Hello there John. Sounds like you have a right interesting hobby. I am afraid here in the US the only new lathe that can be purchased for that kind of money is one of the asian 7x10, 7x12 or 7x14 mini metal lathes. Does not compare to the quality of a swiss or austrian made lathe but then again neither does the price. You should be able to find a european dealer of one of the mini lathes. Acquiring a used high precision small lathe would be a better deal but I see where that may be a problem for you. I believe the Sherline lathe is exported also so that may be a option.
Here is a link to a US company that sells a mini lathe for reference.
I use them instead of others because they keep parts on hand.
http://grizzly.com/products/G8688
Good luck with your search. By the way you do not want to mix metal and wood working on the same machine. Better to choose one and get the machine for the job.