Pole lathe

Pole lathes are woodworking tools developed in the early medieval period for turning wood. They function by having a cord wrapped around a job that is attached at one end to a foot treadle and the other to a long, springy pole. When the treadle is depressed the job spins on it's access (being held between two poppets). As it spins the user presses their chisel against the job removing wood in the form of shavings. When the treadle is released, the job is rotated in the other direction, pulled by the cord as it is pulled in turn by the pole. The chisel is not left resting against the job on the return stroke.

This lathe functions best when using green wood and often a pole lathe turned job canbe identified by the slightly oval shape it develops as the wood drys and shrinks.

The pole lathe supercedes the hand or bow lathe which was turned by a bow and sometimes required two people to use. The pole lathe was in turn, superceed by treadle lathes and eventually by mechanical lathes.