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Metal is expensive but freight is even more so. Search out local sources. Scrap and Junk yards are a possibility. Even hardware stores and farm supply stores. If you can avoid freight cost you will be way ahead.Jerry
Basicly, you should plan your hobby. I would be loathe to start on a regime of what appears to be in the midst of 'unknowns'Get your lathe set up right- and then start making accessories and only then start making- whatever you fancy.Once you have sorted out 'your troubles', you should be making your turning on the lathe easier and with it, extending your experience.From - a not so wild guess, you are actually buying the fancy stuff rather than the bread and butter items. Fine, you'll need them but wouldn't you be better off by making a 'something' to grind up little boring tools and these you will need to poke little holes to make engines. For a bit of silly studding- and a few nuts and washers, you could make a tool to tell you exactly where your lathe tool bit should be. It will not win prizes in a competition or even merit taking a photograph- but it will work. It will have taken but a few minutes- and precious little money.Again, you want to be able to determine lengths and depths but do you really need DRO's when a bit of rusty scrap metal will make up a capstan depth stop- and use the back ends of twist drills to act as gauges. Mine - well, it came to grief when the snows came and then the winds took my workshop roof off but I am making a new one -out of bits of rusty steel that corroded . The cost- was time. Oh and a lot of rust in my lathe tray!I bought a set of 8mm studding and for a party piece some 6mm stuff- and I'm making a few more holding down bolts and things - but in cheaper metric sizes because here in the UK, Imperial stuff is costly and difficult to get. The cost -again- a few very small notes. With minimum 'disposable income', I bought a great lump of Meehanite as a scrap marking out table. I hacked it into usable pieces by chain drilling- and clouted it with a home made chisel to make it separate. I made up a tool and cutter grinder using a scrapped washing machine motor. The cost was pennies plus the all important correct abrasive wheels. Perhaps the foregoing will prove of interest- who knows? Photographs? I've still got my old cheap Russian Leica copy- and it don't work because I can't get 35mm film.