1957 Delta Homecraft 46-111 Lathe Restoration

[Aaron Widmyer]

Hey all! this is my 1957 Delta Homecraft 46-111 I bought for $75 last week. I am not new to woodworking but I am new to turning. I have yet to try it as I dont have lathe tools yet and am working on a budget. I figured since I can't use it currently what better time than now to refinish it and make it look new again. I knew I could do that affordably. either way I dont have her all the way back together yet but here are the before and afters thus far. The third pic of the leg on the ground is just showing the old color vs the new color. They are near a perfect match. Any input or advice is welcomed!

Thanks,
Aaron

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[Mike Wilkins]

Great job on the restoration. Looks better than new. As for tools, you could spend more than the price of a lathe on turning tools, chucks and other items. Get a starter set to begin with and start turning some wood. You will gain some experience and later decide what additional tools/accessories you need. Happy turning.

[Frederick Skelly]

That looks very nice Aaron.

I am a novice/beginner at turning. FYI, Harbor Freight sells 3 sets of lathe tools costing from $20 to $75. I bought the $75 set. They work fine as a starter set, especially when I was still learning to sharpen them and wasn't doing it "well". (I'd have been sick to treat expensive tools like that.)

Enjoy your restored lathe!
Fred