[cannonfodder]

Nothing as heavy as the Nova. The right tool for the right job, I plan on turning handles for brushes, protafilters for espresso machines, maybe a small bowl or two in it. I was looking at miniature lathes but they are just too small and limited but I did not need a large full size lathe. Dad use to work for ShopSmith so he has a 3 car garage turned wood shop with everything I could ever have use of, but I did not want to go over there and use his big Mark 5, it will turn 16 inch over swing so you can do some big wood on it, although the variable speed adjustment is very nice. No need to change belt positions, just turn up the dial.

I ended up picking up a mid sized Delta LA200 bench top. It gives me 10 inch swing over bed so it will handle what I will be turning on a regular basis with no issue. The lathe is short so it fits in a small work space nicely and will take 14 inch between centers. I do have the bed extension so if I need I can go out 37 inches. It will turn from 500 to 3700 with belt adjustments. I also got the 4 jaw mandrel, a full set of tools (10), a set of mini tools for pens and a pen mandrel along with some other odds and ends. I picked it all up for $400 from a guy that used is for about a year. He was hard up for cash. Down side, he had no clue how to sharpen tools. It looks like he was using a bench grinder on the tools. Dad has a sharpening rig for his strip sander to do the turning tools, as well as drawer full of tools, so we will be grinding out the damage and putting a proper edge on them. It is just right for what I will be doing. If I find myself needing to turn a 3 foot diameter bowl, I will go over to dads and use his. He is in the western Ohio wood workers association and has a wall full of ribbons from shows.

I have been doing wood work for several years off and on but this is my first foray into the turning world. It really is not that difficult, you just have to learn the technique but I have a good teacher. No photos but I will take one when I get home.