A turn can or cannot have a stand (or legs), which rests on the floor and raises the bed of turn to a height of work. Some turns are small and rest directly on a bench or a table, and do not have a stand. All the turns have a "bed", which is (almost always) a horizontal beam (although some turns of numerical control by computer have a vertical beam so that the bed ensures these chips, or the pieces, falls free of the bed. At an end of the bed (almost always the left, as an operator faces the turn) is a "headstock". The headstock contains the bearings of rotation to high precision. Rotation in the bearings is a horizontal axis, with an axis parallel with the bed, called the "axis".

The axes are often hollow, and have external wire and/or a tape of Morse on the "interior" (C. - with-D., facing towards the right/the bed) in which accessories which are held the object can be assembled to the axis. The axes can also have wire external and/or a taper at their end of "outboard motor boat" (C. - with-D., facing far from the bed), and/or can have a wheel of order or any other additional mechanism on their external end. Axes are actuated, and give the movement to the object. The axis is led, by power of foot by a pedal and a wheel or a belt drive with a source of energy. In few modern turns this source of energy is an integral electric motor, often in the headstock, with the left of the headstock, or under the headstock, hidden in the stand. Some Amish are known to buy the modern turns, remove the electric motor, and then convert them into race via the leather belts of an air line centers.

At the other end of the bed (almost always the line, as an operator faces the turn) can be a tailstock. Not all the turns have tailstocks. A tailstock provides the auxiliary support to the object. Of Tailstocks are not actuated. Turns metallurgical have "slide transversely", which is a flat piece which rests transversely on the bed, and can be started perpendicular to the bed. To rest placed on the slide transversely is a tool post, which holds a cutting tool which removes the material of the object. There can or cannot is not a lead screw, which moves the slide along the bed transversely.

Metal Woodturning and turns of rotation do not have the slides transversely, but have "banjos", which are flat pieces which rest transversely on the bed. The position of a banjo can be adjusted with the hand; no clutch is implied. Assemble banjo vertically is a post of tool, with the top of which a "rest of horizontal tool". In woodturning, tools with hand are attached against the rest of tool and surveys using a lever in the object. Out of revolving metal, the additional pin assembles rest of tool vertically, and is used as point of support against which tools can be raised using a lever in the object.