need help evaluating this lathe please! mid 50s 10ee

Long time lurker, first time poster, etc... in a pinch and need some timely advice. i am a glass worker, specialize in difficult or complex commission work and have a little machine/welding/fab room for making special tools or equipment i need from time to time. the nice machinist upstairs sadly passed away and his equipment went up for auction. got some small stuff and didnt think i would bid on big stuff but i put in a bid or two on the monarch 10ee before i got priced out. couple days later the auctioneer called me, turns out the buyer flaked. he eventually offers it to me for $1000+the 16% fee. and he'll throw in the move to my shop in the back. Now, I already have a 10"x30" import lathe that works ok but I have a healthy respect for old american equipment as i spend most of my time working on a 1942 litton glass lathe(all original except motor). dont mind a bit of a project but space is a concern and it cant drag on forever or cost outrageous sums.
soooooo....
Do I pull the trigger? talk him down? here are the details as i have them. i can inspect again tomorrow but then its time to $#@! or get off the pot
-s/n41900
-Waid is in there but appears to be disconnected
-appears to have a 3 phase dc drive
-was unable to get the spindle going. i am trying to get in touch with the sons of the owner to see what they might know. i have been told it runs before but havent seen it actually turn. switch under dro appears to be powered, it hums when on, but cant get more than a tiny twitch out of the spindle
-has a dro, cant tell if its functional. hopefully the sons will know
-plenty of wear on the saddle, rounded corners
-lots of backlash on the saddle and the tail stock but both move quite smoothly through almost entire range
-ways have a few dings but not too bad
-cross is good, compound moves like its got sand in it
-comes with no tooling except a 6 jaw chuck
-spindle turns smoothly with no noticeable noise
Thanks very much for any input!

I would go for it. You can't really get hurt at that price. The machine has some nice features, like ELSR, taper and an accumulating cross-feed dial. Worst comes to worst, you could part it out and more that recover your money.

Please add any information from your second post to this one, so that I can delete the duplicate thread.

Cal

I would buy it without question.

Put it this way, if yo don't buy it, give me the guys number

yeah its a good deal, you may end up over your head n repairs, but you are in "Monarch Central' and the help here is the best for any machine anywhere


buy it

Where in Mass are you? I am a mere novice compared to many here, but I may be relatively local

Oops!

Thanks Cal! And sorry about the double post. Thought I messed it up so tried again. ill check it out but feel free to delete, I don't think there is anything important

Cal Haines said:

I would go for it. You can't really get hurt at that price. The machine has some nice features, like ELSR, taper and an accumulating cross-feed dial. Worst comes to worst, you could part it out and more that recover your money.

Please add any information from your second post to this one, so that I can delete the duplicate thread.

Cal

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Thanks, I hope I'll do it justice!

Thanks! I'm in Waltham. We are Fiamma glass, can check us out at fiammaglass.com

gustafson said:

Put it this way, if yo don't buy it, give me the guys number

yeah its a good deal, you may end up over your head n repairs, but you are in "Monarch Central' and the help here is the best for any machine anywhere


buy it

Where in Mass are you? I am a mere novice compared to many here, but I may be relatively local

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Thanks everyone for the input! Buying it! I am sure I will be bothering many of you with more with questions for some time

Looking at the pictures you posted it is not a VFD drive it is a DC drive and could have the original motor still in it.

Be careful, the d c drive looks like it does Not have field weaking...so top speed will be around 1000rpm.....Price according...Phil

Thank you for all the great advice!!

Focus 3, 1Q, non-regen. That would be a "3R" if a 4Q version, and there'd not be any contactors. There are, so it ain't.

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i am 99% sure it is labeled as F3R2C. ill take some better pics as soon as i get in
has a 3 phase plug on it that messed me up until i saw the dead end wire. must have just had it lying around

Could be all the OP needs for what he does just as it sits.

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probably right...my needs are simple, not looking to find new problems to solve

"First, do no harm!"

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my guiding star!

Do a SAFE and careful move, gentle basic cleaning, make safe power available, flush & renew lubricants, learn its ways and areas in need of improvement.

Do NOT "take it part for cleaning and painting".

It is a LATHE. It hasn't forgotten how to BE a lathe.

Don't f**k that part up by scattering it about or it may be years, if ever before it makes another chip!

"Run what you got."

PLAN and research any needed fixes and patches.

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yes sir!thank you for taking the time! i now have it, move is done. riggers maybe coulda been more gentle and it is making some sounds i dont like. ill post them up in a bit along with better pics and vids

continued here: Dave's '56 10ee conservation/restoration thread