Hello,

I recently took a voc. school course on woodworking and got a little
time in on the small Delta/Rockwell lathes they had. As a result, I
decided that it's time to add a lathe to my woodworking tools...
Obviously, some of you would suggest lathes that are way out of my
price range, with full complement of the best tools made by men- so
I'm not going to ask! Next Friday, I'm going out to pick up a Delta
Midi Lathe (an early Christmas present from the wife) and I've got
the coupon from the Delta Owner's group for a free bed extension or
set of turning tools. Here's the dilemma I'm facing, in a nutshell-
The lathe is going to be used for chessmen (and Christmas ornaments-
part of the devil's bargin I made to get my present early!) but I'd
like to eventually make spindle legs for chess tables as well. (I've
been making boards for a while now, and am thinking of selling full
sets once my quality is up to snuff) The lathe extension would
obviously be a great help in making legs, and adding stability. I'm
not sure if I'll need the stability or not, since I've got 120# of
steel tubing (to be filled with concrete for even greater wieght) and
about 70# of Mesquite earmarked for making the lathe stand, but I'm
sure it can't hurt anything, either! But I also can't afford to get
a good set of turning tools until after the hollidays, and I'm going
to want to play with my new toy, not just let it sit idle for a couple
of months.

So, I'm left debating whether I should go with the tools or the
extension- There's a big difference in the cost of the two items, so
the tools looked like the way to go at first, especially since they're
what I need the most right away, but I don't want to waste the
opportunity to get the extension free if I'm just going to have to get
a better set of tools in a few months. Has anyone used Delta's set of
eight turning tools, and if so, are they worth having for a novice
turner? I don't mind doing a little extra finishing work, but I don't
want complete junk cluttering up my shop either... For a little
perspective on the issue, the tools I learned to turn with were "Buck
Bros." (I'm not sure if those are good or bad, it's just info) and
they were just sufficient for my purpose- if the Deltas are better
than that, that's what I'd like to get! If they're inferior to that,
I'll just suck it up and wait until I can get a good set.

Any thoughts?
Aut inveniam viam aut faciam