Hah! Do you remember how we met? It's been a long time indeed.
place the tool rest in the wrong place causing the lathe to catch the tool and pull your hands toward the chuck area where the machine's turning power
That's exactly what I think about when seeing ppl turn wood. "Mess with the angle and that tool is gonna fly". I've certainly seen ppl break tools on metal lathes before and it's quite a bang.
Dad used to buy wooden handles from a local machinist back then. Wondering if the guy is still working.
Anyway. I guess this occupatiom is pretty much disappearing since CNC machines mass produce everything nowdays.
For sure, this is a much more likely outcome... the tool, or handle, breaking.
Also, what I've experienced is the piece you're turning just flying of the chuck. This happened to me about 4 times in a row when I was turning a large-ish bowl about a month ago. Eventually, I realized I was making a cut against the end grain and adjusted to a grain supported cut, and hay presto the bowl stayed attached to the lathe.
I'm not 100% certain, but I remember seeing a blog you were writing in 2017 about a long distance cycling trip you had been on in south America. I think that was the first blog of yours I commented on?... but my memory is shit these days so could be wrong 😆