Lath vs. Lathe — What's the Difference?

Used in older construction to support plaster walls.

A machine tool that rotates a workpiece to perform various operations.

A building material consisting of thin strips of wood.

Essential for precision machining in metalworking.

Integral to traditional plaster wall construction.

Historically important in developing manufacturing capabilities.

Installed typically by nailing to studs or joists.

Can operate on a variety of materials, including plastics.

Can be made of various materials like metal or gypsum in modern use.

Modern lathes may be controlled by computers (CNC).

A lath or slat is a thin, narrow strip of straight-grained wood used under roof shingles or tiles, on lath and plaster walls and ceilings to hold plaster, and in lattice and trellis work.Lath has expanded to mean any type of backing material for plaster. This includes metal wire mesh or expanded metal that is applied to a wood or metal framework as matrix over which stucco or plaster is applied, as well as wallboard products called gypsum or rock lath.

A lathe () is a machine tool that rotates a workpiece about an axis of rotation to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, deformation, facing, and turning, with tools that are applied to the workpiece to create an object with symmetry about that axis.Lathes are used in woodturning, metalworking, metal spinning, thermal spraying, parts reclamation, and glass-working. Lathes can be used to shape pottery, the best-known design being the Potter's wheel.

A thin strip of wood or metal, usually nailed in rows to framing supports as a substructure for plaster, shingles, slates, or tiles.

A machine for shaping a piece of material, such as wood or metal, by rotating it rapidly along its axis while pressing a fixed cutting or abrading tool against it.

A building material, such as a sheet of metal mesh, used for similar purposes.

To cut or shape on a lathe.

A quantity of laths; lathing.

To invite; bid; ask.

Work made with or from lath.

To shape with a lathe.

To build, cover, or line with laths.

(computer graphics) To produce a three-dimensional model by rotating a set of points around a fixed axis.

A thin, narrow strip, fastened to the rafters, studs, or floor beams of a building, for the purpose of supporting a covering of tiles, plastering, etc.

(obsolete) An administrative division of the county of Kent, in England, from the Anglo-Saxon period until it fell entirely out of use in the early twentieth century.

Microscopic, needle-like crystals, usually of plagioclase feldspar, in a glassy groundmass

A machine tool used to shape a piece of material, or workpiece, by rotating the workpiece against a cutting tool.

To cover or line with laths

(weaving) The movable swing frame of a loom, carrying the reed for separating the warp threads and beating up the weft; a lay, or batten.

A thin, narrow strip of wood, nailed to the rafters, studs, or floor beams of a building, for the purpose of supporting the tiles, plastering, etc. A corrugated metallic strip or plate is sometimes used.

(obsolete) A granary; a barn.

To cover or line with laths.

Formerly, a part or division of a county among the Anglo-Saxons. At present it consists of four or five hundreds, and is confined to the county of Kent.

A narrow thin strip of wood used as backing for plaster or to make latticework

A granary; a barn.

A machine for turning, that is, for shaping articles of wood, metal, or other material, by causing them to revolve while acted upon by a cutting tool.

The movable swing frame of a loom, carrying the reed for separating the warp threads and beating up the weft; - called also lay and batten.

Machine tool for shaping metal or wood; the workpiece turns about a horizontal axis against a fixed tool

Yes, lathes are versatile tools used both in woodworking and metalworking to shape and finish materials.

Laths are primarily used in construction as a base for applying plaster.

A lathe can work on materials such as wood, metal, and plastics.

Yes, lathes are crucial for precision machining in modern manufacturing, including advanced CNC technology.

The use of lath has declined with the advent of modern building materials like drywall, which do not require a wooden base.

Wood lath is traditionally used in plaster walls, while metal lath is more durable and used in more demanding environments like exterior stucco.

In traditional plaster construction, laths are not visible in the finished product as they are covered by plaster.

In construction, technological advancements have largely moved away from traditional lath and plaster to systems like drywall for efficiency and ease of installation.

Lathes enhance manufacturing by allowing for precise shaping and finishing of parts, crucial for industries requiring high accuracy.

Modern lathes often incorporate digital controls and automation, such as CNC technology, for greater precision and efficiency in production.

Yes, operating lathes involves safety risks such as potential for cuts, entanglement, and flying debris, necessitating proper safety gear and training.

Lathes have been instrumental in industrial development, particularly during the Industrial Revolution, by facilitating the mass production of parts.

Operating a lathe requires skills in machining, understanding of material properties, and precision measurement.

Examples include wooden bowls, metal machine parts, and decorative woodwork, all of which can be crafted using a lathe.

No, lath and lathe are distinctly different and cannot be used interchangeably as they refer to different items with different purposes.