Horner’s Spring Pole Lathe Unveiled
Dick Toone and Erv Tschanz
We unveiled the horner’s spring pole lathe at the Honourable Company of Horner’s 2012 Annual Meeting, which was held at the Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania earlier this month.
What makes this a horner’s lathe is the ability to do what we modern lathe turners call “outboard turning.” That is, to have an object that is being turned swing around without hitting the bed of the lathe; in this case, that object is a horn. This human-powered lathe can also do typical turning of spindles and other parts that would have been turned for furniture or staircases and such.
Do come back to our website often as we will be posting a video of horns and horn butts being turned in the near future. We will also discuss the various parts of the lathe.
About The Living History Shop
We hand-build 18th century travel furnishings and field equipage to your specifications.
The Living History Shop works in close collaboration with historic sites as well as the Smithsonian Museum to research and reproduce unusual and challenging examples of historic technology specific to the 1740-1790 time period.
Because of the increasing complexity and scope of our projects, we will no longer be printing a catalog. Simply call or email us with your needs or to obtain current prices and delivery schedule.
Curators of historic sites can obtain — with permission from sites in possession — reproductions of some of George Washington’s personal campaign furniture and accessories, including his: Folding Field Bedsteads, Mess Kit, Stool, Liquor Chest, Shaving Kit, large Storage Box, Luggage and Writing Case.
All items are made from original examples I have seen and documented and employ construction details of the original. Iron keyed locks are used on chest lids and drawers. Hand forged iron work is made to our specifications by Jeff Miller (Flintlock Forge).
Examples include:
- Wooden chests with dovetail or lap joints, forged iron or rope handles, snipe or strap hinges, painted or not
- Pine topped tables with scissor leg or sawbuck design (2″ X-legs with streacher between)
- Pine plank benches
- Pine bench Shaving Horse
- Red oak open frame wheelbarrows with solid (non-spoked) wheel standard
- Red oak standard size ( 1 3/4″ thick frame) four spoke wheelbarrows with or without sides 1/2″ thick
- White oak heavy duty wheelbarrows using 2″ thick stock for frame and 3/4″ thick sides and bottom – four spoke wheel
- 17-18th century Miner Style Wheelbarrow (from Diderot) with four spoked wheel in red or white oak 3/4″ sides
- Walnut folding officers bedstead in single or double width complete with bed curtains, mattress, and storage chest
- Walnut officers grade Chippendale style folding table with matching upholstered stool including custom canvas case
- Walnut or maple Georgian period folding chair upholstered in leather
- The best wooden handled table top brazier made
- Officer grade Mess Kit Canteen
- Wine crates with or without blown bottles
- Wine chest with blown bottles and glasses of officer grade in iron clasped walnut and with hand made lock
- Sundry small items such as lidded pine Tavern Tankards, Tape Looms, and curly maple Lanterns
SMOKE & FIRE NEWS
Smoke & Fire News is a worthwhile publication for those interested in living history interpretation. Editor Lee Larkin is also a Master Horner.
He stopped by the Living History Shop tent during Ft. Frederick Market Fair. In the photo below, Lee (left) and Richard Toone discuss how the Spring Pole Lathe could be adapted to turn butt plugs for powder horns.
SPRING POLE LATHE
This ingenious spring pole lathe is operated by a foot treadle and provides ample power for turnings up to about 16″ in length. Durable timber frame construction easily disassembles by means of wedge keys and allows for portable transportation. Iron hardware.
Richard S. Toone demonstrates its operation at Rockingham: Washinton’s Final Headquarters, during a living history interpretation.
PORTRAITS
