Thank you to you both. If it works for something (I expect it will work for plastics and soft metal) I will toy with it and see if I like it enough to upgrade the motor, or to buy a real lathe. My problem is space. I already have too many machines and right now I don't have any space for a real lathe. Anyway, it will be fun to build something similar to a lathe, which I can use for simple things and for learning. ...and if it turns out to be useless... then so be it. We only live once, and the road ahead is more fun than the goal. Failing is part of the fun, but of course, success is even more fun.