Figured I'd keep you updatedG also needing suggestions
things I have done so far are, beef up the toolrest, its now a shaft that
just barely fits in the hole, with a 3/4 inch piece of round steel welded to
the top. and trying to make it easier to move, got a large, much coarser
bolt, welded through a thicker plate on the bottom, going to a nut on the
top(instead of a threaded hole in the plate). still need to: replace the
bushing. grind of the remmenants of the tailstock's locking nut. find a
way to align the damn headstock to the tailstock*grumbles* I have spent 2
hours trying so far, its closer, about a 3 mm difference now, but still
enough that I cannot use the tailstock with a bowl. I was considering
shimming one side of the headstock, so that it would sit higher on the
tracks, but then run into the problem of difference between the points in
height(this is the biggest frustration right now)
second, the way it locks the plate on the bottom of the toolrest slide, is
by having a square plate that when tightened rubs against the sides to
prevent it from rotating instead of tightening. great system, except that
there are very very large ridges inside that make it damn hard to slide
around. so far Im thinking of maybe welding a peg onto the top, and having
it come up through the toolrest slide, on the side facing me(so I don't lose
any distance in the sliding out, and then making a round plate instead.

and then lastly, filing down the rough casting spots, and
refinishing(thinking maybe a nice eye searing yellow, or just clean metal
with a clear coat over to to protect it.
if I can get the pulley pyramid off the shaft, a new headstock shaft will be
in place, to replace the chewed up one. thats where im at now.