Lathe
This article is about a lathe as a tool. See also lathe (graphics) and lathe (division) for other meanings.
In woodworking and metalworking, a lathe is a machine tool which spins a block of material rapidly about a horizontal axis so that when abrasive or cutting tools are applied to the block, it can be shaped to produce an object which has symmetry about the axis of rotation. Examples of objects that can be produced on a lathe include candlesticks, table legs, bowls and baseball bats.
The material is held in place by two centers, at least one of which can be moved horizontally to accommodate varying material lengths. An adjustable horizontal metal rail between the material and the operator accommodates the positioning of shaping tools. With wood, it is common practice to press and slide sandpaper against the still-spinning object after shaping.
In a metalworking lathe, metal is removed from the workpiece using a hardened cutting tool, which is usually fixed to a solid moveable mounting called the "toolpost". This is in contrast to a woodworking lathe where most tools are hand held. The toolpost is manually operated by screwthreads to position the tool in a variety of planes. The toolpost may also be automatically driven to produce automatic finishing of a piece, or for cutting threads, gears, etc. Cutting fluid may also be pumped to the cutting site to provide cooling, lubrication and clearing of swarf from the workpiece. Some lathes may be operated under control of a computer for mass production of parts (see "Computer Numerically Controlled", or CNC).
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