Still standing at the tarmac, looking forward to flying.

[Brian Kent]

Thank you John. I am not looking for extra jaws - just the standard. So you just saved me $30.

[Brian Kent]

First of all, RUN!! Well actually don't. Turning is fun! The Delta has 1x8 threads. I have one and really like it. If you wanna drive out to Alabama I'll sell you my PM 90. Ha ha ha....

Depends - is it East Alabama or West Alabama?

[David Warkentin]

Depends - is it East Alabama or East Alabama?

West Alabama, actually!

[Brian Kent]

That's what I meant.

[Keith Westfall]

Brian,

A couple of years ago, I came across a deal that I thought was pretty good. (and everyone deserves one of those once in a while!) A Delta LA 200 midi lathe, with a chuck (can't remember and I'm not home), 8" high speed grinder, about 10 cheap tools and a couple of good ones, about 30 cheap pen kits, pen mandrels, pen drills, 2 boxes of wood, and a whole lot of fun for $550.

Is all the stuff great? No.

I wish for a bigger lathe
a low speed grinder
better tools
etc

But I do have fun with it! Will I upgrade? Not sure. Would be nice, but I'm not a production turner, never have sold anything, and enjoy making the chips! Some will think we all need the biggest, latest & greatest, and the ability to up grade next month, but do we really? I needed more length for a project at Christmas, so I built an extension for my lathe. So far so good.

Don't delay getting started - and start where you can. The rest will come as your able to do it. If I had waited for what I thought I wanted (thought because I had no idea really) I probably still wouldn't be in it.

Lots of good advice on this thread and we all want to have better stuff 'through you', but you have a well thought out plan, so just GET WITH IT!!!

Nothing quite like it...

klw

[Brian Kent]

With fear and trembling…

"Click"

[Prashun Patel]

Brian- I can't say what's right for everyone else, but I can share my experience.

People 'round this forum (no pun intended) tend to recommend getting a lot of tutelage in person. However, SMC and Youtube will get you quite far in a short amount of time.

I'd buy the Delta 46-460. If you *really* need to upgrade, then you can resell it; it's a popular model. If budget is an issue, skip the extension and the stand. Make a stand. Buy the xtension later.

Buy a set of Benjamin's best HSS tools or HF tools. Learn to sharpen on cheap tools.

I have the same Delta VS grinder. It works very well. Get a blue Norton 3x wheel for it and a Varigrind jig (if you are planning to make bowls). You can make a Wolverine-style v-arm holder pretty cheaply yrself, but the Varigrind is great. Get the old style version; since its pivot is not captive, you can use it with a homemade v-arm.

If you really have to, you can defer the chuck purchase. However, I find it invaluable. I have a Nova G3. Before pulling the trigger, give Sean a call over @ Toolnut and check out any deals that might be coming up. They're great.

[Baxter Smith]

With fear and trembling…

"Click"

Congrats on your choice Brian. You will enjoy it....whatever it was!

[Dan Hintz]

Had to jump in...

All equipment is skyrocketing in price, not just lathes. I have a guy coming later this evening to purchase my Jet 1642 so I can get the Robust put up. He's paying $1,800 and a few Walnut blanks for it. I purchased it about a year ago for $1,300, but never got around to actually using it. I'm making a 40% profit on the sale, and he's still saving 15% on the cost of one shipped from the factory. Had I actually used the lathe, I would still likely be making a profit on it, just not as much. Makes my 401k gains look positively pathetic in comparison.

My Jet bandsaw? It now costs 25% more than 1.5 years ago (but I've used that quite a bit). Point being, don't worry too much about not getting your money's worth if you decide to upgrade in the future... even used, they hold their value quite well, assuming you don't abuse it.

On used tools... if you're a careful shopper, you can find some really good deals. People like Sorby's... it's a popular brand and good quality, so you'll see newbies buying them in kit form (5-6 tools in a box), only to sell them practically unused a year later when they tire of trying to turn. 50% off of new isn't hard to find, sometimes even cheaper. they can't harm the HSS with improper sharpening, so unless they've ground away too much of the tool it's a good deal. As a general rule, I won't pay more than 50-60% of new if the steel has ever touched a grinder... not because something's wrong, it's just a good bargaining point. Ironically, you'll often fund the junk tools selling for more than those with good steel... no idea on the train of thought involved there. If you purchase tools with a used lathe, I'll consider no-name tools as non-existent when determining purchase value of the lathe, and maybe add 25% of new value if the tool is of good quality. Just personal guidelines, YMMV...

[Brian Kent]

Ordered from Amazon:
Delta 46-460
Extension Bed
Face Shield
Wolverine with Vari-jig

About to order:
Nove G3 chuck
Harbor Freight HSS lathe tools
San Diego Wood Turners membership
Build my own stand with 200 lbs of sand

I went over budget because another unexpected $200 came in. Did not have to sell my right arm or my children. Thank you folks for so much coaching!

[Doug Herzberg]

Welcome to the vortex. Finally. You will love it.

[Roger Wilson]

Finally someone with enough of a money crunch to seriously look at the Resp-O-Rator. You will definitely need a faceshield and personal dust collection. Check out the Resp-O-Rator, $50 with two Hepa filters. Light, no batteries or hoses, can be used with any other equipment.

http://www.resp-o-rator.com/

youtube video on its use by the inventor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR9BAB8k9dI

[Roger Chandler]

Wooo hooooo! Congratulations Brian..........looking forward to pics of your setup, your first turning [just so you know, a bonker is a prerequisite! ] Any time you need help.........the folks here at the turning forum on SMC will do what they can to help you, but your most valuable learning tool to start is your local turning club.......

Nothing like some one on one, hands on tutoring about tool presentation and sharpening, etc. Good luck!

[Jamie Donaldson]

I agree with Prashun on the older Varigrind jig rather than the Model II, which limits some of the variety of possible grind shapes. It was developed to keep the tool safely centered on the grinder wheel, but once you gain experience at sharpening you will find it limits your optional shaping of a number of different tools.