Leonardo da Vinci, Lathe
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ต.ค. 2013
- Leonardo da Vinci designed this Lathe c1480. It is the first known lathe to incorperate a crankshaft, this enables continuous rotation, a great advance in engineering. Stuart king recreated this lathe from Leonardo's drawing to prove it's viability.
- วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Gosh, these comment boxes are small. This lathe is a screw threader. 400 rpm is perfect. Continual rotation gives an even speed and it needs a low down torque with no slippage. Another diagram of Loenardo's shows a thread maker with a lead screw to make copy threads but wood turners traditionally used hand tools at this time. I haven't read your book Stuart but, if you used thread chasers at any time and I'm sure you will have, I'd try them. Please let me know how you get on.
The real significance of da Vinci's lathe was the lead screw (not in this model). The lead screw was necessary to move the slide rest using gearing so that screw threads could be accurately cut. This was the famous lathe of the Industrial Revolution, but it didn't get built until Henry Mausdlay, a mechanic of exceptional ability, was able to do so ca. 1797.
Very interesting Stuart. Like you I have a fascination for recreating lathes from history to find their use. There is no better way to learn. I have not made the Leonardo though but, looking at your video, I now know what it must have been for: can't think why I didn't realise before. Three features give clues. Slow rotation of say around 400 rpm (perfect). continual rotation (perfect). Great low down torque (essential) and easy to maintain a very steady speed. There was no label on the ....
Thanks.
speed with so much power from such a big heavy wheel? There is one other feature which may finally give it away, if not already; no pulleys means no slippage from drive belts and we all know where slippage is a great problem. As for pulleys and cranks &c, well we had them all at the time. My own lathe is a C17th reproduction and is very sophisticated with more functionality than a modern lathe! Ok, I'll say it anyway, but I'm sure you've guessed what I'm suggesting. I'd like to see it tested...
original drawing. There is another drawing near to it, in the original batch that perhaps alludes to it too. Well, all of that coupled with an experienced wood turner such as yourself being unable to make it work as a wood lathe means it was designed for only one purpose I can think of. Besson, Dumas, Usher and Moxon all give clues too.I could go in to greater detail but the proof of the pudding is always in the tasting. By now you will know what I'm driving at. Why would you need such slow.....
DaVinci almost never had his drawings complete or correct! He would leave out important pieces and or draw them in such a way that if you built them as drawn it would not work. This is not likely to be an exception to that trend, as he was undoubtedly well aware that it would result in the spindle turning to slow if built exactly as he drew it. It is likely that he did this to prevent what was like industrial espionage of his day.
Just watched the vid again. perhaps not 400 rpm. Perhaps 180 if you get a good spin on it?