"Severe back problems force me to ask this--can turning be done from a
sitting position?"

Absolutely. Many turners work from their wheelchairs. This site:

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~pwguild/a-wchair.htm

is just one of several describing the issues on the web. Others use stools
and still others ride the bed of the lathe .. but that's another story. g


"What kind of noise issues can I expect?"

Not sure what you mean by this.


- Andrew