History

• The lathe was invented thousands of years ago in Egypt and required multiple people to make it work, with one person operating a belt to spin the work piece and another to use a hand tool to shape. Through the years, the lathe evolved based on technological advances, and the first electric motors were seen in the late 19th century. Modern lathes can be run by an operator or by a CNC (computer numerical control) machine, which is basically a computer that makes the movements based on a program.
  
  

Significance

• Lathes are currently used for metalworking as well as woodworking. Sophisticated lathes are used to make parts for the aerospace industry, and rudimentary lathes are still necessary to make symmetrical table legs and lamps in the woodworking field. Without the lathe, many complicated cylindrical parts would be difficult to make.
  
  

Benefits

• Although symmetrical and cylindrical parts could be made in mills and other machines, the lathe allows machinists and woodworkers to have complete control over the final product and its consistency. A modern CNC lathe can make parts that are perfectly symmetrical within .0001 of an inch, which would be impossible to do by hand.
  
  

Features

• CNC lathes feature fast spindles for quick cutting as well as multiple axes to cut at different angles. These modern machines are programmed using sophisticated CAM, or computer-aided manufacturing, programs to make complicated parts from materials such as titanium, steel and aluminum. These lathes are also capable of cutting brass and plastic and feature modern controls that allow the user, also known as the operator, to control every aspect of the machining process.
  
  

Considerations

• Whether you are working with wood or metal, there is a lathe that is perfect for your needs. There are tabletop lathes that are capable of cutting smaller pieces of wood and floor lathes for table legs and larger pieces of wood. Some of the larger CNC lathes can machine steel bars up to 12 inches in diameter. With bar feeding capabilities, these lathes can cut many feet of bar stock automatically with no operator interference.