I'm afraid everyone's assuming that if you want to turn small
you need to start off with a small blank just a little thicker than
the piece you want to turn into a cribbage peg. Intuitively that
seems to make sense. Wrong, though intuitively it seems to
make sense.

What you need is plenty of rigidity so you can start at the
unsupported end, turning the delicate stuff without ANY
flexing of the rest of the blank. Flexing is the enemy because
it will cause intermitent contact between the cutting edge and the wood,
commonly called "chatter". Once it starts it's hard to stop.
If the already turned part is asymetric it'll wobble as it spins.
Even a little wobble will exacerbate the chatter problem as you
proceed towards the tail stock end of the piece.

mac davis suggestion to make micro tools - from an old
drill bit for example.

Again, intuitvely it seems to make sense. You want to turn
fine details so use small tools - right? But what you want
is a smaller included angle, not a smaller tool. If a 22 degree
included angle is too big for the cut, it doesn't matter how
thick the tool is. What you need is a smaller included angle,
say 15 degrees.

The other problem - at least for me - is that smaller tools
have shorter cutting edges. I want a longer cutting edge
so I can make long "rocking down into the piece" slicing cuts
to create a smooth vertical face
-- + +-------
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The funny thing about turning smaller and smaller is that
you can learn to make cuts you can use regardless of
size - on the cheap - and quickly. I would probably never
gotten all this practice on furniture sized stuff - too much
wood required, too much time to remove all that wood.

When it comes to tool control, turning small will get you
there quicker - at least for spindle type turning. And
if you have a catch, it's more like a catchette - not a
traumatic experience at all. And you're only out a little
piece of wood.

Turning is the Crack Cocaine of Woodworking.

charlie b