OK, there's been one too many minor gunsmithing projects where a lathe would have been handy (such as making a special size aluminum pillar to pillar bed a 10/22) so I'm now contemplating purchase of a mini-lathe.
The biggest constraint - which I recognize will eliminate what any machinist would consider "serious" tools - is size and weight; to make a long story short, I need something one fit man can reasonably be expected to lift up and places on a sturdy workbench when used, and taken off and put away when done. I'd like something that will take parts up to about a foot long, be capable of all your typical lathe operations including threading, with decent accuracy.
It's not going to be a "production" lathe, but a hobbyist lathe - I figure something a bit more rigid and stable than the old "Unimat" machines.
Any suggestions?
