Intro to the metal lathe

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Revision as of 19:55, 2 April 2024 by Dankulla (talk | contribs) (add concentricity images)

Metal lathes are versatile tools that we use to make precise round parts. These kinds of precise round parts show up in everything from small consumer goods to heavy industrial machinery, and they make smooth and efficient movement possible. Metal lathes achieve this through accurate linear movement and rigidity, which allows us to make parts with exacting dimensions and concentric features. In this class, we'll learn how to safely operate the manual metal lathes, produce some simple parts, and explore some of the many ways we can fabricate parts with a manual metal lathe.

an eccentric bullseye
The circular components of this bullseye do not share the same center, so they are eccentric.

How does a metal lathe work?

Concentricity: the superpower of a metal lathe

Bullseye with concentric rings
This bullseye has circular components that share the same center.

Concentric objects share the same center. On a lathe, we're mostly concerned about concentric, coaxial parts. A metal lathe creates concentricity because the spindle rotates in an accurate circle, so every cut will be concentric to the spindle bore.