Is DGSC 1993 rebuilt Monarch a good machine?

Maxim · Jul 22, 2020

I'm looking at buying a Monarch 10ee with a DGSC rebuild tag from the summer of 1993

It has a fincor drive on it (origionally a MG machine I believe). The seller doesn't have it under power since
it needs 440V to run as is.

I believe the bed has been reground.

I think there are a few owners here with this rebuild and I was wondering what they think of it.

Monarch doesn't have a record of any parts being bought for this machine at all.

Its a bit of a drive but price seems reasonable and I think the drive can be made to run on 2ph 220 with a slight reduction in performance.

Steve in SoCal · Jul 22, 2020

The Fincor drives I have and the ones I have seen are 240 volt single phase. The only thing on that machine that could be 480/3 is the coolant pump. My lathe DID have the coolant pump strapped for high voltage 460/480 when I bought it out of a Delco plant.

Never heard of that rebuilder? Is that initials for some government agency?

Steve

EmGo · Jul 22, 2020

Steve in SoCal said:
Never heard of that rebuilder? Is that initials for some government agency?

I was wondering that too ... I know of "Dean, Smith, Grace" sometimes referrd to as DSGCompany, and they were a well-regarded builder, was wondering if they did rebuilds of 10 double-e's ?

If so, they'd be good ones.

Maxim · Jul 23, 2020

Probably should be in the origional post -

The rebuild tag states

Industrial Plant Equipment Repair Facility - Defense Logistics Agency
Quality Rebuilt by the MMB EE Monarch Project - DGSC Mechanicsburg PA
Has a 1993 date on it.

I have found a few threads where people on PM have the same rebuilt Monarchs and sent a few a PM, but I'm wondering if anyone else has one.

I found the schematics for the fincore drive since the origional post and as far as I can tell it should be an easy rewire.

Steve in So Cal - Do you like how your fincore works? From the pictures I got it seems like a pretty professional job. I think all the aftermarket drives don't got to full
top speed but I don't think I've ever really needed a lathe to run at 4000 rpm.

Steve in SoCal · Jul 23, 2020

The Fincor drives were used by several US government agencies and large industrial concerns. The drive in my lathe was not adjusted when I bought it, after setting the field my lathe tops out at 4020 RPM. Not sure what the DLA rebuild program consisted of or, if there was an actual program. At this point condition that can be quantified is the only guide you can rely on to assess the machine in question.

Steve

Maxim · Jul 23, 2020

What were the adjustments that were done to the drive to make it run so?

I think the bed has been reground and they added a DRO and removed the analog tachometer. Not sure of what else, I'll see it in a few days.

Steve in SoCal · Jul 23, 2020

There are trim pots in the smaller drive, that is the field drive. The pot adjusted was the voltage for field. If the machine has the arm voltage, arm amps and, field voltage instruments the values should be your guide. To get 4000 rpm you need 240 volts on the armature, that is where many aftermarket drives fail. The fincor drive uses the Monarch transformer to increase input voltage to provide the 240 volts DC needed.

The field voltage on my machine was not getting down to the values needed to get 4000, it was around 3400 as I received it.

Steve

dalmatiangirl61 · Jul 23, 2020

Dean Smith Grace Co would be DSGC, tag on your machine is DGSC, my guess is it is a military acronym for something like Defense Global Supply Co or something similar.

Cal Haines · Jul 23, 2020

Maxim said:
I'm looking at buying a Monarch 10ee with a DGSC rebuild tag from the summer of 1993

It has a fincor drive on it (origionally a MG machine I believe). The seller doesn't have it under power since
it needs 440V to run as is.
...
I think the drive can be made to run on 2ph 220 with a slight reduction in performance.

If it's anything like the Fincor drive that Greg has (link) conversion to 240 single-phase is not a problem. Conversion from 440 to 240 involves changing some fuses and rewiring the transformers. There's no reduction in power vs. the 440 3-phase version of the drive.

IIRC, Greg had to delete the coolant pump, since it was 440 3-phase. The field weakening for the drive is really odd and I don't know if Greg figured out how to get full spindle speed using it.

Cal
---

Steve in SoCal · Jul 23, 2020

After seeing Cal's reference to the other thread I though a heads up is in order.

The drive shown in the other DGSC lathes is very different than the drive in my lathe. My lathe was bought by GM and the conversion was done while it was in their ownership. The conversion was later than the date of the DGSC machines and, as best I can tell produced by Fincor internally. Here is a pic of the drive and drawings.

Steve

Maxim · Jul 24, 2020

The machine I'm looking at is the same as greggs, probably from the same auction. I believe it has a fincor 2600 drive.

I'm wondering how well the regrind and refurbishment was done, I would hope the military at the time would have kept it's high standards.

Anything other then the obvious to look for? There is no 440 on site so I'm not sure the machine can be powered up there

Maxim · Jul 26, 2020

well i got it, i put an indicator on the spindle, its dead center, barely any movement when I moved it across the ways.

I think I'll start a new thread in a few days when I get at it.

The dro got knocked out by the wind buffeting through the walmart tarp other then that seems ok

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