My Myford ML7 lathe came with the motor and a plug for a light hardwired into a metal electrical box with standard household switches. It was also mounted out of sight around the side of the stand. For machine tools, this is not the best arrangement since one could easily (and often) turn on the lathe when aiming for the light or vice versa. There was also nothing like an emergency stop. I could stop the spindle with the lath clutch but not the motor and drive belt. A less likely danger would be for the lathe to restart after a power failure if I forgot to turn it off after the power went.
The proper solution for all of this is a magnetic motor starter made for the purpose. I bought a relatively inexpensive one from a local supplier and searched the internet for wiring instructions. The instructions intended for wiring one from scratch were intimidating to say the least. I set it aside for later.
After an somewhat related household DIY success (replaced the contactor in our A/C unit), I was inspired to have another look. Fortunately, this time I found simple instructions that covered the basic connections I needed to make. I figured I was most of the way there!
Getting the box wired was easily accomplished and the test run produced no release of magic blue smoke or other disasters. Getting the wires properly secured to the box and the box mounted to the stand turned into a real project. Admittedly, some of this was because I didn’t want to move the lathe or remove the previously installed drawer unit to improve access. This resulted in drilling and tapping mounting holes while sitting underneath the workbench, an activity many model railroaders are familiar with.
After a bunch of fiddling, fitting, fettling and faffing around, I finally got it all done to my satisfaction. I now have a prominent big red button to stop the lathe just like the milling machine has. Hopefully I will never need it on an emergency basis.