[Joe G.]

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

Any ideas on how to learn to use these tools should we buy them? Whether a lathe, a CNC, milling machine, or whatever, we don't have any mentors with experience using these tools.
Example: Off the top of my head, I can't figure out what I would do with a lathe that I couldn't do with a drill press and a bit of patience. Based on the posts, there's obviously something else they're good for.
Are there any on-line tutorials that cover use of these tools, or will each turn into a high-priced coat rack unless we find a local person who can teach us to operate it?

The internet has a lot of great resources, from documentation, to video tutorials. For example, here's the go-to document for learning to use a lathe for years and years: South Bend's How To Run a Lathe. This plus documentation specific to your machine should get you going.