Past due for a tool post... A new Lathe

If you've been following this space, you may be wondering why no cool new tools have been featured lately. Its simple - I'm hoarding my cash away in ETF's and reassuring myself that long term gain is more important than new toys. WHICH IS TRUE.

But every now and then I slip up and buy something because - WOW! Shiney!

Which is exactly how I ended up with with a Beaver/Rockwell lathe in the garage over thanksgiving weekend. You may wonder what I am going to do with this lathe, and honestly, so do I. But lately I have been tinkering in the garage - I even made a coin bank for Buddy, and a thing that makes a galloping horse sound because... WOW, Shiney!! Lookit that lathe!

(BTW a galloping horse noisemaker in the hands of boys can get very annoying.)

So anyways, I was thumbing through Kijiji on a slow day and came across an ad from an estate sale for a lathe and tools for a good price, so I went and had a look. The seller was a retired school principal whose Dad had recently died, and they had sold everything off, but this lathe. The more of the story he told, the lower the price got, and the more stuff there was that got thrown in.

There were two tool rests, a sanding drum, a pile of tapers - some with centres, some without. a threading die, chisels and gouges and parting tools.

Most of the tools are made of Sheffield steel or german steel. The newer tools are from Eatons, made here in Canada. Some of the handles are in rough shape. Old chisels get like that.

Once the lathe was home, it took some work to clear out a corner of the garage, but I managed to fit it in. It looks small and forlorn over there. I need to install the motor properly and rewire the switch/cord. Then we'll see what this tool can teach me.