On Dec 19, 9:39*pm, "Michael Koblic" wrote:
DoN. Nichols wrote:
The question is -- do you want to be able to cut threads? *If
not, then it could certainly do what you need for small things. *(How
big a circle do you need to handle to make your solar powered
hourglasses. :-)

I am pretty much looking at it as two distinctly separate jobs:

1) The dial faces. Those will need something big if I want to expand in the
future. The biggest one now is 4.5" so a mini should be able to face it and
edge it. OTOH I have a nice 9" piece sitting in a drawer waiting for
attention. ....

At this point I see no need to cut threads. However, as these things often
work out, I will want to cut one the moment I buy the Taig :-)
...
O.K. *It all depends on how much you plan to turn things which
are about four times longer than their diameter. *For that (or longer)
you will need the tailstock.

For the gnomons pretty essential ...

Michael Koblic,
Campbell River, BC

I believe you're ready for this suggestion now:

A well-worn old industrial lathe just might do everything you need, if
you can find a working one cheap enough. For example:
http://nh.craigslist.org/tls/941489353.html

They aren't worth much if the bed is badly worn or a valuable feature
like threading doesn't work, but you don't seem to need high precision
or custom threads.

A leather belt drive, threaded spindle and single phase motor decrease
it's usefulness for a business but not so much for a home shop.

A problem is finding a cheap one that isn't hopelessly gonzo unless
you buy three $500 factory repair parts. That can be an issue with
South Bend, for instance. Mine has several non-standard and home made
replacement parts, some hacked out by the trade school students who
(ab)used it before me.

I think you've rehearsed your spiel on us enough to recite it in
machinists' terms to the seller, who hopefully understands the lathe's
condition and would know if it would serve your needs.

Good Luck
Jim Wilkins