Well, it sure isn't perfect, but I learned much. The balsa was quite soft, but not the same density throughout. So if I sanded free hand, I got shallow divots. If I sanded with a sanding block, it wanted to bounce and I got mountains and valleys.
My cheap lathe doesn't have a live center in the tailstock, so it wanted to bounce around and shift a lot. I've got to see if I can find a live center that will fit it. I also need to learn how to properly sharpen lathe tools. They don't seem to be as simple as chisels or planes.
I noticed that when necking down the tip of the nose cone, the soft grain would shift and slip internally, and the previously straight nose cone would take on a "C" shape, so the last 1" or so of the tip was finished off the lathe.
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