Hi Mack

No the HSS has been around a little longer, but lathes without motors
was still the norm, when I was a boy, overhead drive shafts with idler
pulleys and wide leather or canvas belts would drive lathes, drills,
grinders and forging hammers etc.

Wood turning has changed more in the last 30 or 40 years than in the
preceeding 3000 years I would think.

And some of the ways of holding the wood are still very good and safe
ways of doing that, there might be better or easier and quicker ways,
if you have the tools and equipment, but screwing blanks and rough
turnings to face plates is still a very viable way of doing that.

With big bowls and wet wood there is usually enough extra wood to use
screws for holding, 6 or 8 screws, 1/2" deep in sound wood is all thats
needed, and I have used 1/4" depth successful on rough turned bowls
enough times, when I needed to use screws on thinner bowl and platters.

I certainly trust screws more so than glue, but that might be just me.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo