First things first with a new lathe?

She's a keeper!
-brino

EDIT to be clear, I mean the wife, not the lathe!
 
Just about every machined surface and edge are rough gives no confidence level of any quality just slapped together at the cheapest lowest level.
Really no point getting a larger heavier lathe if you don't need it the weight is an issue if you need to move it at any time. Currently, I am looking at a small mill but they soon get weighty and no good if you have to move or downsize workshop.
 
Stockyj said:
Just about every machined surface and edge are rough gives no confidence level of any quality just slapped together at the cheapest lowest level.
Really no point getting a larger heavier lathe if you don't need it the weight is an issue if you need to move it at any time. Currently, I am looking at a small mill but they soon get weighty and no good if you have to move or downsize workshop.
Click to expand...

Well, the issue is that I REALLY want that 1.5" hole in the spindle and chuck. That is a pretty limiting factor looking for a smallish lathe. So I am looking for the smallest, lightest lathe I can find that has that specific feature. Really limits me, I know.

As for moving the lathe, once I put it in place, it will likely stay there till I die. I hate to put it in the garage, but that might be the only feasible option. I have a house, detached garage, and three outbuildings and space is just a major premium here. When as a kid my mom told me "better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it", I REALLY took that to heart. I rotate through my hobbies, but never throw anything away from any of them even when they go out of focus.
 
Nothing to do with your specific situation, but - My wife is Vietnamese, when we go to visit, we always carry "stuff" for family. One of the first years visiting, I balked as many of the items were "made in China". I pointed out that Vietnam and China share a border, and wouldn't these items be cheaper purchased in Vietnam? Her answer was that China dumps their "seconds", or defective stuff in Vietnam. Just think of the issues the Vietnamese have with Chinese product quality!
 
Regarding Vietnam, I bought a Mitsubishi tractor, made in Japan, used for a few years and sent to Vietnam for a complete overhaul. They told me no two parts were left attached. It really was beautifully done, with a front loader and backhoe. So good stuff can be gotten. Though there was one added decal that I never even came close to figuring out what it meant.
 
As I read this thread, I recall all the posters who have said something like “I want to buy new so I don’t have problems with a used machine”.

I am also recalling the very first joke I heard as a child, which was “if this isn’t a real diamond in this ring I’ve been skun out of twenty bucks”. I had to have it explained. :)
 
Interesting development. The seller issued a return label for the lathe. Through USPS. Yeah, I can just see the look on the faces of the postal workers when I show up with that 183 lb crate with the return label slapped on it. :)
 
After contacting Ebay about this, they stepped in and I guess slapped the seller around a bit. I got a call today that UPS Freight will be picking up the lathe (in crate) tomorrow. I sure will be glad to put this behind me.
 
Well that ragbag lathe is on it's way back to the seller. Now we'll see how long it takes to get my refund.

Looking hard at getting a Precision Matthews lathe now. Still made in China, but they would have to put in an extraordinary amount of effort to send me one as bad as the one I just got rid of. Anyway, not keen on wrestling around with a nearly 500 lb lathe, but I guess I can do it. Getting a work table shipped in and looking into which local trucking company might be best to deal with. I think picking the lathe up at the local terminal and having them put the lathe into the bed of the truck might be easier than working from the back of an 18 wheeler to transfer it over.
 
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