A professional who tends lathes, such as turret lathes, engine lathes, and chucking machines (lathes) that cut, shape, drill, bore, thread, or face metal workpieces according to specifications. Respnsibilities include:

• Lifts workpiece, manually or using hoist, and positions and secures workpiece between lathe centers, in chuck, or in holding fixture, using wrenches and clamps, or positions workpiece in automatic loading mechanism.
• Starts machine and turns handwheels to feed tools to workpiece or engages automatic feed.
• Turns valve to control flow of coolant against tool and workpiece.
• Observes machining operation to detect malfunction or excessive tool wear.
• Verifies that machined workpiece conforms to specifications, using thread, plug, and fixed gauges, dial indicators, calipers, and micrometers.
• Changes worn tools, using wrenches.
• May machine plastic or other nonmetallic materials.
• May be designated by type of machine as knurling-machine tender; tapper i.