Delta's Midi Lathe offer - a question

Get the tools, if you don't like the lathe in a little while you don't have an extension to get rid off also, and by the time you have the turning under control, and if you still want to do furniture, you always can buy that extension yet, but whatever you do, you will need those turning tools to get there.

I have read in these NGs (somewhere, sometime recently) that the Delta tools are "for crap" (for lack of the original quote). I would get the bed extension and buy the highly praised HSS Harbor Freight tool set of 8 for $35.99 (Or another mini set, easily seen for $30). If you ever return the lathe they might demand the bed extention, and if they do not then it won't hurt to have it and sell it on eBay, you'll still have the good tools for use with another lathe. Not intended as "my plan for your future", but it is what I would do. Many others here would happily suggest the Jet mini lathe as a worthy and high quality starter.

Alex

I'm not sure if I'll need the stability or not, since I've got 120# of

(snip)

Let me get this straight, you are not made of money, yet you are going to make your lathe stand of $8-$10/BF MESQUITE? I have the lathe you are getting (not a bad lathe for a beginner, I've been happy with it for about a year). I made a stand out of construction lumber, 2x6 legs and 2x12 top, the legs splay at about a 7 degree angle to the sides and 5 degrees to the front and back. Tied together with drywall screws and 3/4 plywood sides, 2 2x4 stringers at the bottom. Made a melemine drawer unit to fit inside the base, tapered front to back but not side to side. Filled with tools, sandpaper, blanks, etc., it weights the lathe just fine. Send me the mesquite and I'll build you one in exchange! ??

Here's the deal with that- The steel is cheap because I am a steel sawyer by trade, and get it at cost. The Mesquite was free because my father found it quite some time ago when he was working as a long-haul truck driver. I don't have a use for 8/4 mesquite right this minute, so I'm going to use it as a really nice looking lathe mount, and then if I discover a good use for it later, I won't have chopped it up into something I didn't want or need!

Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

sell the Mesquite on eBay and use the money to buy a Nova

Dale

That's quite a bit more Mesquite than I've got, I'm afraid. I'd have to sell my van to get one of those! Anyhow, I can't really sell the wood or give it away- if I decide I don't want it (which isn't going to happen, I just don't want to use it foolishly), he'd want it back. It'll make a real fine lathe stand in the meantime- heavy and dimentionally stable, as well as nice looking. Just long enough to give turning a bit off the end a go, too. It's not going to be the lathe stand forever, just until I find something else to use for it, and I have a good use for the mesquite- probably some shallow bowls or chessmen.

Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

Say what? You're gonna need wood for turning aren't you?

Barry

Haven't tried the Delta tools, but I think I'd get the extension. With sets you usually get a few tools you use a lot, and several that never see the light of day.

Re: the mesquite, make a chess table with it and sell it and buy the tools.

It's nice having a classy shop, but most of the time you won't be able to even see it for all the shavings!

Just my .02 worth...

...Kevin

Thanks for the lead- and sorry to be so tardy in replying, my ISP just switched News servers, and they still aren't running the thing correctly.

I've got some 9/4 Basswood earmarked for learning to turn. Seems like a foolish idea to use the rarest and most expensive wood I've got the first time I turn my lathe on! I've got a bunch of other wood to work through first, that mesquite is being saved until I've either got a better bandsaw for resawing it into veneer, or have refined my turning skill enough to be sure it's not going to be a total waste.

...

I went for the extension