Just wondering how many of you experienced turners out there started
out or are using a small metal lathe rather than a min wood lathe to
make small turnings like pens, peppermills, etc.?

I'm thinking of playing around with turning stuff like this, and have
used metal lathes over the years, and wondered if there was a drawback
other than the dust ? For instance, a little Unimat or Atlas metal
lathes should be able to turn pens... right?

Pros and Cons?