wrote in message
ups.com...

John Schmitt wrote:
On Thu, 27 Oct 2005 14:22:51 +0100, doozer
wrote:

My latest project is to build a foot powered wood working lathe but
there
are a few points that I am having trouble with design wise and I would
appreciate some advice.

Have you thought about a spring pole lathe? Far simpler to make, although
the action is intermittent.

Doesn't have to be intermittent if you incorporate a flywheel. Bike
transmission could be good - you'd have a freewheel and gears for
different diameter turnings

If you can find it, the US magazine "Fine Woodworkig" had a design some
years ago that used a bicycle chain from the treadle to drive a bicycle
sprocket and gearbox coupled to the flywheel. The freewheel allows the
treadle to return on the upstroke while the flywheel (and the work) carries
on forward.