At my local supply house, one of the "master turners" has warned against doing any outboard turning--as a matter purely of safety. I have a General 160 and have the capability to do outboard turning, but I do not have a stand. I would like to do some larger diameter projects so the outboard turning is very appealing.

A few questions...as long as I reverse the direction of the spin (to prevent faceplate from backing off), can outboard turning be done safely?
What is a good outboard stand/tool rest to purchase?

Thanks.