Red Seal Machinist Practice Exam

Which operation is typically performed on a lathe?

1. Grinding

2. Rectifying

3. Turning

4. Milling

The correct answer is: Turning

Turning is a fundamental operation performed on a lathe, which is a machine tool specifically designed to rotate a workpiece against a cutting tool. During the turning process, the workpiece is clamped in the lathe and spun at a controlled speed while a cutting tool is fed into the material, shaping it into cylindrical forms or profiles. This operation is essential for creating parts with fixed diameters and is commonly used in the manufacturing of screws, shafts, and various components. The lathe's capability to accurately control the rotational speed and the movement of the cutting tool makes it especially suited for this task, leading to high precision and a good surface finish. Other operations, such as grinding, rectifying, and milling, involve different setups and tools that are not typically utilized with a lathe. While some lathes can be adapted to perform additional functions, turning remains the primary and characteristic operation for which lathes are mainly designed.