The thing I learned working around machine shops is, Whatever price you pay for the lathe, It will take about the same amount of money to buy all the needed extras to put the lathe into production. 3 jaw self centering chuck, 4 jaw independent chuck, taper attachment, coolant pump system, all the tool post attachments, cutting bits, boring bar and cutters. Center finder, Micrometers, Dial indicator and magnet base, depth gages and the list goes on and on. When we installed big equipment in the shop where I worked the floor was cut out, A foot around wider than the machine base. And 2 foot or deeper with lots of metal reinforcement rod. and solid concrete. Once a lathes is leveled and set up, If a lathe settles .005 it can throw the lathe out from .0025 to 005 out of true cut. Good Lathes have V rails on the bed and for gunsmithing a big (2" or larger) center hole through the chuck, is another thing to look for. Trying to thread and chamber a barrel with a 3 finger center is not the most accurate way to go.
