Bedtime

Today I made up the lathe bed. It is made of laminated 3/4 inch oak plywood. I went with the oak because I want it to match my router table and my planer/spindle sander table. So, the lathe itself will be finished in the golden oak oil and the stand will be red. The plans call for the exposed edges of the plywood to serve as the ways. I want a more finished, furniture look so I made these pieces to cover the edges. They overhang the front and back of each way 1/2 inch. The inside overhang will serve a purpose later on. As I began to count the expenditures and future purchases, I realize that my 100/150 dollar estimate may be a tad optimistic. I need about 80 bucks worth of hardwood for the head and tailstocks and a sheet of MDF for the stand. Still, I think 2 bills will cover the whole thing. Money is pretty tight right now so I will have to set it aside for a while until we catch up.