I have the opportunity to buy a South Bend lathe. It is a 16"x12' bed.
It won't turn but about 9' between centers though. It has a motor
with 4 v-belts jackshafted to a 4 step flat pully up to the headstock.
It is fairly old (I think the headstock is babbit bearings) but is is
pretty good shape considering it has set in a tractor shed for the last
10 years, getting a douche of diesel every month to keep it from
rusting. It has a 4 jaw chuck and he said there might be some other
tooling somewhere(?) I am a woodworker with dreams of turning long
bedposts on it if nothing else, but if it cheap enough I may sell it and
buy some woodworking tools with the profit. I saw where one almost like
it (10'bed) did not sell on Ebay for the $2750.00 start price.

What should I offer for this?

Thanks

Jamie Norwood