John,
Just to start you out easy. I know just a little bit more than nothing myself. but I have driled things with a chuck on my lathe.
the drill chuck mounts in the tail stock. so in this case it is the wood that is turning and the bit is setting still.
mount your project. weed pot or candle holder in the head stock in whatever manner you can. but remember it is the head stock that will be doing all the holding. one exception to this is if the project is long. which I suspect a candle stick woudl be. then you will need a Steady Rest. you can look that up in one of the woodturning mags. to help understand what that is.
the drill is mounted in the chuck that is in the tail stock. turn the lathe to whatever speed is needed for your drill speed. I usually do very slow and speed it up until I am happy. you may want to find some sort of guide to give you at least a ball park speed to be at. you then advance the tail stock and thus the dril bit into the project. in the case of my metal lathe where I want the hole very exact I actually tightne the tail stock down and advance the bit with the Handel on the tail stock. for less precision work I think you could leave the tail stock loose and actually push it forward with your hands. for your weed pots and holders you woudl want a certain depth. if your tail stock ram does not have measurments on it you can put soem on it to indicate your depth of hole.
hope that makes since and helps.
