Ten years ago I found an old Atlas Craftsman 6" swing x 24" centers for $700. Then I spent another $300 to get it running, mostly buying gears that the previous owner destroyed. It came with a welded stand and oil tight pan that it sits in. Plus three chucks and a bunch of tooling. I just upgraded to a wedge type toolpost, quick change tool holders and carbide tools. That was anothe $300, not including other miscellaneous items and loading up on various sizes of steel, aluminum and delrin to make pieces parts. This old lathe is a whole lot better built than the Chi-Com stuff out there. BTW, it took me almost a year to find this "deal." I passed in other machines in this size category that were upwards of $1,500 without all the extras I got with mine. It's really hard to find these machines any more. They get willed from one family to another, and rarely make it to the public domain. Good luck!
Something like this? https://siouxfalls.craigslist.org/tls/5814541189.htmlThat thing is huge! Plus out of my price range. I see where you are coming from though. I'll keep my eyes on craigslist and see what rolls around. I was surprised to see as many as I did when I searched for them.Thanks for the input.
If you're just starting to learn, YouTube can be your friend! Here's a site with a lot of great info. He has a bunch of videos. The more you know, the better the decision you will make on your hunting and purchase.Ted
I like the nice compact 36 bed on the 9A - and all the power feed features.