Hi Susan,
Dowel making- The way I did this is:
1. by placing the broken dowel by the ruler at opposite end of the room from the lathe.
2. Made note of where the start-end of the thin portion of the dowel is situated - If I remember right at 3 and ~10 or 11 - please check the end part.
3. Then tested which controls on the lathe works for what.
a. After using goggles, click the unprepared dowel on the on/off part of lathe at left side - dowel inserted then.
b. The needle/saw at center can be moved right-left. Place the needle/saw at position 3.
b. Then adjust the switch on the right for the correct depth of the saw/needle. Left - not touching, middle - slight groove made and the right setting is the deepest cuts.
---- So use the deepest-rightmost setting.
---- Cut this way moving the saw going to the right.
---- Then note that the original broken dowel has a small shallower cut at right end.
---- Adjust the depth of the cut to the middle setting on the right switch, the position of the saw to the rightmost part and make that shallow cut.
This should make a dowel Nancy will approve of.

MaG