When I served my apprenticeship as a machinist 40 odd years ago, some of the lathes at my disposal were already quite ancient. A few were definitely pre world war II. And of course, it's only natural that the apprentice gets the old clunker!  But I remember getting to love those old, time-worn machines. They were brilliant for learning the art of machining - if not for producing high precision parts.  After that, moving on to the big modern (at the time) lathes was a breeze.

These days, the amazing CNC machines are dominating the production factories. These electronically controlled computerized lathes are much quicker and easier to set up and operate than the manual production machines of the past. Although there is a high level of skill required in the setting up of the tool path programs, the actual operating is now more of a supervisory role. In the old days, one machinist would usually be assigned his own lathe. Over time he would learn all of its unique idiosyncrasies and gain the intimate knowledge required to master the machine. Many manual machines are still in use of course, especially in non-mass-production workshops, so the art and craft of the machinist is not about to disappear any time soon.

Did you know - there is evidence of the existence of lathes, in their simplest form, as far back as 1300 BC. and there are ancient Egyptian wall drawings showing lathes in operation where one man is revolving an object with a cord while another holds the cutting tool to shape it. We've come a long way, but the principle remains the same.

Today's basic metal lathes generally consist of a headstock at one end, a tailstock at the other end and a bed and carriage in between.

The name "metal lathe" is really a bit out of date nowadays as often the workpiece being machined is just as likely to be of a plastic or composite material as it is metal.

There are quite a few types of lathes that come under the term 'metal lathe.'

* The CNC lathe or CNC  Turning Center is the modern evolution of the production lathe.

* The Center lathe is the common, typical full-featured machine used for general machining work.

* The Bench lathe is a smaller version of the center lathe - still fully-featured but small enough for mounting on a work bench.

* An Engine lathe is the traditional old design that first came out with an automatic cutting-tool feed in the late 19th century.

* The Toolroom lathe is basically a center lathe that has been given extra care and attention during the manufacturing process. It also includes all the best optional features available as standard, and is usually a more accurate and smoother version of the mass-produced model. Accordingly, it carries a higher price.

* The Turret, Capstan and Gang Tool lathes are types of production lathes with specialized multi-operational tool holders for producing repetitive duplicate parts.

* The Swiss-style lathe was designed for producing work of finer than usual tolerances. This extreme accuracy is a result of holding the workpiece with a guide bush and also a collet, and being able to work right up close to the bushing to avoid vibration or deflection. See a demonstration of a Swiss-style lathe in operation here ..  Video: Swiss-Style Lathe.

* The Mini and Micro lathes are, as the name suggests, small general purpose machines. They are favored by the home workshop machinist, hobbyist and some specialists. What they lack in swing range they make up for in affordability.  Jewelers and watchmakers use the tiniest of lathes - some of which can be picked up with just one hand.

* The Combination lathe expands on the capabilities of turning by adding milling and drilling features to the machine. For this reason, the combination lathe is often also called a '3-in-1 machine'.

* A Brake lathe is a simple one-task machine especially designed to resurface the worn or damaged discs and drums of motor vehicle wheel brakes.

* The Wheel lathe is specialized for the job of resurfacing the wheels of rolling stock and locomotives. Some models of wheel lathe are incorporated in an underground pit below the railtrack level so that the wheels can be operated on without the need to remove them from the carriage.

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There are many excellent manufacturers of quality metal lathes servicing the market today.
Some that come to mind are Hardinge lathes, Summit Machine Tools, Sherline Products for their precision tabletop lathes, Jet Metal Working Products with their popular Jet lathes, Grizzly Industrial, and American Machine Tools.