Which statement about the tool post on a lathe is true?

• A. It holds and positions the cutting tool
• B. It rotates the workpiece
• C. It feeds the workpiece along the bed
• D. It supports the tailstock

Answer: (A)

The tool post’s job is to hold and position the cutting tool. It sits on the carriage and carries the tool at the proper height and angle so it engages the work along the centerline correctly. The workpiece is rotated by the chuck or faceplate, not the tool post. The tool post also doesn’t move the work along the bed—that movement comes from the carriage’s feed mechanism. And the tailstock is a separate unit that supports long work or centers drills, not part of the tool post. So nothing else fits as well as the tool post’s role of securing and precisely locating the cutting tool.