I am not older than dirt yet. I am only slightly younger than Wally and creeping up on hm every year ( percentage wise) . I started turning some twenty five years ago on a model B Shopsmith, but got sidetracked with my many other hobbys until I retired to South Carolina in 1989. When unpacking my STUFF I came across a mulberry blank that I had started long ago and had wrapped it in damp rags and put it in a bucket for later. The blank had rusted onto the face plate but I continued to turn it to completion (almost) when I found that I would have to plug the screw holes in the bottom. Lesson learned. I soon got a big catch on a piece of Oak and decided that there was no sence in ruining the Small 5/8 in. shaft on the Shopsmith so I bought a General 260 from Woody. I soon found out that the carbon steel tools that came with the Shopsmith were not holding their edges, so that started the obscene collection of tools I have amassed in an effort to make myself a better craftman. ( another lesson learned) Now that my back and knees are starting to give out, I find that I can give less and less time to the lathe, and more and more time to switching channels on the TV.