Feed with the xslide.
Fortise64, please don't stop experimenting. That's how we learn. I think your "experiment" was skewed by the large dia. and interrupted cut. I'm also new to this, but would bet that without the interrupted cut, your lathe would have been perfectly happy. Happy Machining, JR49It's a tough old girl and that was tough on it too, I wont be doing that again .