Q&A for How to Use a Wood Lathe

Use a center finder template to mark a line across the end of the dowel. Rotate the dowel in the center finder and mark another line. Where those lines intersect is the center of the dowel. You may find it helpful to set the drive spur and live center by drilling a small hole at the center mark at both ends using a drill. The center spurs of the drive center and live center will then "home" more easily, and are less likely to wander while you adjust the tailstock to hold the piece securely in the lathe.

If the motor is running in 'forward' mode, the top comes toward you. If it is running in reverse for sanding, the bottom comes up first.

Towards the operator - the wedge of the cutting tool should be able to "dig" into the work.

It depends on the tool you are using. For a scraper, for example, the tool rest needs to be set so with your scraping tool resting on it, the point of contact is in the center.