A wood lathe is a machine that shapes wood by rotating it along its axis while sanding, cutting, or carving it. Bowl turning is a type of woodturning that involves shaping bowls out of wood. In order to turn bowls, you will need a wood lathe that is specifically designed for bowl turning. These lathes typically have a headstock that can be positioned at either end of the bed, which allows for more versatility when shaping bowls. Additionally, most bowl-turning lathes come with a variety of different size chucks and jaws to accommodate different sized projects.