"George" wrote: Uh, you can also place the rest lower or higher, Leo, even
when close.(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Of course, and maybe I should have spelled out more explicitly what I meant,
but my post was overly long already. If the rest is very close to the work,
then the vertical range that can be achieved by raising and lowering the
handle is small. This means you have to stop frequently and readjust the
tool rest. It also means that getting the tool rest just right may require
stopping and fine tuning a few times. I have seen this in demos. Set the
rest. Check with the tool. Put the tool down and reset the rest. Check
again. Maybe start to turn, and even then stop and reset the rest. The
difference between 1/8" and 1/2" from wood to tool rest is a factor of four.
While still keeping forces and sensitivity well within a comfortable range,
it gives much more latitude in tool rest height.

In his demo, Mike Darlow put his tool rest back about an inch. When someone
in the class questioned him about it, he offered to move it back even
farther. He is the author of one of the best books on spindle turning (the
name escapes me at the moment.)