Cheap lathes and eBay

Pens, Planes and Procrastinations: In the Beginning

My first wood lathe was Brooks Crompton lathe I picked up for $150 on eBay. It is the same as the old GMC, Ryobi and many other cheap lathes rebadged for many manufacturers. For a beginner it was good. Four speeds changed by a belt pulley. The tail stock was a little flimsy and the thread on the head stock thin. However it could fit a chuck, that combined with a faceplate added versatility for this beginner. The only problem was that the tailstock did not have a removable enter. I knocked up a few bowls and pens before deciding to upgrade. I sold it on to another newbie for $100 and hope it is still out there somewhere. It's certainly not fantastic but was a great intro.