Fine lathe work

[Radio Fixer]

It is interesting to see the lavish workshops on the Forum and the big lathes able to make very large things to fill the home.

I have been meaning to post this for some time and have got around to it as I have been experimenting with a new close up lens for the camera able to take detail images.

About 10 years ago we were in Oberammergau in Austria and there was a craft exhibition on in the town hall. Present was Hans http://www.oberammergauer-land.com/holzs...ei-schmid/ with a small lathe, maybe 18” long mainly made from brass who was making wheels. The work was being assisted with magnifying lenses that swung down over his ‘specs. I was told that this area has a long tradition of woodworking and carving as many lime trees grow there.

By a coincidence we were back a couple of years later, walking around the town, and came across his shop. I couldn’t resist buying a couple of examples of his work. The scooter was one of only two he made. The other was for a local person who wanted a copy of the antique original. Note that the wheels and guards are not from solid, so as to resist warping, and are as true today as when bought. The wheels, complete with O ring tyres, spin true to within a few thou (by eye). The frame is also a two layer laminate.

The bars for the bird cage and the scooter wheel spokes are about 1mm thick.

So when our turners get tired of making big stuff then objects like these would be a new challenge.

Gary

[Retired]

Hi,

Many thanks Gary for adding this thread. The work shown is very inspirational and beautiful. These are the sort of projects for our long winter evenings and each item would give many hours pleasure at the lathe whilst costing very little for materials.

I was pleased to receive a previous email from Gary giving a link to Hans's work and found Hans attention to detail meticulous.

My current woodturning lathe a Record Power DML24" is the smallest lathe I've owned and I considered it to be tiny compared to my huge cast iron industrial Dominion lathe which I sold a few years ago; at 2HP and weighing around 0.75 of a ton fitted with a cross slide the Dominion didn't take prisoners if a mistake was made. Hardly the lathe to turn out work such as Hans produces.

My chum David also kindly sent me a woodturning link which Joe had sent to David and again it is fascinating to see the work produced especially in this case as the lathe is downright primitive but operated by a master.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnv0DAR_gWA&feature=related

Lathes have always been my favourite machines and I still own three of them; I've only just set the DML up in the new workshop so hopefully over winter I'll enjoy using it.

Kind regards, Col.

[Yorkie]

The amazing thing about the bo- lathe turner is the quality of the finish he gets 'off the tool' when lesser mortals would resort to sanding to get a good final finish. Also, apart from the fact that using a skew is in itself an acquired skill, he uses just the one tool to turn every detail, even including a captive ring. Of the few captive rings that I've turned, like most turners, I've used a captive ring tool made for the job. I dare say that the bow-lathe turner made his own skew, probably from scrap steel. The wood looks like iroko or something similar, so no wonder he doesn't resort to sanding - the dust from iroko is just like snuff. Of course, the video shows only one of the chessmen - he turns a full set, so as well as being a skilled crftsman, he must be an imaginative designer. It' not too difficult to make two items that look similar, but its very difficult, especially just by eye, to make several which look identical, as he must have to do.

Thanks for the pics of the birdcage and the scooter Gary - excellent examples of the turner's skill. There are quite a lot of woodturners and woodcarvers in Germany and shops selling their artifacts. They seem to make quite a big deal of Christmas decorations in wood, including often very elaborate 'carousels' with a wooden vaned 'fan' on top, which revolves the carousel with rising heat from little lights. A couple of years ago when we were in Dresden, (East Germany), I bought a little 'Santa' model (about 3 inches tall) that I couldn't resist. Very nicely turned, and quite whimsical - Santa has a Christmas tree in one hand, and an axe in the other. A lot of turning went into it, and the proportions need to be just right. I think it's quite attractive but my wife thinks it's plug ugly, so it's not on display as I think she wants to deter me from turning one that looks similar! There's a shop in York that sells a lot of this sort of stuff, especially around Christmas time.

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi Gents, we were there this summer and I can confirm the tradition is still alive and well; several shops were selling beautifully made articles like the above.

Ed

[Radio Fixer]

The bow lathe guy was fascinating... so much from such a primitive set up. Seemed to have only one chisel.

Yep! can see why Mrs Yorkie doesnt want a troop of them around David. But as you say skillful turning