[TheForge] Treadle-powered lathe? (was: Period power hammer?)

[Bruce Freeman]

A certain friend of mine (who monitors this group and
can chime in for himself if he wishes to be
identified) recently acquired a wonderful
pedal-powered metal lathe from perhaps 1930?  This is
a serious, precision machine, the only "unusual"
feature being its power source - the user's leg and a
flywheel.  

Bruce
NJ

--- Grant Marcoux <gblacksmith at alamedanet.net> wrote:

> They also used pedal-powered hammers and lathes up
> to the point when rural
> America was electrified in the 1930s.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf
> Of David E. Smucker
> Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 12:31 PM
> To: Sponsored by ABANA
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Period power hammer?
> 
> 
> Consider both a treadle hammer and / or a flypress. 
> In a one or two person
> shop you can do almost anything you can do with a
> small power hammer -- only
> slower with more heats.  Treadle hammers date from
> the 1600's and were used
> in making chain.  Flypress are newer, but at least
> 200 years old.
> 
> Dave Smucker


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