This is the common designation for a small wood-turning lathe, which turns at high speed. As the cutting is done by hand tools, this lathe is sometimes called a hand lathe. Fig. 96 shows a view of this lathe. Its main parts are: A, Bed; B, Head stock; C, Tail stock; D, Tool-rest holder.

Work is held in the lathe between the live center F and the dead center G, or the live center is punched out by means of the rod II and the work is fastened by screws to the face K, shown in Fig. 97. As the work revolves it is shaped by hand tools steadied on the tool rest M. The live center drives the work when it is suspended between centers.

Fig. 97. - Lathe Headstock.

The head stock carries a hollow steel spindle which is made to revolve at different speeds by a belt on one of the cone pulleys F. Fig. 97 shows a cross section of the moving parts of the head stock.

Fig. 98. - Specimens of Wood-Lathe Work.

Fig. 98 shows two examples of work turned in this lathe. The piece C is held between centers and the piece F is held only on the face plate.

The tail stock may be moved along the lathe bed to suit the length of work, and when it is clamped to the bed, the dead center may be moved back and forth by turning the wheel L.

These lathes are used not only for turning wood, but are adopted to finishing articles of metal after they have been roughed to shape in a machine lathe. For hand turning of metals, different tools are used from those for turning wood.

The swing of a lathe is the diameter of work which can revolve freely between the centers and the lathe bed or its attachments. The distance between centers is the length of work which may be held between the lathe centers. These definitions apply to all classes of lathes, in either pattern or machine shop, and are the measurements by which the sizes of lathes are designated.

Fig. 99. - Turning Tools for Wood Lathes.