First Lathe - 2 Buy or 2 Beg to Lend!!

[manirban73]

So, not sure how to phrase this question - but here it goes, it's certainly worth the shot.

This musical instrument refurb I'm working on - I need to make 30 - 35 tuning pegs of 3 different sizes - I'd like to turn them using a rigged up duplicator on a small mini / midi-lathe. Right now I'm working on the engineering drawings using some CAD software - I'll be using them to make my templates.

So, what do I have so far - templates - check... source for wood (butternut) - check.... turning tools - check.. what am I missing here....
Oh.. the lathe...

So, long story short, I'm not very sure on the longterm committment to woodturning (yet), and this is kind of a one-time project - my options are
a) I can buy a new lathe
b) I can look out for and buy a used lathe,
c) I can ask the kind samaritans here for help...

After all of that - here's my question - would a kind soul here be wiling to lend me a mini / midi lathe for a few weekends while I get the tuning pegs turned? If I get hooked on turning, I'm more than willing to buy a lathe - in fact, I put in an ad on CL and got a response for a very very good deal, so I do have a backup plan, and the gentleman who responded is being quite generous with his offer.

Any thoughts, suggestions - are sincerely welcome!

 

[clowman]

If you could find someone with a lathe that would be willing to lend it to you, you definitely can't go wrong there. Rikon makes a nice midi, so does jet, and delta. I think that several people have bought and liked the lathe that Harbor Freight sells. The problem... people with lathes, will likely go into withdrawl if they loaned theirs out. I would...

Oh yeah, also, NCWWer has a Goodwill lathe program, where there is a lathe that is loaned out to members in good standing. Problem with that is, you have to wait until it is availiable, and go through a nomination process. That would be an option to you if you were willing to wait. I know that several people have benefited from the Goodwill lathe program.

Here is a typical nomination process for the lathe. Also, on page 2, there is an explaination of what the goodwill lathe is all about.