 |
 |
Photo: Chris Evans
Appropriate Technology - The Pole Lathe
With some fairly basic woodworking skills, a pole lathe can be made to turn wood upon. Whilst we are used to seeing electric motors used for such jobs in the West, an efficient job can still be done using a flexible pole, some cord & a little bit of leg-power!
The pole is buried at one end & supported part of the way along its length as shown. The cord is tied to the end, wrapped around the work to be turned several times & then attached to a foot pedal. By depressing the foot pedal against the tension of the pole & then releasing it, the work is turned back & forth & the worker can shape it in the usual way. The pole lathe is ideal for any isolated site & is often seen in UK woods too.