...Some kind of rudimentary lathe?

The Holocron is proceeding. More errors, but more laser discoveries. I'd be using that tool all the time if it wasn't booked up a week in advance or more. I'll have full documentation on that build when I create the Instructable.

Did my first solo on the lathe, and managed after a lot of effort to turn it on, make a facing pass, and engage the auto crossfeed. Conceptually, engine lathes aren't that complicated, but the way the various feed screws and half nuts and so forth are selected for by the controls varies wildly between models. And the Jet manual is nearly useless for figuring out which levers need to be put in which positions.

Typical entry:

7. Feed/Lead Selector Knob (J, Fig. 14) -
located on front of the gearbox. Used for
setting up for feeding and threading. 

That's almost as bad as the Carrara Pro manual, which was filled with; "21a: Face Extrusion Tool.  Use to extrude faces. (See 21a for details.)"

But I think I've finally got it straight in my head which levers need to go where for the various operations. Next step is coming to grips with feed rate calculations. Oh, and tool grinding. But, really, the first few minutes I'll spend next time I'm with the lathe will be getting a feel for the on-off and stop-go levers....with the power OFF.

(Yes, it is possible on this lathe to slam the headstock into reverse while trying to turn the lathe off. There is a way of moving the lever that makes that extremely unlikely, but I have to work with that motion until it becomes instinctive before I risk breaking something.)