Glossary - Wood Lathe World

Woodturning has its own vocabulary, and product pages for lathes, chucks and tools use it freely. This Wood Lathe World glossary explains 25 terms you will meet when reading about wood lathes and turning accessories, in plain language and without opinion.

Definitions are general. Sizes, taper standards and design details vary by manufacturer and by model, so check the maker’s own specifications for the product you are considering. If a term is missing or an entry looks wrong, email editorial@woodlatheworld.com.

Banjo: The base that slides along the lathe bed and holds the tool rest. It locks in place with a clamp. Moving it lets the turner keep the rest close to the work as the shape changes.
Bed: The long rail structure that supports the headstock and tailstock and guides the banjo. Beds are often made of cast iron or steel. A rigid bed helps keep the parts aligned.
Bowl gouge: A turning tool with a deep, U-shaped flute used to shape bowls and other hollow forms. It cuts on the side of the edge. Shaft length and flute shape vary between makes.
Catch: An event in which a tool edge digs into the spinning wood and is pulled or knocked sharply. It often follows poor tool presentation or a rest set too far from the work. Catches can damage the piece and are a common safety concern.
Chuck: A device that mounts on the spindle and grips a workpiece. Many chucks use jaws that open and close. Different jaw sets suit different shapes and grip methods.
Drive center: A pointed fitting, usually with prongs, that fits in the headstock and drives a spindle blank. The prongs bite into the end of the wood. It is also called a spur center.
Face grain: The orientation in which the wood grain runs across the lathe axis, as when a bowl is cut from a plank. The blank is held by its face. This differs from spindle work, where grain runs along the axis.
Faceplate: A flat metal disc that threads onto the spindle. Wood is fastened to it with screws. It is a simple way to hold a bowl blank or other face-grain piece.
Headstock: The fixed end of the lathe that houses the spindle, bearings and, in many designs, the motor or drive. The workpiece is mounted at this end. Its design affects how smoothly the lathe turns.
Indexing: A feature that locks the spindle at set positions around a full rotation. Turners use it to mark evenly spaced lines, flutes or holes. Common index counts are multiples such as 24 or 36.
Jam chuck: A shop-made holder, often turned from scrap wood, that grips a piece by friction so its other side can be finished. It is made to fit one particular workpiece. It needs no special hardware.
Live center: A center fitted to the tailstock that rotates on bearings with the workpiece. It supports the far end of a piece without burning it by friction. Many have interchangeable points or cups.
Morse taper: A standardized tapered shaft and socket used for headstock and tailstock fittings. Sizes are numbered, and Morse taper 1 and 2 are common on wood lathes. Matching tapers hold accessories by friction.
Outboard turning: Turning on the outside end of the spindle, away from the bed, so large pieces can swing past the lathe. Some lathes have a thread on that end for this purpose. A sturdy stand is usually needed.
Parting tool: A narrow tool for cutting a piece free from waste wood or for cutting a groove to a set depth. Its thin blade removes little material. It is also used to set diameters.
Roughing gouge: A large gouge with a shallow flute used to turn a square blank into a cylinder. It removes wood quickly. It is meant for spindle work and not for hollowing bowls.
Scroll chuck: A self-centering chuck in which all the jaws move together when a key or lever is turned. It can grip by compressing on a tenon or by expanding into a recess. Jaws are often sold in several profiles.
Skew chisel: A flat chisel with an angled cutting edge, used for smoothing, cutting beads and making fine details on spindles. It can leave a clean surface straight off the tool. It is known for being demanding to learn.
Spindle gouge: A gouge with a shallow flute and a narrower profile, used for coves, beads and detail on spindle work. It handles finer cuts than a roughing gouge. Sizes are given by blade width.
Spindle turning: Turning in which the grain runs parallel to the lathe axis, as with table legs, handles and pens. The blank is held between centers. It differs from face-grain turning.
Swing: The largest diameter of work that can be turned over the bed. It is usually stated as a single number, and it is double the distance from the spindle axis to the bed. It helps show what size of workpiece a lathe can take.
Tailstock: The movable end of the lathe that slides along the bed and supports the far end of a workpiece. A center, often a live center, fits into it. It locks in place with a clamp.
Tenon: A short, round projection turned on a piece so that a chuck can grip it. Its diameter must match the jaws being used. It is often removed in the finishing stage.
Tool rest: A fixed bar on the banjo that supports the turning tool near the spinning wood. Rests come in different lengths and shapes. Setting it at the right height and distance is basic to good tool control.
Variable speed: A drive system that lets the user change spindle speed continuously, not in fixed steps. It is done by electronic control or by mechanical means. Different workpieces and tools call for different speeds.