I have bought a few things from Warco and without checking perhaps over a period of 30 years. I have always been most impressed by the helpful delivery man. I wonder if he remembered that he was coming back to a place he had been before.

And thanks for providing the link – so often people mention a specific item and then my curiosity sends me off to google.

Timber? Implies traditional legs and framework. There been quite a few bench building threads on here over the years if you can find them. I suggest looking at the style of a modern kitchen unit but using ply instead of chipboard as the flat sheets provide the essential torsional stiffness so lacking in open frames and the supporting area of a sheet wall ends up more than 2×4 legs.

Nothing wrong with wood. I made some benches for my workshop from, IIRC something like 3×6″. They are held together with coach bolts and coach screws, the tops and sides are 18mm mdf. They are absolutely rock solid!

As the lathe comes with a decent metal tray there is no real need for a laminate over the ply. Just a bit of sealant around the mounting holes when you place the lathe on the tray will keep brush applied coolant in the tray even when you knock over the contailer.

I remember all the posts of doom and gloom when I posted photos of my CNC mill on it’s new wood frame with MDF top. Funny I’ve not heard comments in the seven years since that all that has been produced on it is sub standard due to the poor stand 😂😂😂😂

I hadn’t noticed before in the spec sheet that the spindle was MT5 and 38mm bore. That’s big for a 9in lathe that is the equivalent size to the Boxford. I suspect it is driven by the USA market aiming at a small ‘gunsmith’s ‘ lathe.
If you look at import lathes for the last 20 years they never have included a drill chuck which would get a hundred times more use than the steadies but I think it is because the latter are very lathe specific while the chuck is a universal item. Furthermore if they did supply one then a whole bunch of people would complain that it was too big and the rest that it was too small. You might think about your needs and get two rather than a middle size compromise.

I had a look at what you got with a new Boxford and it was actually a lot less than what comes with the Warco.

No 3 or 4 jaw chucks, No Steadies, just a basic single tool clamp and a solid ctr to fit each end. And some did not even come with a motor.

Given that if the Boxford were available today it would likely be £10-12K plus so expecting to get a 3-jaws chuck in with the Warco was probably just wishful thinking.

This from the ME10

They look to be a very useful machine, some of those features look extremely desirable, how I would have loved to be able to cut almost any thread TPI at the touch of a dial when I was working. I always seemed to be up to my armpits in oily changewheels!, even on QC gearbox machines.
Most lathes you bought at one time came with only the most basic equipment, I worked for a machine tool firm for a while and Colchesters and the like came with only a minimum of equipment, no chucks or steadies these all had to be purchased as extras. I seem to recall that Myfords came with a set of changewheels, centres, faceplate and drive plate, toolpost clamp and a oilgun. no motor. Warco were one of the companies to start including full equipment with their machines, they sold a direct copy of the Super 7 at one time (and very good they were too) which came with chucks, steadies, 4 way toolpost, motor and a vertical slide. We supplied a number direct from Warco to a small manufacturing company and they gave many years service. Fortunately the idea seems to have caught on and most machines do come with fitted motors and at least a 3 jaw to get you going. More than one customer at the time bought a machine and was horrified they had to pay extra for an electric motor!

On the subject of QCTP might I suggest that you don’t buy a set, as per the above link, but rather buy just the toolpost and a few of the basic tool holders. My experience was that the fancy tool holders have little use.

You may find fitting QCTP on my website of interest (or otherwise). This is for a WM250 so similar to yours.

John