Seems you can do all kinds of creative stuff if you have one of these. If you didn't have metalshop in high school, how do you get the hang of one of these things? Should I just hang out at a machine shop for a couple years? 
Doesn't seem like any avenue for learning here in Tallahassee.
I dunno...are there any adult education classes at a community college or vo-tech near you? I would look for something like "machine shop practice" or something like that.
I do know a lathe is not one of those things that you master in a weekend. Although they do turn up in the classifieds and I would imagine on CL or eBay. They are big, heavy, and expensive...
Probably mastery is kinda like "How do you get to Watkins Glen?" "Practice, practice..."
First off, you buy a lathe. Then you get a book and play with it. There are lots of books available, I'm sure, but the two that I have are:
Manual of Lathe Operations and Machinists Tables, 27th ed, Engineering Department, Clausing Corporation. Reprinted 1938 to 1973.
How To Run A Lathe, by J.J. O'Brein - M.W. O'Brien, 42nd Edition, Copyright 1942 by South Bend Lathe Works 1914-1942.
The first one is specific to my Craftsman branded Atlas Clausing lathe, but the operations apply to all of them. The second one is a little more generic. The back cover inside has 17 steps in how to become a machines, starting with 1. Keep your cutting tools sharp. and ending with 17. Before starting to wrok on a lathe, roll up your sleeves and remove your necktie -- safety pays. It has a cover price of 25 cents. As old as it is, it might be on google books or something. I'm sure a google or amazon search would turn up either for a few dollars.
You'll need to log in to post.
