I’m tellin’ ya, the Good Lord is really looking out for me .

Late last night I was cruisin’ Craigslist as usual because of things exactly like this.

I stumbled a cross what the guy says is basically a brand new, in the box, upgraded tailstock for a mini lathe.

Says he sold his mini lathe ages ago but ran across this box when he was cleaning up his basement and didn’t need it.

The ad said it has the cam lever clamp system and the paint is chipped in a couple of places.

Fifty Bucks.

Beings as it was about one in the morning, I just left the tab open on my laptop.

Then I forgot about it of course.

I was doing yard work earlier then started farting around out in the garage. A trip to Harbor Freight presented its self for a new wire wheel so I headed over there. As I’m standing there shopping the wire wheel selection I happened to turn around and here sits the same mini lathe they have had on display for the last five years that I know of. I noticed it’s getting pretty shabby looking and start checking it out when the light came on.

SHIT!

I got my stuff and hauled ass back to the house. Refreshed the tab on the computer and the Craigslist ad is still there.

Ask the Wifely Unit if she has any cash, was asked why, told her and she coughed up what I was short to buy the thing. Responded by Email because no phone number and waited. Was right in the middle of eating when I thought to check my mail. Got an address and hauled ass over to Portland.

Nice guy, British accent, handed him the money and threw the thing on the seat and came home.

Sweetness and light, I have been wanting one of these since the day I got that miserable sonofabitch.

I had already modified mine, they come with a nut and a cheap Chinesium wrench they want you to snake down in to get at it when the tailstock is close to the top slide which is pretty much always.

So I made a whole new clamp, stud, riser and handle. Much better but still not what I wanted,

Then I messed up the locating groove on the bottom plate trying to lap the thing in better by using some emery cloth glued to the ridge which caused it to wander when it slid back and forth. Of course you can’t buy just that one piece, you gotta buy the whole tailstock and thanks to the Kung Flu, The Little Machine Shop has been closed for a month.

No need now.

This, is what the doctor ordered, at half the price, before shipping!

It still has the chintzy little clamping plate under it so I am going to see about swapping that somehow but I am just tickled spitless that I finally got the real deal!

Now to clean it up a bit more and see about that swap.