Thread: A real optimist
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Posted to rec.crafts.woodturning
Graham Graham is offline
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Default A real optimist

On 2018-03-10 12:35 PM, wrote:
On Friday, March 9, 2018 at 11:08:12 PM UTC-6, graham wrote:
On 2018-03-09 9:19 PM,
wrote:
On Friday, March 9, 2018 at 8:12:27 PM UTC-6, graham wrote:
Or an ignoramus!
http://tiny.cc/s76ory
He's asking C$1500 for a lathe that is worth only $100.
Graham

I like the "new condition" statement. A 40-50 year old lathe that has been used some, is "new condition". Ha Ha. I like that it comes with a 40-50 year old version of a Harbor Freight lathe tool set. I guess everything at Harbor Freight was copied from somewhere else.

I think 1500 Canadian is about $1200 USA dollars. The lathe is an old Delta when they called themselves Rockwell. So it has history and a good reputation for quality. But it is just a 12" swing, 36" length lathe with pulleys and maybe a 1 HP motor. So a few hundred US dollars is top price. Maybe, maybe, maybe $300 USD if the stars are all aligned and you have a couple lucky charms and the buyer is not too swift.

But you need a wrench to move the tool rest banjo and tail stock and the
tool post holder is also poor. US$300 will buy you a much superior lathe.


Yes you need a wrench or socket to move the banjo on the lathe bed. But Harbor Freight sells them for $3.99. Just keep one sitting next to the lathe. Not that big a deal. Not sure why you feel the tool rest post holder on the banjo is bad? It squeezes the tool post. It has a sliding bar in the one rest to simply and easily squeeze the post. The other rest is missing the sliding bar but it can easily be replaced with a long bolt and nut. I'm sure Robust and Oneway use some kind of internal cam system now days to squeeze the post. But this is a 1960s lathe and anything of comparable value today does not have the Robust/Oneway cam system on the banjo.

$300 today may get you a name brand Jet or Delta mini lathe, maybe on sale. Regular price is $100+ more than $300. I'm sure Harbor Freight and some of the others sell mini lathes for around $300. I would not call that comparable. And you get the $25 pre Harbor Freight turning tools to practice sharpening on your grinder!

Yebbut!
A few specs:
11" swing over bed
15" swing over 3" gap
36" between centres
3/4" - 16 LH outboard spindle thread
7/8" - 14 RH inboard thread

That inboard thread is a bummer, IMO.