Metal Lathes

Safety and Operations

What is a lathe?
A lathe is a machining tool that is used primarily for shaping metal or wood. It works by rotating the workpiece
around a stationary cutting tool. The main use is to remove unwanted parts of the material, leaving behind a nicely
shaped workpiece.

There are many types of lathes that are specialized for different materials and techniques. Here at All Metals
Fabricating, we have four different kinds of lathes, including a lathe with live tooling capabilities for multitasking
jobs.

People have used lathes to make parts for other machinery, as well as specialty items like bowls and musical
instruments. Whatever the type and function, they all operate using this basic holding and rotating mechanism.
List Lathe Operations
1. Turning: Turning is the operation of reducing the diameter of the workpiece to produce a cone shaped
surface. A simple single point cutting tools are used for turning operations
2. Facing: Facing is an operation of reducing the length of the workpiece to produce a flat surface square with
the axis. A regular turning tool may also be used for facing a large workpiece
3. Drilling: Drilling is an operation of producing a cylindrical hole in a workpiece by the rotating cutting edge of a
cutter known as the drill.
4. Boring: Boring is an operation of enlarge a hole or cylindrical cavity to produce circular internal grooves.
Boring Holes may bore straight or tapered
5. Knurling: Knurling is the process of embossing a diamond shape pattern on the surface of a workpiece. The
purpose of knurling is to provide an effective gripping surface on a workpiece to prevent from slipping when
operated by hand.
6. Chamfering: Chamfering is the operation of beveling the extreme end of a workpiece. This is done to
remove the burrs to protect the end of the workpiece.
7. Parting: Parting is the operation of cutting a workpiece after it has been machining to the desired size and
shape. This process involves rotating the workpiece on a chuck or face plate at half the speed that of turning
and feeding by a narrow parting - off tool perpendicular to the axis by rotating the cross slide screw by hand
8. Threading: Threading is an operation to produce a helical groove on a cylindrical or conical surface by
feeding the tool longitudinally when the job is revolved between the center or the chuck.
 Safety List
1. Do not operate a machine such as a lathe, if you have not received safety instructions and understand how
to use the machine
2. All the guards must be placed in position, at all times during the operation of the lathe
3. The materials to be machined must be placed in check in the chuck securely. The chuck key must not be left
in the chuck. If the lathe is switched on, the chuck key could fly out, at high speed, injuring the operator.
4. The metal being machined should extrude from the chuck, only a small distance. The more extruding from
the chuck, the more likely an accident will take place.
5. The operator must wear safety goggles when using the lathe. Hands and fingers must be at a safe distance
from rotating metal parts
6. Know where the emergency stop is
7. The machine must be set to operate at speeds and feeds recommended for the specific metal being
machined. If the metal rotates too slow/fast or the feed is too slow/fast, accidents are likely to occur
8. Appropriate cutting fluid should be applied to the material being turned on the lathe
Diagram the parts of a lathe
What do the parts do?
Spindle: The spindle holds and drives the workpiece.
Cross Feed Handwheel: The cross feed handwheel is used to manually position and/or hand feed the compound rest
in the X axis.
Carriage Handwheel: The carriage handwheel is used to manually position and/or hand feed the carriage in the
longitudinal or Z axis.
Carriage: The carriage houses the saddle, the cross slide, and the apron. The main function of the carriage is to
position the tool along the lathe bed.
Spindle Clutch Lever: This lever controls the spindle’s rotation and direction.
Brake: This type of spindle brake uses the foot pedal. The foot pedal type of brake is found on many types of
lathes. When the foot pedal is actuated, the spindle will stop regardless of the position of the spindle clutch lever.
Feed Rod: The feed rod transmits power from the headstock to the carriage for feeding operations.
Lead Screw: The lead screw transmits power from the headstock to the carriage for screw thread cutting operations.
On some lesser types of lathes the feed rod and the lead screw are used for both the feed and the screw cutting
power transmission.
Rack: The rack or gear rack, as it is sometimes referred to, links with the carriage handwheel to make longitudinal
movement of the carriage possible.
Bed Ways: The bed ways align the components of the lathe. The bed is the backbone of the machine.
Tailstock: The tailstock is used to support the right end of the work. The tailstock is also used for tool-holding for
machining operations, such as drilling, reaming, and tapping.