Lathe and Its Parts
The bed is a long part to the left end of which the headstock is fastened. while the tailstock can be clamped to any other part of the bed. The carriage is the part which slides on the v-shaped ways along the bed between the headstock and the tailstock. Each lathe is now generally run by a separate electric motor. Lathe sizes range from very little lathes with the length of the bed in several inches to very largest ones turning a work many feet in length. The size of a lathe is measured by :1)the largest diameter of work that can be turned in the lathe;2)the length of bed. Thus, a 10”*5ft. (10 inch*5 feet) lathe can turn a work of 10 inch in diameter and five feet long.
Different metals must be cut at different speeds. Soft metals should be cut with greater speed than hard metals. A coarse cut should beslower than a finish cut. A large piece should be run more slowly than a piece with a small diameter. By using the mechanism called gear box different speeds may be obtained suitable for different conditions of work.
Lathe Chucks
A lathe chuck is used for holding the work. It should be screwed on the headstock spindle while the lathe is stopped. There are two kinds of lathe chucks: the four-jaws independent chuck and the three-jaw universal chuck. The four-jaw independent chuck has four jaws and each jaw has to be moved separately by turning the screw of the jaw; it is mostly used to hold a work that is not perfectly round. The jaw on this kind of chuck can be taken off and put on again in the opposite direction.
In the three-jaw universal chuck all jaws work at the same time. Thus, by screwing down one jaw we make the other two jaws move on the work placed in the center of the chuck.
Chucking means fastening the work in a lathe chuck so that it might turn without wobbling.