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The swing of a lathe is actually one of the most important parts of a lathe. And this is because the swing represents how big or small a workpiece can be used and worked with on a lathe.
The lathe is basically used to rotate objects so that you can do cutting, sanding, and drilling. However, a lot of people are a bit confused about lathe swing. They don’t have a proper idea about it. Is it part of the lathe? Yes and no. Is it a lathe accessory or tool? No. Still confused? Don’t worry, that’s what this article is about.
Now, both wood lathe and metal lathe have a swing, and the swing refers to the maximum diameter of a workpiece that can fit into the machine. To clear all your confusion regarding lathe swing, scroll ahead and read on.
Definitions of lathe swing
Swing on a lathe machine measures the maximum diameter of a workpiece a lathe can handle without hitting the machine.
The first type of lathe swing is called swing over bed.
Swing over bed indicates the maximum diameter of a workpiece that can be rotated over the bed of a lathe without hitting it. To measure swing over bed, measure from the center of the spindle (see also What is a Lathe Spindle and How Does It Work?) to the top of the bed and double the result.
There is also a second type of swing called swing over carriage.
Swing over carriage is the maximum diameter of a workpiece that can be rotated over the carriage (also known as the lathe saddle) without hitting it. To measure swing over carriage, measure from the centre of the spindle to the top of the carriage and double the value.
The swing and distance between the centers will determine the capacity of a lathe which means the maximum size of the workpiece you can work with.
This is a piece of important information to have as you might be in a tight fit if the lathe does not allow you to work with pieces too big.
This situation can occur, say, for example, you buy a lathe with a 10” diameter, however, you will not be able to fit an object of 10” diameter into the machine because the bed way would work as an interference.
The object will be in a tight situation, and it will be more difficult for you to work with it. Get it?
How to measure the swing and size of a lathe
The measurements, in this case, are of great importance and significance, as your work will depend on these numbers and figures. If you get the sizes wrong, you will be in a slight pickle as the item you are going to operate on will be too big to fit into the machine.
Swing is not the only measurement that you need to be concerned about; the distance between the lathe center is equally significant as that distance determines what length of item can be fit into it.
Okay, so measuring the swing is actually not at all a difficult task by any means.
All you are going to have to do is take a measuring tape and figure out the distance between the center of the spindle and the bed way, whatever figure you get just double that, and you will get the swing.
So, if you measure the distance to be 5”, which is the radius, after doubling it you get 10”. That is the swing of the lathe. But as I mentioned before, you have to keep in mind that it is not actually possible for you to fit an item or object into the lathe which has a diameter of 10”.
Even if you are able to fit it in, you will face a very hard time trying to work with it as you will be allowed less space to work and might find it hard to reach every part.
Some extra things you need to keep in mind
When buying a lathe machine, you should keep a few things in mind so that you do not have problems using it. Sometimes, you will see that the labels provided by the manufacturers of the lathe are not correct, or measurements might be a bit off.
In that case, you are gonna have to go through the step of returning and replacing it. Often the metric system used to do the measurement might not be the same one.
You might be looking for a 12-inch swing, but end up buying one with a 12-cm one. They are not interchangeable as the difference in the diameters is vast.
So, be careful and mindful when you go out to buy one. Sometimes, you will see that a few companies consider that to be the real swing of the lathe, in that case, you are going to have a much smaller and tighter workspace in terms of diameters.
And the last thing you have to keep in mind when you consider buying a wood lathe, a lathe mill combo or even a metal lathe, in particular, is the swing over the carriage. This is where your tool will sit.
Conclusion
So that’s it for today. We really hope that now you don’t have any confusion regarding lathe swing. If you still do, let us know in the comments section. We will be happy to help!