OK, there seems to be a market for these tips so here are a few more. These are so simple a photo is not required.
You know those little, thin red tubes that come with spray cans? You stick them in the nozzle and get a directed stream instead of a wide, wet-everything spray. Well, they're very handy if you can find it when you need it. When I buy a can I take a plastic soda straw, fold the end over to close it and tape it to the side of the can. Drop the spray tube in there and you can just pick it out when you need it.
If you take something apart and retain the small parts in a rectangular dish the parts can sneak into the corners of the dish when you reach in to retrieve them. You'll notice that the bottoms of many soda cans have a deep concave depression. Cut the bottom from the can, turn it over and voila, a small dish without corners. Parts slide out easily. Don't throw the butchered can away. Cut the top off and save the remaining cylinder for shim stock and to cushion stuff in the lathe chucks. Also, these impromptu dishes make nice disposable paint mixing palettes for small jobs.
Styrofoam has many uses in the shop but cutting it neatly with a knife can produce less than optimum results. An electric carving knife works well but, if you don't want to risk divorce, use your bandsaw. Bandsaws also work well for cutting intricate patterns from corrugated cardboard. The blade applies negligible downward pressure so the material is cut without crushing it in the process.
A retired-from-kitchen-duty cookie sheet placed under the lathe bed will make cleaning a lot easier. Just pull it out and dump the swarf into the trash.
Don't throw your old mouse pads away. If you have a flat top headstock cut one to fit there. I keep one on my workbench top to serve as the landing place for the micrometer and calipers. That way, if I'm less than gentle laying them down their landing will be cushioned. I'm sure you'll be able to think of other uses.
