Myford ML8 Advice please

MARK.B. · 1 Apr 2014

Please bear with me as i am a complete novice when it comes to lathes and turning so i dont know the correct names etc for the various bits n bobs. Whilst talking to a old chap in the pub a couple of days ago the subject somehow turned to woodwork and i mentioned that i was thinking about getting a lathe as i fancied having a go at turning, he told me he had a old lathe and i should call round and take a look so i did just that and the lathe was a cream coloured myford ML8 with lots of bits n pieces including a planer attachment and a mortising attachment . It was obvious to me that it would need a lot of TLC as there was a lot of rust on the bed and most of the bits n bobs with a few items seized solid. Now i have read on here that the myford are a good make and the cream ones were the first to be made, my questions to those of you that may own or have owned a myford is can you please give me your opinions as to how much should i be paying bearing in mind that it runs but will require large amounts of elbow grease , would this lathe be suitable for a novice or should i think about getting a more modern one.
Sorry there are no pics to help you.

Regards

Mark

dickm · 1 Apr 2014

No question that it's a good lathe, within its limitations. Look back 40 years, and the ML8 or the Coronet were about the only affordable, useable lathes available. The ML8 had reasonable capacity over the bed and, with the accessory toolrest, for bowlturning on the outboard end of the headstock. The late Peter Child did most of his work on one.
BUT, how much to pay? They go for anything between £100 and £300 on Evilbay, but that's usually for immediately useable bare lathes. The accessory planer and saw are OK-ish, but not really ideal; the great thing about them is that they don't take up much space.
Given that the lathe is going to take some work (first and foremost, does the motor run???) you should probably go in with a lowish offer. Depends how much you want to get turning immediately, or whether you will enjoy fettling what could become a really nice basic lathe.

Phil Pascoe · 1 Apr 2014

Wizard will probably be along to give you an idea - he breaks them. It won't be much - the bottom has fallen out of the market recently.

wizard · 1 Apr 2014

The planer attachment and a mortising attachment are worth £300 so if you can get it for that you are on to a winner, good lathe buy it, i would if it was near me.

Tazmaniandevil · 1 Apr 2014

I started off with an ML8, and still have it currently. I now also have a RP DML36SH to replace the ML8. The outboard turning can be scary for a novice, and I actually manage to break the tool rest assembly on the outboard side because I didn't know quite what I was doing. (too fast, blunt tools, and half a log mounted on a faceplate) I now fully accept I was trying to run before I could walk.
The outboard side is a left hand thread, so getting accessories to fit isn't easy.
Good solid lathe though, and will last a hundred lifetimes if properly looked after. Do get some lessons though. Trying to do it all yourself might well put you off for life. Join a club and/or pay for a bit of hand holding. It is well worth it.

MARK.B. · 2 Apr 2014

Thank you everyone for all your comments and advice so far, i will leave it a couple of days before going back for a second look just in case i have missed anything important and hopefully a friend of mine who has two bloomin great grey things bolted down in his workshop ,will be able to come along and have a wee look.