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The Lathe Mastery Wiki Book

A comprehensive, open-source guide to metal lathe operation, from first cuts to advanced techniques.

About This Book

This wiki-book aims to consolidate decades of machining wisdom into a structured learning path for aspiring machinists. Whether you're stepping into the shop for the first time or advancing your skills, this handbook provides the knowledge you need to work safely and effectively.

How to Use This Book

For Beginners

Start with Chapter 1 and progress sequentially. Each chapter builds on previous knowledge, with prerequisites clearly marked. Focus on safety fundamentals before attempting any operations.

For Reference

Use the search function or browse the table of contents to find specific techniques. Cross-references link related topics throughout the book.

For Experienced Machinists

Jump directly to advanced chapters or use as a teaching resource. Contributing your expertise helps improve the handbook for everyone.

Contents Overview

  1. Foundations of Lathe Mastery - Safety, theory, and fundamental concepts
  2. The Language of Tools - Understanding cutting tools and their geometry
  3. The Workshop Ecosystem - Materials, lubricants, and shop setup
  4. Fundamental Operations - Facing, turning, and basic techniques
  5. Precision and Measurement - Using measuring tools effectively
  6. Advanced Operations - Threading, boring, and complex work
  7. Threading - Deep dive specifically devoted to threading
  8. Critical Operations - Operations that require high attention and skill
  9. Troubleshooting - Tips and tricks to troubleshoot issues
  10. Advanced Techniques - Techniques for the lathe masters

Contributing

Contributions are welcomed that improve clarity, accuracy, or completeness. See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Building the Book

This book uses MkDocs for static site generation:

pip install mkdocs mkdocs-material
mkdocs serve  # Preview at http://localhost:8000
mkdocs build  # Generate static site

Acknowledgments

See AUTHORS.md for contributors.