Also termed a reproductive machine, an engine lathe is a horizontally-shaped machine often used to cut wood or metal.
It’s mainly used to remove unwanted materials leaving behind a perfectly curved workpiece.
In this post, you’ll learn what an engine lathe is and how it works.
Read on to understand the essential parts of an engine lathe and their uses.
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How an Engine Lathe Works
An engine lathe is used for general purpose wood and metal cutting.
With this machine, you can create multiple specific forms and design workpieces into shapes that meet your preferences.
An engine lathe uses cutting tools to design a block into the desired shape.
The lathe comes with handy features such as a tailstock, headstock, bed, and carriage.
The carriage comprises gears, levers, and clutches that control its movement either by power feed or hand.
Below the lathe’s carriage, you’ll find a flat bar that works as an emergency brake.
You can also use the bar to stop the movement and rotation of the spindle.
The tailstock is used for tapping, drilling, threading, and reaming parts.
Both the carriage and the tailstock rests on the bed.
The headstock encloses the motor and the spindle, along with pulleys and gears.
You can use the pulleys and gears to change the feed rate and the spindle speed.
Engine Lathe Machining Capacity and Size
The machining capacity or size of engine lathes is determined by the bed length between tailstock centres and the head and the chuck capacity (the swing).
If you’ve got an upcoming project that needs a high level of accuracy in terms of drilling, turning, boring, and facing, you can consider the
Sharp Lathe model.
For starters, the Sharp lathe comes with an in-built coolant system and must be stopped before shifting the spindle speed.
Thanks to its coolant system, this model easily controls the heat during the machining process.
As a result, you can use the lathe to cut more rigid materials while promoting the tool life altogether.
Engine Lathe Basic Controls
You need to learn the basic controls and operate an engine lathe to design your piece into an exceptional workpiece.
To get started, turn on the power button to turn on your engine lathe.
Most lathes come with a coolant switch that helps promote the life of a lathe.
The engine lathe also features levers that helps control the direction of a chuck.
Additionally, the lever helps control the feed rate.
Once you select your desired feed rate, the level will work on accommodating the desired feed.
Use the spindle speed lever to change the speed of the spindle.
Depending on the lever’s combination, you can determine the speed and set it for a higher or low range.
If you decide to switch off the machine power immediately, you can press the emergency switch.
However, you should only use the emergency switch for emergency purposes.
For starters, the emergency switch looks like a flat pedal.
Using the button during routine turning can damage your lathe.
Engine Lathe Cleaning Instructions
To prolong the life and performance of your lathe, you need to clean it more often.
When doing so, use only special tools, vacuums, and brushes for your machine clean up.
More so, it would be best if you don’t attempt to measure any part of your engine lathe when the spindle is turning.
What’s An Engine Lathe Used For?
In a nutshell, an engine lathe is a crucial and helpful machine used to shape, change the size, and finish a revolving workpiece with special cutting tools.
Many people use lathes for bowl turning and you can see the best options here.
Only use vacuums and special tools to clean your machine.
For maximum performance, read the manufacturer’s guide and instructions manual to understand using an engine lathe.
Use the emergency switch button for emergency purposes only.