hello all

[junglist]

Hello all ..... Im posting this because i got sum sh!# for asking a question without introduceing myself... I come in peace hungry and thirsty for knowledge.... Im also a chef with wisdom and many talents im willing to contribute 14 years learning glass hands on and by reading alott of info frm books and internet research...im determined to get a lathe got 5k saved cant wait .....cant wait...

[Bo Diddles]

Welcome...

[junglist]

Thx

Jon.

[Greymatter Glass]

There... that wasn't so hard.

$5000 can buy you a decent used lathe Made in the USA. I have seen Litton lathes selling for $5000 multiple times. You have to find auctions that no one else is on to yet... craigslist is a goldmine, so is ebay.... but you have to know what you're getting and if you come here and post a link to it and ask "is this a good lathe" then chances are you won't get that lathe. So do your homework, talk to someone who knows lathes that is NOT looking to buy one. Find someone in your area who has a lathe that will let you look it over and explain what's good and not good about it (unless it's brand new, every used lathe has _SOMETHING_ going on, even if it's just chipped paint)

Also, keep in mind many lathes you'll find will NOT come with accessories. You should know what you'll need in addition: chucks, torches, hoses, tools. if your budget is $5000 for _EVERYTHING_ you're probably looking at $2500-3000 for the lathe and chucks, and the rest in tools and torches. That makes things harder.

As for lathes from overseas, I personally would never bother with them. There's too much risk in getting ripped off, damage in transit will be almost impossible to claim for recovery, and in the end you'll probably get something that will be inferior to a domestic lathe for about the same price. I would put money on a 20+ year old litton being a better tool than a brand new lathe from China or india. plus, you can call Litton and speak to someone in English, and get parts and tools quickly.


Anyways, use the search function: http://www.talkglass.com/forum/search.php

I would suggest starting with basics like "lathe" and progressively tuning it to get better results.

[Swampy]

Welcome in Jon.

[Julian]

Cool, welcome to the forum! I'm seeking a lathe too... sooner or later the right one will drop by. That's what the advice columns tell me, anyway.

[Firefingers]

Welcome m8 and good luck in your endeavor's we all are looking forward to each others progression here, I think some of us just get frustrated along the way and take it out on others too... Just brush them off, remind them of your intentions, and usually someone else will back it up as with the true blue in the real too...

ps ya ever find a 2nd $5000 dollar lathe worth working on I truly hope ya keep me in mind and I will promise to do the same

[glassdocnc]

Hi Jon. Welcome. Whatcha been making while you are waiting to score a lathe? Post up some pics.

[jac1961]

Howdy dudie!

Looking forward to seeing your glass.