Andrei Nartov, a Russian engineer, created one of the earliest lathes in 1718. The invention credits of the modern lathe go to David Wilkinson (1794).

As the invention of the lathe led to the invention of many other machine tools, the lathe machine remains the mother of all machines.

There are various types of lathe machines. One of the prominent lathes is Engine, Capstan, Toolroom, Bench, and CNC Lathes.

The tools used vary according to the operations performed on the lathe. But the commonly used tools are drilling, reaming, facing, turning, knurling, and grooving tool.

The lathe machine parts (referring to the lathe machine diagram in this article) are made of various materials. The most common are aluminium alloy & titanium alloy steel and cast iron.