Tom Gall
I always turn the speed way down...not off...before shutting down the lathe for the day. That way when it is turned back on there is very slow movement and I know all is OK. If I turned the speed pot all the way off - then the next time it was turned on and nothing happened - I would start looking for electrical or other problems that didn't exist! I also pull the plug at the end of the turning day (just in case of lightning or power surge). Glad you were physically unscathed and only had some equipment damage.