Hand Wheel -- Very "Handy"
I am "all in" with John on the convenience of the hand wheel!! I constantly & automatically use it when the lathe is turned off to check my turnings in different light, mount blanks with a screw chuck, look for defects, for incremental
indexing rotations, use it by force of habit to insure the spindle lock is never engaged before starting the lathe, etc., etc. (I also use it as a must for making specialty items, such as bird feeders from discarded wine bottles.
I mount the colored glass wine bottle to be cut in a simple jig between centers and am able to get a perfect score from the carbide glass cutter (lathe is shut off) from one rotation, using the hand wheel.)
I would not be without a hand wheel, but we are all a little different in our habits (and that is a good thing.)
Lee Tourtelotte
Minnesota Woodturners Association