I was at Harbor Freight when they opened this morning, and the truck was
already there. Checking the brochure, I noticed that the lathe went on sale
this morning, so I gave out a whoop. Five minutes later, the box was up front,
and I was counting out the money. I was swaggering as I walked from my truck
to my upstairs bedroom, for the lathe weighs almost as much as I do, and I was
working without a hand truck. When I opened the box, I discovered that the
machine is red, which brought a smile to my face. According to the manual, the
lathe is supposed to come with a chuck key, which I discovered to be missing,
though I didn't concern myself about this too much, for I decided that I could
easily fabricate one out of some key metal. Also, as though to make up for
this, the package included an extra set of gears, which I decided was more than
an even trade. I am still setting the machine up, and am looking forward to
cutting a test bar, and facing off a plate. I guess I will be needing to get a
micrometer and a straight edge in the near future. I am a happy camper!

Michael

Michael Mandaville