Abstract: An automatic device for gently recovering parts upon completion of machining operations as in an automatic lathe. Automatic lathes and other cutting machines generally drop finished parts from the machining area in the absence of custom-designed recovery devices, exposing the parts to damage by falling onto hard surfaces such as other completed parts. The present invention is useful without custom adaptation to a variety of automatic cutting machines. A cushioned shovel extends from a double-acting pneumatic or hydraulic piston beneath the part as its cutting is completed and before the part is dropped from the cutting machine. The shovel retracts and turns on the piston's axis to deposit the part onto a conveyor located away from the cutting machine. Fluid controls govern motion of the piston according to the position of a cam driven by or controlling the operation of the cutting machine.