Tools and Equipment

Lathe

Citation Formats

General Reference

Home, Crafts and Hobbies Atlas. "Lathe." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://home.interactiveatlas.org/tools/lathe.

APA Style

Home, Crafts and Hobbies Atlas. (n.d.). Lathe. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://home.interactiveatlas.org/tools/lathe

BibTeX

@misc{home,craftsandhobbiesatlas-lathe,
  author = {Home, Crafts and Hobbies Atlas},
  title = {Lathe},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://home.interactiveatlas.org/tools/lathe},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The machine that spins the workpiece against a fixed cutting tool, making perfectly round work possible: bowls, spindles, chair legs and pens in the home woodshop, and precision parts in the machine shop. Woodturning on a lathe is a complete craft discipline of its own.

Facts

Introduced When (Circa)

In use in ancient Egypt by circa 1300 BC as a two-person bow-driven lathe 1

Origin

The earliest evidence of a lathe is a depiction in the tomb of Petosiris, dating to 4th century BC Egypt. 1

Cross-Tradition Connections

Used In

Woodworking

Source Lathe (Wikipedia)

Sources

1. Lathe (Wikipedia)

Wikimedia FoundationHistory section

Quote, History section

The earliest evidence of a lathe is a depiction in the tomb of Petosiris, dating back to 4th century BC Egypt.

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