Hi all. I make bamboo fly rods, and at some point, you need to get a metal lathe to do some of the work. I've done a lot of research, and while the Chinese mini lathes are affordable, I'd really rather not go down that road. I like the old iron. My favorite tools were my dad's, some of which he made himself in trade school in the 40s.?

I know the 101s / 618s were better built, but the ones I could afford are basket cases (literally, in pieces, in baskets), and shipping costs are prohibitive.?

I know the 109s have limitations and are primarily hobby lathes, but that's what I'm looking for anyways. I'll be turning down the ends of the rod sections to fit the ferrules, turning reel seat inserts, and turning cork grips, all operations not requiring machinist precision. And I'm hoping to learn the basics of machining and repairing and maintaining old iron lathes so I could eventually get into a larger one down the road.?

I've been looking for a couple months, got outbid on some auctions, and shied away from some truly abused lathes. I know it takes a while to find the right lathe and you should be patient, but is there a reason why there aren't many out there? ?I live in the Chicago area and while there are some big machines for great prices out here, there are rarely any 109s or 101s. Given that Chicago was Sears headquarters, that's surprising to me.?

So here's an idea I have. I'm thinking of buying the pieces on eBay hoping that the shipping would be more reasonable and then put it together. Is there a chance that it could end up being a disaster like that Johnny Cash song where he builds a Cadiilac by stealing pieces over 20 years?

Anyways, thanks for reading. Looking forward to your thoughts on this.?

Jim