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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BillM" data-source="post: 3986766" data-attributes="member: 45785">Thanks! As for "Would love to have a lathe..." that's like planting trees. The best time would have been at least 20 years ago. Next best time is today. <img src="/images/smilies/wink.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" data-shortname=";)" /> The 7x10 & 7x12 mini-lathes from Harbor Freight are not wonderful lathes, but they are USABLE lathes. They're light enough that you can move one by yourself if needed, and can produce good parts if you take the care to make good parts within their work envelope. Right now, there are 3 lathes on craigslist, including two Hardinge lathes that are not a lot more than a few hundred to about twice the cost of a Harbor Freight 7x10, $1000 and $1500 respectively, and one Summit lathe for $4K with tooling. Neither of the Hardinge lathes come with tooling, and you can expect to spend at least as much on tooling as the lathe itself cost. Fortunately, you usually don't need to buy it all at once. You can also make some of what you need. If you start with the 7x lathe, and build up your tooling slowly as you learn to use the machine, you can upgrade to a larger machine that uses MT3 & MT2 tooling and not spend a dime more on tooling for the same capabilities as your 7x with the exception that your work envelope would expand. If you wanted to move the chuck(s) you'd need new backplates, but you can make your own if you have the right materials stash. <img src="/images/smilies/wink.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" data-shortname=";)" /> My upgrade if that sort was to buy a $750 Atlas TH42, that is a 10"x24" with a 1-1/2"-8tpi spindle. I also bought a new 6" 4-jaw independent jaw chuck and backplate for it. Could have used the 5" 4-jaw, and 3" 3-jaw chucks on it, but was planning on keeping the 7x10. Until a friend offered to trade his ratty old Unimat and some cash for my 7x10 with enough tooling to be usable.  See the SL-1000 photo attached. He gave me enough money on top of the lathe, with 5" 4-jaw & 3" 3-jaw chucks, an OXA QCTP, and a pile centers, cutting tools, and such, to buy the 2nd Unimat. See the second attachment. It's a Unimat DB-200, which is essentially the same as the SL1000. All the SL & DB parts are interchangeable and tooling that fits either will also fit the other. Those were exceptionally good deals for someone with access to larger machines to make stuff for them, though much of what I've made could have been made on the Unimats, too. Just a great deal more slowly. I also got enough money in the deal to buy new belts and bearings for my restoration work on these micro-lathes. And lots of plans for them. <img src="/images/smilies/wink.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" data-shortname=";)" /> I have lathes much larger than these, but not as good as the ones I mentioned form Craigslist. But the sooner you start, the sooner you'll be able to do what you want with a lathe. I wound up going back to school to relearn what all I'd forgotten from the class I took now very nearly 50 years ago.</blockquote>

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