Jon, you might want to rethink that idea. As long as you have shop space for the machine, bigger is usually better. I can do small projects on a big lathe, but I can't do big projects with a small one. My 12 inch Craftsman lathe with a 48 inch bed can make carburetor jets- - - - -or driveshafts. I just bought an extra set of 48" ways, and I'm planning to splice the two together and add a second carriage and tailstock assembly to give me a total of 8 feet of usable bed space. I've also got a "parts" lathe of the same design that I'm planning to raise the headstock, tool post, and drive system by 2 inches to be able to have a 16 inch swing. With the 14 inch face plate I acquired a while back, I'll be able to modify stovebolt connecting rods for different size bearings for stroker crankshafts.
Jerry
