- Headstock
- Spindle & Spindle Nose
- Chuck
- Spindle Power Switch
- Spindle Speed Control
- Powerfeed Gear Levers
- Powerfeed Direction Selector
Headstock
The headstock contains the motor, spindle, gears and controls for the rest of the lathe.
![](http://toolnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Headstock-1-1024x725.jpg)
The headstock contains the motor, spindle, gears and controls for the rest of the lathe.
Spindle & Spindle Nose
The spindle is the primary rotating element of the lathe (see: video).
The spindle nose is the attachment point for a variety of workholding fixtures. There are a variety of spindle standards and sizes.
See: Tools-n-gizmos.com
![](http://toolnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Spindle-Nose.jpg)
Chuck
Chucks are a convenient way to hold workpieces the lathe. A three-jaw scroll chuck is shown here installed on the spindle nose. For other lathe workholding devices see: Lathe Workholding.
![](http://toolnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Chuck.jpg)
Power Switch
On some lathes the power to turn the spindle on is located on the headstock. On other lathes it may be a lever on the apron of the carriage. Obviously, CNC lathe spindles are controlled by the sofware, with the main power switch usually being mounted on the control panel.
![](http://toolnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Spindle-Power.jpg)
Spindle Speed Control
On many lathes the spindle speed is controlled by selecting a combination of gear ratios. On others, the spindle may be controlled mechanically by devices such as continuously variable speed units or by electrically by variable frequency drives.
![](http://toolnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Spindle-Speed-Control.jpg)
Powerfeed Gear Levers
The gear ratio for the leadscrew and feed rod may be set by changing the combinations of the powerfeed gear levers. This is done in a variety of ways on different lathes.
![](http://toolnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/FeedRateLevers.jpg)
Powerfeed Direction Selector
The direction of rotation of the feed rod or the leadscrew can be reversed by changing the position of the powerfeed direction selector.
![](http://toolnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/PowerFeedDirection.jpg)
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