What is a treadle lathe?
A lathe is a machine in which a piece of wood is rotated around a fixed axis while being shaped by a fixed tool. A treadle lathe is simply the same where the rotation is caused by the up and down movement of the operators foot on a treadle – a foot powered lever. The lever is hinged on the end nearest the operator, and the end furtherst away is attached to a shaft, or pitman arm, which is connected to a weighted flywheel. Not all lathes with treadles are considered “treadle lathes”. A true treadle lathe imparts continuous rotation to the workpiece being shaped.
