What does a machinist use to set the direction the cutting tool moves relative to the workpiece?

What does a machinist use to set the direction the cutting tool moves relative to the workpiece?

• A. Cross slide feed lever
• B. Quill feed knob
• C. Spindle brake
• D. Tailstock crank

Answer: (A)

Controlling how the tool approaches the workpiece in turning is done with the cross slide feed lever. Moving the cross slide changes the tool’s radial position, pushing it toward or away from the workpiece center to set the diameter of the cut. The other controls serve different functions: the quill feed knob moves the cutter up and down on a drill press or similar setup, not the radial feed on a lathe; the spindle brake simply stops the spindle; the tailstock crank adjusts the tailstock position or quill, not the tool’s radial direction. So the cross slide feed lever is the tool that sets the direction of the cutting tool relative to the workpiece.

Controlling how the tool approaches the workpiece in turning is done with the cross slide feed lever. Moving the cross slide changes the tool’s radial position, pushing it toward or away from the workpiece center to set the diameter of the cut. The other controls serve different functions: the quill feed knob moves the cutter up and down on a drill press or similar setup, not the radial feed on a lathe; the spindle brake simply stops the spindle; the tailstock crank adjusts the tailstock position or quill, not the tool’s radial direction. So the cross slide feed lever is the tool that sets the direction of the cutting tool relative to the workpiece.