Improvements to a lathe tailstock

[marksbug]

florida?? say it aint so.....I live in florida. you could harden the base to keep wear to a minimum and/or use a dry film coating too ( I dry film coat almost everything in my engines and ceramic coat also) that stuff is fricken awesome!!!! .and get the hight back at the slpit joint!!! I thought about cutting mine at a angle with a key way slot like some old hardinge's were and just turn a screw to go up or down.( basicly like sliding jack plate;s) I may do that if I ever add a inch or so to the head stock&tail stock for more clearance over the cross slide....but then there is that get a bigger lathe thing going on.... but I just got a new car...well a 12 year old sports car with 55000 miles looks like new inside and out...the leather even looks new!!!so...Im riding my new lathe for a while. I wish I could find a poor unfortunate soul...oh thats me!!!
back in the 90's I used a old jet, it was wore slap out...and still 5x what my new enco is...of coarse that old jet was probably a 14x48 or close to that. I shoud of bought it for $500 when I had the chance...probably could of got it for 250 delevered!! but I didnt have a place for it back then.