History of woodturning
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Turning in Antiquity
Evidence of turning has been found as long ago as 4000 B.C. A lidded box turned from marble, used for holding cosmetics has been found and traced to Ancient Greece. This object may be seen in the British Museum. Roman turning evidence has been found in London and other places in the Roman Empire.
Early Lathes
No evidence of these first lathes has been located. Pole lathes have come down through the ages as one of the early, known, types of lathes. Also under the human powered lathes would be the treadle powered or hand-wheel poweredlathes.
Types of Early Turning
Turning throughout history has been utilitarian. The marble box mentioned above had a practical use. Bowls and other items were storage devices. Wood is a porous material, and some food items, such as cheese, stored well in a wooden container. Plates and other dinnerware were turned from wood. Wooden kitchen ware is referred to as treen.
With the introduction of pewter and then silver to the dinner table, wood took a step back. Wood was still used, the metal tableware was expensive. It was initially used by royalty and those classes able to afford the expense. Wooden ware became the dinner ware of the common man.
In addition to plates, bowls, and lidded storage containers, wooden turnings for the dinner table included, mugs, goblets, and mazers.1
Another type of early turning were components for chairs.
The Lathes
Early Lathes were built on the site of the timber to be turned. A heavy wooden frame was constructed with a light springy pole, perhaps a sapling used to provide some power. There was a cord tied to the pole, wrapped twice around the workpiece, ending in a loop for the turner to place his foot in. Pushing down with his foot, turned the work two or maybe 2 and one-half revolutions. Then the pole would be allowed to spring back raising the foot loop, and turning the work in reverse.
In England, these turners were known as bodgers.
In the era before the industrial revolution, the craftsman would have an apprentice turn a handwheel, thus providing the rotating motion. The metal fittings of these lathes were fashioned by the village blacksmith. These fittings would be the drive center and the dead center. The handwheel was sometimes replaced by a treadle mechanism. Other lathes might have used water power.
The rise of the industrial revolution meant that lathes were powered through a belt to a drive shaft that also powered other machines in the shop. As the power available to the lathe increased, the use of wood for construction decreased. Cast iron became the standard construction material. These were large and relatively expensive machines that required a steady power source. The turners were craftsmen using the techniques for their livelihood. The sharing of technique was not part of their life. New turners served apprenticeships, working long hard hours, paying their dues.
Modern Lathes
Today lathes are powered by small electric motors. The size begins at 1/2 horsepower increasing with the size of the lathe to 3 horsepower. Cast iron is still the major material used in construction. Some of the light weight lathes use a tubular construction, with one or two tubes instead of machined ways for the bed.
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- Mazer is a small bowl with two handles. It was used for drinking.
