socks said:
on the micro mark, if you click on the link to see detailed image of the item, it shows where they state that it comes with the DRO. and you are right, it wouldnt work very well stock for cleaning shafts, but you can pick up a wood lathe for 100-200 for doing that, or a 14" mini-lathe bedway from little machine shop for about the same.
http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1896&category=
as far as holding the back of the shaft, you can get an inexpensive steady rest from harbor frieght or on ebay for about 30.
Actually, if you look a little closer at the detailed image of the item, it shows where the SPINDLE SPEED has a digital read out. Most of the time when these guys are talking about a DRO, they mean the item that tells you how far the x and y axis are moving. If you look further down in the additional accessories, they have this also, for $139.20.
As far as the rest, I believe you were the one who said: "i'd say save on the home made". Seems to me the options you are suggesting not only includes using home made, but actually doing the homemade himself. I'm not saying that it shouldn't be done, but you are contradicting yourself. The machine he linked to will do everything he wants at less cost, and he can always get with Chris Hightower later to upgrade his setup if he wants to do more with it.
I've mentioned before that depending on your budget, Chris is a great way to go because his smaller lathes can be upgraded one piece at a time to his Cuemaker lathe, and you have added functionality from the pieces you already have. As far as I know, he is the only one that his smallest lathe is based on the same setup that his biggest lathe is. The parts are all interchangeable, although you may have to order a couple of his risers for the smaller parts to be in line with the larger. Long live Cueman!
I started out with a Harbor freight metal lathe, with Chris Hightower's 4' dovetail raised up to the height of the spindle behind the lathe with his bearing steady rests to hold the shaft as I was doing work on them. I also had a wood lathe that had an infinitely variable speed control to do my shafts on. It worked out very well, and I'm considering the microlux you linked to as I wouldn't mind using it for smaller jobs like joint protectors and collets. Especially with the DRO option.
