I actually had a small toy sears lathe in the '80's, but I gave it away
because it wasn't very good and I wasn't really interested in turning. I
have a modest amount of woodworking experience, but not with a lathe. I am
about as green as you can get, a total newbie.

I went to this guy's shop to look at something else and saw this PM 90 3ph
and he sold it to me for $350.
It had been one of those in a school auction that he just wanted to get rid
of, since he had closed his shop. The base cabinet needs to be redone
(sandblasted and painted) but it is not too rusty. The lathe has little
rust and looks pretty clean, though I will surely paint it the original "pea
green" and polish it up.

So I am not going to turn many pens with it, but it will make some spindles
and be a good toy. I don't know whether I can find a duplicator for it, but
that would be nice later. I don't have any tools and only one tool rest,
but I am sure that they will come in time. Right now it is sitting on the
floor inside my shop door disassembled and sometimes I hear a small voice
comming from that direction saying "fix me!"....

I plan to buy a book on turning and learn to do some basic stuff at first.
It may take a while but I hope to "get there" in time. I may never be as
good as those of you who have a great passion to work your lathes daily and
I honestly don't aspire to do alot of what I have seen posted. To me it is
a tool to help me with cabinet work and maybe to help me relieve some
stress.

But I am looking forward to reading posts here and maybe someday
contributing.

Enough musing for now.

Hope you all have a great Christmas!!!!!!

woodstuff