Some years ago I bought a little variable speed Carbatec lathe from a
wood turner that was so frustrated with his failed pen making business
that he put an ad in the paper to sell it.

I felt bad for the old couple and since I was running flush at the
time paid a little more than I would have normally for a new tool.
However, when I got it home I felt like it was worth every penny.

It is smooth, quiet, portable, and really fun to turn on. It is like
having turning on a very precise machine, and with the variable speed,
you can burn off pens, finials, Christmas ornaments, etc, really
quickly. Since it is so small it seems to give a better sense of
precision (maybe my imagination) when turning. I like the fact that
mine goes down to about 350 rpms, all the way up to 4500 for finishing
and polishing.

And since it is so small, you can finish up and put it on the shelf at
the end of the day.

Robert