Woodturning Online

Hi there! I've been turning on a micro lathe for a couple of years. Mainly making pens and some small Christmas ornaments. I've upgraded to a new Delta Midi-lathe VS. It's a really nice piece of equipment and pretty straight forward. However, there is an indexing pin that will allow me to adjust the spindle to 24 different positions. Does anyone have any experience with this? For what reason would I need or want to adjust the spindle? Is there a specific setting that it will need to remain on for basic turning? Thanks!

Your index pin is strictly for use with the lathe off. Don't try to turn the lathe on with the pin in place. It has nothing to do with actual turning.

The purpose of indexing is to lock the spindle in a specific position, then allow you to rotate and lock again in exact increments around the piece. For instance, your 24 positions means you can lock your workpiece in place at 15 degree increments (or any multiple thereof). This is useful for fluting, carving, or other decorative purposes.