"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
I'm going to assume you aren't a troll. If you really want to spend some
time
reading and learning, first let me tell you how *I* learned. I lived in NW
Portland for 2 years in the early '90s, pre-ebay. I lived alone and had
evenings
free (my family was still in Seattle) so I wasn't dating. I spent many
evenings
on a bench at Powell's Technical Books reading. And reading. Tons of great
stuff. Some books are so cheap and so well written and so full of
information
that you'd be well off to buy them outright. An example is "How To Run A
Lathe"
by the South Bend Lathe Corporation, now reprinted by Lindsay, but surely
available for less than $5 anytime you need it.

I also just read and watched this NG for years before I even owned a
lathe.

I suggest you visit your local library and search on the subject "machine
shop
practice" or "metalworking" or something. If you're having trouble, ask
the
librarian at the main desk, that's their job. Check out a dozen or two
books and
read them. Skin read, study, memorize, whatever.

Browse the Web. When you find a Web site you like, bookmark it. Organize
your
bookmarks. I have hundreds of sites bookmarked all under one header called
"Tools and Shop Equipment". Look for giant metalworking sites like
Ernie's. Go
to metalwebnews.com and read all the instructional articles. Go look
through the
dropbox, found at metalworking.com which you'll often see referenced. Go
look
through lathe.com, the Logan site, and look at Scott's list of links.
After
awhile you will get an idea of what it is you want to learn.

But I urge you - buy a machine tool, whatever it is, and learn how to use
it
properly. My first one was a drill press, closely followed by a 4x6"
horizontal/vertical metalcutting bandsaw. I learned really a lot about
what you
can do and what you can't. When you are trying to do something, you will
incur
real questions. Tell us what you are trying to do and what you're running
into.
I often see guys asking things like "how can I make a perfectly square
hole"
when the simplest thing for him to do would be to weld something.

Finally, let me assure you that you won't wear out your welcome if your
questions are genuine, especially if you never let yourself be sucked into
namecalling or politics. People post to this NG because they have time to
and
they enjoy writing about what they know. So ask.

GWE

Hi. Thank you very much for all the suggestions!! By the way, I am not a
troll. I don't even live near a bridge, much less under one. :-)

I don't know what all a lathe does, so I think I am going to try to find
that book you mentioned.

Thank you!! again.