“Turning” on a lathe refers to the process of removing material from a rotating workpiece to create a cylindrical shape or to achieve specific dimensions and surface finishes. “Straight turning” on a lathe is a term used to describe the process of removing material from a workpiece to create a straight cylindrical shape. In this process, the cutting tool is fed parallel to the axis of rotation of the workpiece, resulting in a cylindrical surface without any taper or curvature.
Straight turning is one of the fundamental operations performed on a lathe, and it’s often used to create basic cylindrical shapes like shafts, rods, and pins. The cutting tool is positioned at a slight angle to the workpiece, and as the workpiece rotates, the tool gradually removes material along the length of the workpiece. The depth of cut and feed rate can be adjusted to achieve the desired dimensions and surface finish.
It’s worth noting that while straight turning creates a cylindrical shape, other operations like taper turning (where the diameter of the workpiece changes gradually along its length) and contour turning (where more complex shapes are created) can also be performed on a lathe using different techniques and tool movements.