Why is this lathe not like any other tool?
First off, a disclaimer: Anyone has a right to any lathe they want and can afford. They should think of it and use it any way they wish. That said, consider your wood lathe for all it can do for you:
*********************************************** It can make thick or thin cylinders and thick or thin discs from misshapen blanks or make misshapen cylinders or discs from shapely blanks. It can make these into functional and/or pleasing or ugly hollow or solid forms. These need not be round as your lathe can make cubes and other geometric forms, inside-outside, thermed, oval or offset, It lets you mix & match planes, curves, coves, beads, faces, tenons, mortises and tapers. Wow! Silky smooth or scorched, stressed or textured, it can finish these forms to whatever practical, attractive, gross or artistic appearance you want for any use and enjoyment you desire. Whew!
It can cut and scrape, bore large holes, drill long holes, ream, countersink, counterbore and center drill. Gosh!
It can machine soft metals like copper and aluminum. It can accept light duty cross slides, compound rests, longitudinal feeds and milling vises. It can cut threads or make them with taps or dies. It can spin metal objects on a selfmade armature. It can index holes and carvings and act as a carver's vise. It is a large clamp, a center drill and a polishing head. It winds coils and springs and can buff and wire brush rusty tools, pots and pans. Golly!
It can if you insist, (altho it takes no pleasure in it) be a grinder or an anvil. It doesn't like being a work bench, a tool rack or a miscellany shelf, but it will groan and bear it if you ask it to. Gee!
It can make simple ornamental turnings, even ellipses, and it doesn't object to being thought eccentric or multicentered in its work. A few have been known to undergo a gender change and become bungee or gas engine driven, even a pumping lathe. Often it masquerades as a revolving spray painting platform. It can be a copy cat and spit out tacky spindles like a broken soft drink machine. Haw!
Its metal cousin is the only machine tool that can reproduce itself and continue the species. It can too, with a little help from a parts donor. Hee!
Sadly there are a few rogue lathes that perform illegal surgery: amputations, joint replacements, blood letting, hair or scalp removal and bungled cosmetics. Ouch!
Anaphylactic shock and euthanasia happen, but thankfully very rarely. Ugh!
I hope I've answered my question. This lathe is the king of machine tools and no, it's not at all like all other tools. Hooray! :)
Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter