"W.E.Cole" wrote in message
...
I'd like to get a small metal working lathe to use for my robotics hobby,
preferably a table top or workbench type.

FWIW (I'm a newbie, so it's not worth much...) I've got a Sherline and I
find that it really is very limited in terms of what it can handle. The
issues a (1) when you put a chuck and drill bit into the tailstock, to
center-drill a piece, there is very little room left for the piece; (1a) the
chuck capacity is 1/4", which is a bit too small for a 1/4" square boring
tool to fit, so boring holes is kind of problematic; (2) the diameter that
can fit through the spindle is very small, so for almost any workpiece
you're limited by the length of the bed; and (3) not being able to thread
(without an attachment that costs as much as the lathe did and that is
turned by crank rather than by motor) is a bit of a pain.

It's a great little lathe for doing very small work, but when working on
anything bigger than about 1.5"D x 3"L I start running into limits. I'm
sure a smarter machinist than me would know tricks to get around those
limits, to some extent, but for me they're a problem. If I had the space
I'd be seriously thinking about something bigger.