Total Lathe Newbie Here.

[Hawkeye]

Welcome, SN. The first thing you should plan on making is scrap. Put a piece of mild steel, aluminum or even plastic in your lathe and try everything you can think of to reduce it to chips.

The most important factor, after a sharp cutter, will be cutting speeds. After I learned that lesson, I made up a chart to help me. It isn't the final authority on the subject, but it works for me most of the time. Nothing wrecks a sharp cutter faster than the wrong cutting speed.

Have fun with your new lathe.