Economy face plates can be made cheap as by machined nuts and you can fit outboard lhthread and leave it on the lathe. By this I mean you can buy steel discs and weld them centrally on the nuts, the threads matching your lathe of choice. Over here in aircon peoples workshops there have always been motor driven air circulation smallish frames with a shaft get old pulleys to fit the shaft turn them into face plates by drilling holes in the pulleys. to match them make a stand alone unit I have given mine to friends during my down sizing. One was to an old mate who made a complete Fairground Organ in his lounge room including the tablets to run the thing like a player piano. His wife died of cancer years ago.
but even before he had huge motor driven glideres hanging from the ceilings heused to make the tiny motors himself. Talk to Model Train enthusiasts etc the world is full of sources for everything.
On the lathe my preference is to put outboard the devices that shed metal to protect the lathe bed. Cant use outboard think of that when you make a purchase.
Have fun.
Kind regards Peter.
PS Jim woodys pic third on the right is a skew being sharpened.
