Well, I picked up a Fisch mini lathe at the WWing show. Came with the bed extension for 299. Its not VS, but since the whole compartment covering the pulleys and belt is hinged, it looks like it will be easy to change speeds.
I've got a $10 off coupon for Taunton's too. Which book would you recommend? I've never turned anything. I'll probably start with pens, and then we'll see.
I'm not going to set the thing up till I get a couple of my other projects completed. I also want to figure out what kind of stand I want to build, where to put it, tools, what mask/faceplate, if I can rig up some sort of DC etc.
SWMBO actually encouraged the purchase. 'Course, her favorite color is blue, and she is a bit of a pen geek...