOXON type vise constructed with WALMART weight bars with xxx threads.

Cutting the mortises in the post to accept the rails.  Drilled first, then hand-chopped with a chisel.

Fitting the rails to the posts the first time - six tenons into six mortises.

Rails were made from construction grade lumber - 2 x 8s.

Fabrication of the rocker arm with sleeve and 1/2" bolt.

much time passes here...

How to draw the OGEE curves on the end pieces and tailstock. 

This was a long evening's exercise as I tried to remember basic trigonometry techniques.

Cutting the TALL Post to shape - including OGEE curves and slots for the poles and a taper to the top rocker arm slot.

This is the Tailstock blank with tablesaw cuts at the shoulders.  It was glued up walnut and oak.

Bandsaw cutting of straight cuts where the tablesaw could not go, and of the two OGEE curves.

Top view

Tool Rest - bottom portion - before milling - made from some exotic wood from SPLINTERS like bubinga or cocobola or Brazilian cherry:  corners needed to be rounded and a 3/8 Inch slot drilled down the middle of the piece, and a slot 1/4 deep around one end to accept the top part of the tool rest. 

Almost like drilling into steel...

yet to come

 CHOPPING A SLOT IN THE TOOL REST BASE

 MORTISES FOR WEDGES

Fabrication of more of the TOOL REST parts including the BASE, and support pieces - with a 3/8" hole through the middle of each.

 TOOL REST - UPSIDE DOWN

Need a 7 " long carriage bolt with washer and wing nut.

 POLES

Fabricating the poles - 1" square sticks (hickory) with edges chamfered to octagon shape.

 FEET WITH MORTISES AND OGEE CURVES

 WEDGES HOLDING RAILS TO POSTS

Wedges (oak and walnut) were made to securely hold the rails to the posts - another exercise in simple geometry, but using the tablesaw and a wedge cutting jig similar to Lon's shim cutting jig.

First try at fitting the wedges into the holes and checking for proper fit.  Amazingly, they fit pretty good and the frame is pretty sturdy and strong, not loose or wobbly.

TAILSTOCK

 TOOL REST

 SPRING POLES

CHOPPING HOLE FOR TAILSTOCK WEDGE

Fabrication of the treadle peddle.  Used a 12" x 18" piece of plywood with a hinge to secure it to the peddle, this made it easier to use.

Used a leather rope for treadle sewing machines from pedal to rocker arm.  Used a #10 gauge copper wire as the metal rod between the rocker arm and the spring poles.

Used pipe tape to fabricate the metal strap to hold the two spring poles together.

Used rasps and planes and sanders and routers to clean up the lathe structures.

POLE LATHE SET UP AT WOODWORKING SHOW at KNECHT HOME CENTER.

THE END is YET TO COME - things are falling into place...