While it takes time, one can find a lathe with a bed that is not worn. That is not to say new
A grand to grind, sure, after disassembly and shipping and.....this is not a lathe, it is a project. You may do this as a labor of love, but it affects the value.
I spent much time looking for lathes, twice, and every time went and saw lathes with the grand canyon on the front way, for the same asking price or more than I ended up paying for an example without the groove.
Both my Monarchs had no visible wear on the front way when purchased, and less than a thousandth when measured on the back way.
22 and 29 years later the both have no visible wear and while I have not checked them lately, they have been oiled and leveled and expect them to remain so.
Go buy a 57 Chevy, rotten to the gunnels. Is it worth the same as one meticulously kept?
Of course not.
If you are looking for a restoration project, sure it may be fun, but everyone knows that you can buy one restored, all day long, for less money.
In the lathe world, like the car world, people are constantly trying to sell rotten restoration projects for good money.
Sure if you do it yourself you know it was done right, or at least to the best of your abilities, but most of us want to drive our cars and make chips, not have another project.
