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“One nice lathe = one industrial revolution.”

Whole books could be written to disprove your claim. I will give a few brief examples. Many other technologies, discoveries, and inventions were necessary precursors to the invention of the lathe, starting with the basics:

The Wheel: The invention of the wheel was essential to the creation of the lathe, providing the foundational concept of rotational motion.

Fire: Discovering how to make fire allowed for metallurgy and the manipulation of metals, enabling the creation of tools and machines.

Metallurgy: Basic knowledge of metal extraction and refinement was crucial. Advances in metallurgy during the Industrial Revolution allowed for stronger, more durable materials necessary for machine-based manufacturing.

Machine Tools: The development of specialized machine tools, originating in the 18th century from clockmakers and scientific instrument makers, was critical. Before these tools, metal parts were crafted manually using labor-intensive methods, limiting precision and scalability.

Cylinder Boring Machine: In 1774, John Wilkinson’s invention of the cylinder boring machine allowed for precise manufacturing of large steam engine cylinders, a key innovation that powered early industrial machinery.

Letter Punch and Coins: Techniques for imprinting symbols using a master type punch date back to ancient Sumer (circa 3000 BC) and were precursors to the metal punches used in movable type printing.

Movable Type Printing System: Gutenberg’s 15th-century system, utilizing a lead-antimony-tin alloy, revolutionized information dissemination by making printed knowledge more accessible and reproducible, fostering scientific and industrial advancement.

Beyond technological innovations, many societal and economic frameworks were also indispensable:

Timekeeping: Advances in watches and clocks enabled precise time synchronization, facilitating organized labor and industrial scheduling.

Steam Engine: As the primary power source during the first phase of the Industrial Revolution, steam engines enabled efficient transportation via locomotives and powered industrial machinery, accelerating production and distribution.

Legal Frameworks: Property rights, economic regulations, and contract law provided the necessary foundation for industrial-scale production and trade.

Literacy and Knowledge Dissemination: Widespread literacy, enabled by movable type, was crucial for the development of management theory, economics, and scientific inquiry, which underpinned industrial progress.

These were among many factors by which the Industrial Revolution became possible. And they did so synergistically. For example, clocks, watches, and trains (and train schedules required for cost savings) led to time zones and synchronization of time. This was requisite to the organization and specialization of factory labor. Factories required the power of the steam engine.

Do you think the lathe generated everything out of thin air? You had to have markets, buying power, the extraction of metals and other natural resources, and a legal framework for ownership, buying, and selling. Economics, law, and management practices require literacy. Literacy and a large body of important knowledge would not exist apart from moveable type. The whole reason moveable type was invented was a desire by people of faith to serve God.

The second phase of the industrial revolution involved harnessing electricity and other things that had little or nothing to do with the lathe.

While no one would dispute the value of the lathe, your position invites mockery because you essentially deify it as the singular source of everything useful, replacing religion, law, science, medicine, etc.