THE LATHE

What Is Lathe?

A Lathe is a machine that is used to shape pieces preferably of either metal or wood and the piece being molded/shaped, is known as 'workpiece'. This piece is supported between the headstock and the tailstock of a lathe and these hold it firmly and spin it. It also consists of a carriage which contains the tools required for different operations and can be moved back and forth, ahead and back and helps to get the tool in contact with the workpiece. The headstock also consists of chucks, between which the piece is set and which gives it the rpm for rotation.

Figure 1- Parts of a Lathe

There are many different types of lathe machines too, of different sizes and different specifications for different scaled operations and different sized workpieces.

Types Of Lathe:-

1) CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) Lathe:-

Figure 2- CNC Lathe

They are the technologically advanced lathes and can work on multiple materials at the same time. They are the most powerful, accurate, quick and sharp while operating and also have the ability to save a design and copy it to make many identical products.

2) Engine Lathes

Figure 3- Engine Lathe

These come in various sizes and are the predecessors of the CNC lathes. They can also be used to work on different types of materials with varying speeds and are simple and easy to use. Though the tools in Engine lathes are manually moved by the help of sliding rods.

3) Special Purpose Lathes:-

Figure 4- Special Purpose Lathe

These lathes are usually designed and built to do a particular type of jobs and cannot usually be used for multiple purposes. These jobs are usually of producing large quantities of brake drums or crankcshafts, etc.

4) Toolroom Lathes:-

Figure 5- Toolroom Lathe

These lathes are usually medium or small in size and are used for precision works. They are specifically built to get accurate results specially for small and delicate processes such as jewelery related processes.

5) Wood Lathes:-

Figure 6- Wood Lathe

The lathes used for woodworking are usually much simpler than those used for the working of other harder materials. In front of the rotating wood is a metal bar called "tool rest" which is adjustable as it can be moved around the whole width of the wood piece. This bar helps the operator to hold onto the tools firmly, such as the various types and sizes of metal chisels. These are held within the tool rest and only their sharp edges are left to be in contact with the wooden piece so that it shapes it when the piece rotates.

Safety Precautions Required:-

Operating a lathe is not an easy task at all as it can cause a whole lot of injuries, such as crush, burn or cut, if the operator is not careful and so only the skilled operator can use it. The following are some of the safety precautions to be considered:-

• Remove any loose items such as rings, baggy sleeves, and watches.

• Never adjust anything on the machine without stopping it and waiting until the parts stop moving.

• Wear gloves while handling sharp drills and chisels.

• Wear protective safety glasses.

• Keep hair tightly secured back.

• Never directly touch moving parts.

• Do not move the machine without help, regardless of its weight.

• Do not operate without knowing where the emergency stop button is.

• Be careful with heavy pieces of wood and don’t drop them on the machine or on the feet.

• Always uses pliers or a brush to clean and remove shards of wood and metal.

• Do not lean onto the lathe.

• Never place or leave tools on the lathe. This creates a risk of the tools being left on the machine when it gets turned on.

• Keep the machine well lubricated and maintained.

• Do not measure a piece of work while it is spinning. Stop the machine first.

• When manually using chisels, do not get fingers too close to the wood.

• If sanding rotating wood, use two hands to hold the sandpaper at each end.

Bibliography:-

Text:-

eBay. 2015. What is a Lathe. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.ebay.com/gds/What-Is-a-Lathe-/10000000177628305/g.html. [Accessed 9 November 2015].

Images:-

Figure 1- MECHANICALMETRO, Lathe. Available at: http://mechanicalmetro.blogspot.ae/2011/07/lathe.html. [Accessed 9 November 2015].

Figure 2- GSKCNC, GT 36iCNC lathe. Available at: http://www.gskcnc.com/cnc_lathe.php [Accessed 9 November 2015].

Figure 3- Asia, Engine Lathe Machine. Available at: http://www.asia.ru/en/ProductInfo/924626.html [Accessed 9 November 2015].

Figure 4- Leader, Special Purpose Lathe Machine. Available at: http://www.leaderindia.net/special-purpose-lathe-machine.htm [Accessed 9 November 2015].

Figure 5- PARKSONS, Tool room Lathe. Available at: http://www.parksons.in/tool-room-lathe [Accessed 9 November 2015].

Figure 6- HarborFreight, Benchtop Wood Lathe. Available at: http://www.harborfreight.com/5-speed-bench-top-wood-lathe-65345.html [Accessed 9 November 2015].