If it is in decent nick - then the big question is can you turn out work on it as good as the guys did when it was new. The reason I got into modelling is that I inherited my grandfathers 1930s Zyto lathe. It turns out this was a big improvement on the Myford he had before, with which he made a model that won the Grand ME Prize in the UK in 1937 for a 5ft dockyard crane.
So rather than start with modern lathes or even CNC tools, I thought it better to start with a 1930s lathe and find just how good these guys were given the tools available - knowing that at any time I could always update and life would get easier. I am still using a 1930s lathe, albeit a better one than the Zyto or Myford, and I love all the exposed gears - and I am still learning to get the best from it, and getting pretty good precision IMHO.
So I would say, check it over, and if it is usable, then use it. However if the bearings are one-sided split clamps, and they are a bit sloppy, be aware that they only adjust so far and then the clamp breaks and the lathe is scrap (the original intention is that they should have new bearings before then). But otherwise give it a go, and marvel just how good the old time engineers and modellers were, many of whom would have used foot power to drive it - as small scale electric motors were rare back then - as was electricity.
Steve
