Can they turn a piece of wood to ashes at last? (6)

I believe the answer is:

lathes

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'can they' is the definition.
The definition suggests a plural noun which matches the answer.

I don't understand the remainder of the clue.

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(Other definitions for lathes that I've seen before include "Machines for shaping wood or metal" , "Machines for turning wood or metal" , "Machine tools for shaping metal or wood" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

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