Popular Lathe Tools
A lathe is a tool which rotates a workpiece on an axis in order to allow for a range of completely symmetrical operations which can include sanding, cutting, drilling or other kinds of deformation. In other words the worker will place an object or material onto the lathe and it will then turn around 360 degrees repeatedly. By simply holding the implement in the correct place then, a hobbyist or professional is able to make change that will affect the entire circumference of the material.
Lathes are used in a variety of different industries and there are a range of popular tools associated with their use. To name just a few, lathes are used for woodturning, metalwork, metal spinning, glass work, pottery and more. Things that can be produced by using a lathe include cue sticks, table legs, glasses, bowls, baseball bats, instruments (woodwing), camshafts, crankshafts, plates, bowls, pots and mugs. The potter’s wheel for instance which is highly popular is a form of lathe. It is also possible to ornamental lathes that are designed to be decorative and collectible.
There are also many different types lathe and parts of lathes. Usually the lathe will consist of a spindle on which the object will turn, a tool rest for standing the tool (sometimes a clamp), a tail stock and a lock nob. The lock nob is used in order to alter and then set the height of the tool rest in order to ensure that the tool that is used in order to shape the object is held steady and at the same height. Otherwise you would be likely to find that you ended up drawing strange shaky lines on the object rather than keeping them still and so creating a straight line. As the object rotates the tool will alter the shape, but because it won’t move it won’t dig into the object no matter how many times it is rotated. Thus the line will be completely even all around and you can then alter the position of the tool before making new alterations.
Other ways in which lathes differ are that some will rotate the object horizontally while others will rotate it vertically. Meanwhile you will find that some lathes are electric while older lathes require a pedal or a handle in order to cause the object to rotate. Of course the speed at which the item rotates is important too as this effect how well the item cuts depending on the material you are using. Lathes also vary a lot in size, and while some are small enough to be lifted and placed on a bench or a table, others will be large and will stand freely on workshop floors etc.
The tools that you use to apply to the object on the lathe can also vary widely and these can include paintbrushes for painting things that have already set, knives for cutting lines, sanders and files for filing things down, flamethrowers for working with glass etc and more. In some cases, such as the potters wheel, just hands will be enough to alter the shape of the clay.
I am an engineer and recently had to replace my lathe chuck. Good equipment makes such a difference to the quality of your tooling.
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