[EricH]

Originally Posted by jblay

As 330 has shown you don't really need a lathe you just need a mentor with the patience to do it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwDFD-TjDFU

After that year, 330 got a new lathe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icWuYQ6m8js

Note that while the drill sped up the process, using a drill in a side-load application is NOT recommended.

It really depends on what you need to do. Drill a lot of holes? Make round parts? Make pockets or patterns? What you need to do will drive your decision more than any other factor.