Treadle powered tools

[Stanleymonkey]

I'll admit this is a slightly strange idea / notion, but here goes....

I have been using treadle scrollsaws with children and some hand-cranked pillar/post drills. They are very safe to use with young children. (8 - 11 year olds)

I keep thinking that a stationery disk sander would be amazing to have as a treadle tool. Maybe a flexible shaft and a little sanding drum to experiment with 'carving' or patterning softwoods.

I am aware of treadle bandsaws, shapers and even a circular saw, but never a sander or flexible drive shaft. People are still coming up with clever treadle designs:
http://www.winghamwoolwork.co.uk/ashfor ... joy-2.html

Has anyone come across any unusual / modern pieces of treadle equipment?

Like I said - slightly unusual request!

Martin

 

[marcros]

I have a hand cranked pillar drill and rate it very highly. It continues to serve me well whilst the beddings is being refurbished, a process which is taking years.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

The hand cranked ones are amazingly well built. I bought a longer bar for the back of one of mine. Accomodates fortsner bits, vice for the wood and a larger than usual drilling table now.

 

[AndyT]

Historically, treadle powered machinery was huge. The treadle made the lathe a practical machine. The treadle sewing machine was a huge game-changer, worldwide, selling by the million.
If you've not seen it, have a look here at the 1907 Barnes catalogue - as you say, lathes, spindle moulder, circular saws, grinders. http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=2809

There's a great Woodwright's Shop episode called "The Rise of the Machines" where Roy demonstrated quite a few of them, but I can't find it online at present.

I have and use a treadle lathe and a Trump Bros fretsaw. As you say, they can be very safe in use - the control is almost like telepathy - you don't think "I'll start/stop pedalling" you just imagine the tool starting or stopping, and it does - your conscious brain can concentrate on what is happening to the workpiece.

I've never seen a treadle powered sanding machine but I guess that may be because tough enough abrasive paper is relatively recent - 20th century - after the rise of the electric motor. Small grinders with a vertical stem up to the right height for a standing user and a horizontal flywheel near the floor used to be fairly common and feature in old catalogues.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Thanks Andy

I didn't think about development of sandpaper. That might have something to do with it. I think a little bench sander device would be really useful for teaching the concept of sanding something flush or making two or three identical copies of something. I know it can be done by hand - I have medium and fine paper mounted on boards with cleats for just that job. It would be a great addition and also give them an introduction to that tool as well - plus the time saving bonus.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Thanks for the Barnes catalogue link - looks like a cup of tea is required.

 

[Normancb]

I've got a book which dates from about 1952 called "The Art of Fretwork", published by Hobbies. It describes optional sanding discs which could be fitted to several of their treadle-powered fretsaws - so it can clearly be done.

 

[AndyT]

Thanks for the Barnes catalogue link - looks like a cup of tea is required.

I've since realised that the same site has more Barnes catalogues - use this link.

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/de ... d=73&tab=3

But that's the tip of a sizeable iceberg. This site is useful as well, with a nice range of types:

http://oldtoolheaven.com/treadle-tools/ ... -tools.htm

 

[DTR]

SWMBO often uses a sanding disc attached to her (powered) lathe's faceplate. I made a small table for it that mounts on the banjo in lieu of a tool rest. There's no reason you couldn't apply the same to a treadle lathe.

I too have an unusual Hobbies treadle lathe. It's presently out of commission while I rebuild the tailstock.

 

[ScaredyCat]

It seems obvious to me now, I've seen the lathes at fayres and thought nothing of it until I saw this post today. I'm guessing you can't buy treadle based stuff these days so are they all home made jobbies now? I think it'd be quite fun to have a lathe, sander and drill and might also give me a bit of much needed exercise.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Didn't think of the faceplate on a lathe. Haven't been running a lathe with kids - but would love to! The flywheels on some treadle saws I have seen (but not own) loot like they have been adapted to take a sanding disc. My only concern with this is that the freatsaw would still be running at the same time! Might need to block of the saw blade if being used as a sander.

I am going to do some research into the treadle grinders - they look quite interesting and it must be easy to adapt on of those.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

http://oldtoolheaven.com/treadle-tools/ ... -tools.htm[/quote]

This is perfect - the Lester saw is genious. Scrollsaw, lathe and and circular saw attachment!!

Thanks Andy

 

[Stanleymonkey]

I also found this - someone's personal experiment, but along the lines of what I was thinking. Treadle drive going up to multiple options.

 

[xy mosian]

Here we have the Heyden AllBall Treadle Grinder. Not a treadle in the usual sense, but a standing one foot trick. I can say mine gets up to an incredible rate, if you ask it to, and I'm sure the grindstone could well be changed to a pulley. The rest is up to you.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/antique-foot ... Sw241YkKlU
The mechanism, from memory, is a re-circulating ball steering car steering rack. When I was given mine, 50 years ago I wrote to Heyden to ask of other products but were told this was the only one.
xy

 

[Stanleymonkey]

I've never seen anything like the Heyden before. That's quite different. The height might be an issue but it looks quite promisiing

 

[GLFaria]

When I was a kid in the early 50's the street "sharpeners" were quite common, even in bigger towns. They used treadle powered polishing wheels, at first hand-pushed, barrow-like carts, later on bycicle carried ones.

Earlier model would have probably been stationary all-wood, like in the picture below. This one doesn't look very hard to build

(all pictures from the web)

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Nice - thanks for finding those. I quite like the barrow style for some reason

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Thanks for the suggestions. Have managed to pick up a Heyden grinder on Ebay. Will try out having it delivered to a drop off counter at local B&Q. Easier to bring home under the radar that way!!!!