Hi Steve.
Beautiful job on the lathe. I have a craftsman / Atlas 101 6x18 lathe and a Unimat DB200. The Atlas is a size larger and the Unimat a little smaller than your 109. Both of mine are probably considered "toys" by serious Machinists but they work well for me on small projects. Never cut any threads on the Atlas but I have all the gears if I feel the need. Which lathe are you looking to buy?
Jon