1941 10EE Variable Speed Drive & Motor Question

I've been offered a 1941 10EE with the variable speed drive missing. Also missing are the taper attachment (not a big deal for me) and some sight glasses. The original motor is present and working. Evidently when this lathe and its sister were bought something went wrong with the other lathe, and this lathe was shut down and parts removed to keep the other lathe working. What attracts me, besides the fact that it is a Monarch, is that the bed and overall condition of what is there is in very good-to-excellent condition. The ways are in great shape.

Question: Can this lathe be "modernized" without too much cost using a VFD and 3-phase motor combination so that the missing variable speed drive doesn't need to be replaced? I'm disabled and on a fixed income, so cost is a consideration.

Thanks,

Cliff.

I am finishing up installing a AC Flux vector drive in a 1960 square dial... mine was a 5 HP DC Wiad, now its a 7.5HP AC. The drive itslef was 800, the motor was scored off ebay for 800 delivered, and the hours to install ( had to do some minor surgery as the combo with gearbox was longer by a few inches) with mounting the gearbox was about 12 hours work. Careful slection of motor HP and length could take this down to about 8 hours... I'd probably go with a 5HP on another, just to reduce base casting relief requirements. All told, figure $2k a round number to convert to modern AC, and a modern DC drive for your existing DC motor is probably in the $4-5k range.

ChipChaser said:

The ways are in great shape.

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Hi Cliff,

The ways on almost any 10ee will be in "great shape" because they're hardened (since way back when). The wear areas are on the underside of the carriage where you can't see them.

ChipChaser said:

Question: Can this lathe be "modernized" without too much cost using a VFD and 3-phase motor combination so that the missing variable speed drive doesn't need to be replaced?

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Yes.

I have a 1957 square-dial that's set up that way. A 5 HP three-phase motor and a VFD. Works fine.

- Leigh

My EE is retrofit with a 3 phase motor and a VFD - it works fine. If you do the retrofit, keep the low speed gearbox, torque will be low on the low speed end of a 3 phase motor on a VFD.

The lowest cost option would be a replacement-in-kind of the Reliance V-S system.

You already have the spindle motor and its integral back gear unit.

What you appear to be missing is the motor-generator and exciter unit in the tailstock end of the machine.

If you still have the DC Panel, which is that swing-out box to the right of the spindle motor in the headstock end of the machine, then by far the easiest, cheapest, and probably the best solution is completing the V-S system by installing an M-G/exciter.

I have a complete set of parts needed to restore that machine to MG operation.

Thanks, but...

...I believe that I will pass on this lathe project. It is more than my old, beat-up body will take. I had a look at a friend's 10EE project lathe the other day, and it is much more complicated than I care to dive into.