Purposes Of Lathes1

Purposes of Lathes

Machines used to symmetrically shape wood, glass, metal or other materials are called lathes. They work by rotating pieces of materials at high rates of speed and shaping them with cutting or abrasive tools. One little known lathe is the potter's wheel. It spins the clay while the potter uses their hands or other tools to shape it. A wood lathe can create baseball bats and cue sticks, or decorative items such as spindles and table legs. A metal lathe can be used to create screw threads, candlesticks, crankshafts, or camshafts or other items for use in automotive, industrial machinery, and farm machinery. The lathe can perform tasks such as sanding, knurling, drilling or cutting.

The wood lathe is the oldest form of the lathe. All other lathes are designed around the same basic principles as the wood lathe. The wood lathe has an adjustable rail that positions the shaping tools, which the operator holds in his hand. After the wood has been shaped, the operator then holds and presses sandpaper against the spinning object in order to smooth the surface. There are also wood lathes made specifically for making bowls and plates. This lathe does not have the adjustable rail and does not restrict the width of the item being turned. Lathe accessories made for decorative work are available both online and in any store that sells lathes for hobby or woodworking purposes.


Metalworking lathes work the same as a wood lathe except that they use a hardened cutting tool in order to cut the metal into the desired shape. Also, instead of being handheld, the cutting tool is fixed onto a mounting on the metal lathe. That mounting can be controlled by hand or by a computer. When cutting items such as threads and worm gears, the computer allows for accurate tolerancing. Lubrication and cooling are provided to the cutting site by cutting oil. Centers, points, or chucks are used to hold the material being cut and keep it from shifting.

Lathes have many purposes and uses. Because of this, there are several types of lathe. The ones most commonly recognized are the bench lathe, the cnc lathe and the reducing lathe. Other ones include the glass working lathe, the metal spinning lathe and the jeweler's lathe. When other machines, like the milling machine or the drill press, are combined with the lathe, it is called the combination lathe.