Kate,

I like making little things, cribbage pegs for instance, sometimes little
things not any longer than say seven inches.

Any ideas or suggestions or idiot (spell that b.l.o.n.d.e) proof
instructions would be greatly appreciated!

You might also look at using a drill. Clamp it down on a bench or
solid block and figure out a trigger and you might be able to
do with something like that. Also a mini lathe might be good.

In a class, we used drill presses and files to whittle down pegs
as ornaments for model trolley cars. It worked.

The early scroll saws where adaptations of sewing machines, I
guess you might figure out how make a lathe from the same, but
a mini-lathe is better because it will come with all the necessary
parts like a bed, motor, chuck, etc.

MJ Wallace