I picked up a "real power tool" set from a toy store for about $20 today. One motor runs a lathe, sander (or lathe tool sharpener ;-)), scroll saw and drill press. For what it is, it's not bad. I've enjoyed the hours I spent playing with it, so I probably got my "entertainment value" out of it already.
My time spent with it has been primarily on the lathe, making chess pieces. I showed the first one I made to my sister, and then got an idea... Several strokes of a pen later, I've got a man. A couple hours later, I've got two new pieces, a woman and a man who's lost his leg, has a hole in his head (from the tailstock--my mistake), orange face (from the oil on the tailstock), and isn't even standing on a base in one piece.
I wonder if making this chess set is going to turn in to a representation of the real world. I'll attempt to make the piece perfectly, and something very much imperfect but still valuable will result.
Puckdropper