A machine that spins wood or metal so a craftsperson can shape it with cutting tools; essential for making cylinders and rounded objects.
From Old Norse 'lað' meaning 'framework.' The tool evolved through medieval metalworking and woodworking, with the Scandinavian word describing the device's structural nature.
The lathe is one of the most important inventions in human history—it's been used for thousands of years and made possible everything from cannons to lightbulbs to modern machinery, yet most people have never seen one work.
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