I like my 11" Logan...but, it is only 24" between centers.
If I did it again, I'd go at least 36" Between Centers!

Terry

Boats,
I have some real strong opinions about machine tools, I make my living with them.  You never mentioned what your budget is or what your usage is, I'm guessing you spend quite a bit of time doing different projects and such?   
I started with some Asian brands when my business was part time, progressed to some European and lighter American made, eventually to Old Heavy American Iron.  This trait has carried over to my hobby machines as well.  I have a half dozen CNC's and about 25 manual machines.  I run mostly Monarch's, Cincinnati, American, Bridgeport and Giddings & Lewis now.
The last lathe you'd ever have to buy for gun work would be a Monarch 10EE - 12x22.  People say they are too difficult for the hobbyist to set up but if you have 220v single phase, know a little about electricity, (or someone) a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) makes these a real sweetheart.  Bear in mind, they are an unbelievable piece of American craftsmanship and for as small as they are, weigh as much as your car...  Once you run one, everything else comes in second place.  Just my 2 cents.
Greg

Good idea for me to set my constraints, keep from running down false paths. Thinking as I type here. 

Basement shop is 24 L 28 W in two bays 24 x 12.  One bay is served by a ground level door I can roll my 4x8 1000  lb. capacity utility trailer in & that's how I will pick  one up. Lathe has to go there in the spot my Atlas occupies now, easy to get one in and unloaded either top lift from the floor joist above or with a neighbors Bobcat, fork lift blades fitted. 

Atlas on its stand takes about 4x3 ‘ with foot or so open space tailstock side. 3 feet open head stock side. So 1000 lbs. max little bigger than 4 x 3 footprint.  220 Single Phase. All my machinery is big & old American. Imports are great and good value. I don’t have any. 

However I am thinking little smaller or the same size & more precise. I don’t plan to do any Barrel work.  Not objecting to large bore though, who knows I may want to learn to fit barrels one day.   

I do a lot of cartridge case work and repair all my machinery recently overhauled a Ponsness Warren Shot shell loader making a few of the parts. Use the Atlas to make metal parts needed for Wood Lathe projects too. From Canes and Walking sticks to Fishing rods to very large Lamp Post.  My wood lathe is a real big Powermatic.  Recently my son has been using the Atlas for pen work. Not kits, he turns Fountain Pens from Scratch. Ink leak proof, out of Ebonite. Threads the parts with taps and dies lathe mounted, In theory you could internal thread a pen body on the lathe but most pen makers use taps and dies. 


Real constraint is looking before I buy. EBay has a viery nice looking Rockwell 10 inch model 25-700 with some tooling for 2500 dollars. Listed by the owner not a junk dealer and within my Budget. It’s in Fort Worth Texas Thousand miles from me.  Drive there find out it’s not as good as the photos would be a problem.  So 1 days  drive from SE Virginia is about my limit, unless I can find somebody near to check one out for me.   Then 2 days drive would be OK. I want top condition no project lathes reason for looking carefully. 

There are a lot of lathes for sale, not so many that suit my needs

Boats

Craig that's true and my Son just set up 3 phase with a converter in his home shop. He was reluctant to go that route because of the cost but found a nice drill press that was priced to leave room for the converter.

Good thought I had not considered.

Way I understand it, old style Rotary converters do reduce the motors power, right much too, they have been around for some time. Never installed one but have used machines with them.  The new VFD Electronic devices allow speed control and don't use up any of the motors power.  Cost about 300 bucks ?

My son knows all about them, I only know what's on the internet. Some good Utubes on how to hook one up though. I had some time on  a Tug Boat that ran on Diesel to generator then D/C Motor on the shaft, they are very efficient with near instant power when you want it. 

Boats

Very interesting discussion. I have never heard about the reduced power with a rotary converter, I have one and never seem to be lacking in that department. I run a big one though, 25 HP. Never had issues with the 10 HP I had in the past either. 

You may look at some of the Taiwan made stuff. I have a Victor built in '82 and it is excellent all the way around. Great tolerances and 13-40 is all I need. I like the larger spindle as I now usually chamber through the head stock. I bought this one as part of a larger package of machinery and sold off what I did not want. Ended up with the lathe, horizontal band saw, gauge pins, tons of other measuring equipment, rolling tool box etc pretty much for free by the time I sold off the excess.
               Steve

Thanks much guys about the phase converters. I'd bet my experiences have been with the static type, and definitely lower hp ratings.

I believe it's the electronic...transistorized phase converters that lose some of the Horse Power..Not the rotarys.   
Terry