Lathe Machine Parts and Components

Explanation of the primary lathe machine parts of a center lathe:

Bed: The heavy and rigid frame onto which all of the components are mounted. The bed is typically
made of made of cast iron or hardened steel. It is important that the bed be incredibly durable as to
not bow during production.

Ways: Ways are the guide rails which the tailstock rests and moves in. Both the inner and outer rails
are machined to be parallel to keep movement accurate across the bed.

Headstock: The component of a lathe which rotates the rod stock. It utilizes a chuck to hold the
stock in place, it is typically mounted into the inner way in a permanent manner.

Gearbox: Located on the inside of the headstock, the gearbox is used to translate the rotational
motion into different speeds.

Spindle:  A hole in the back of the headstock assembly through which the rod stock is fed.

Chuck: A multi-jaw clamp to hold the rod stock in place while it is being machined. These can either
be self-centering or independent of based on the number of jaws. Can be modified to mount oddly
shaped workpieces that are not round/square/hexagonal.

Tailstock: Sits into the inner way of the bed. The railstock can be moved along the channel to lock
into any position, to adjust for varying lengths desired from the final product. It can be mounted with
cutting tools to add a taper or chamfer to the back of the piece.

Carriage: Sits into the outer ways of the bed. The carriage is used to mount and adjust cutting
tools.

Cross Slide: Mounted on the outside of the carriage, the cross slide adjusts up and down to use a
wheel to bring tooling into the workpiece.

Tool Post: The tool post is a spot to mount different cutting bits which are clamped into the tool
holders that the cross slide uses.

Compound Rest: The compound rest is mounted to the top of the cross slide. It  to The compound
rest axis can be adjusted by pivoting around the tool post, independently of the cross-slide or
carriage.

Apron: The apron is fixed to the front of the carriage, it contains the mechanisms for moving the
carriage and the cross slide.

Feed Rod: The primary power transition mechanism to move the carriage along the axis of the
lathe. It will have two reversing gears attached to a piston to move the carriage forward or reverse.

Lead Screw:  A driveshaft with adjustable gears used primarily for the cutting of threads.

Steady Rest: Can be clamped into the ways, it contacts the bottom or sides of the workpiece to
assist aligning it. Typically used to support a longer or unstable part.