Parts of a wood lathe
Banjo.
The banjo slides along the bed of the lathe and supports the toolrest. It allows you to adjust the toolrest and place in various locations, making it possible to hold the turning tool in the most convenient location for removing wood. Most modern lathes allow you to tighten and release the banjo quickly with a locking handle.
Bed.
The bed is the horizontal part of the lathe that joins the headstock and tailstock. The horizontal rails on the bed are the “ways”. On many lathes, you can position the headstock, tailstock, and banjo at any point on the bed.
Guard.
The steel mesh guard provides protection from flying chunks of wood and debris. You should always use the guard in operations that allow its use. You should wear a facemask when turning without a guard installed.
Headstock.
The headstock holds the material that you will turn. It transfers power from the motor (drive mechanism) to the workpiece. Typically, the motor is below or to the side of the headstock and powers the spindle with a belt.
Spindle.
The spindle is the shaft in the headstock. This shaft is supported on both ends by thrust bearings that allow the spindle to rotate, yet prevent the shaft from moving in and out. The spindle typically has threads on the end which allow various attachments (e.g., a faceplate, a scroll chuck, or a vacuum chuck) to be mounted. On the inside of the spindle, there is typically a Morse taper. This Morse taper can securely hold various attachments such as a drive center or a pen mandrel.
Tailstock.
The tailstock slides along the bed in alignment with the headstock. You can use the tailstock to help support the workpiece. This is especially helpful when the workpiece is either long or slender. You can also use the tailstock to hold drilling and boring tools for machining a hole.
Tool rest.
The tool rest supports the turning tool as an operator cuts into the wood. You can adjust the tool rest for height and angle to the work. Most modern lathes allow you to tighten or release the toolrest quickly with a locking handle. There are many different sizes and shapes of toolrest available. For example, some toolrests are straight, some toolrests have a curve to assist with turning the interior of a bowl, and other toolrests have a curve to assist with turning the exterior of a bowl.