Newbie with Monarch 10ee - Help starting the machine?

Hello,

I am brand new to metal working. I just picked up a 1943 Monarch 10EE. It's beautiful. I am having trouble getting it started, though. The generator starts up fine and sounds great. But I am not sure what I need to do to start the spindle! The lathe has an ELSR feature and I think that is related to my struggles. I have read somewhere that if it not engaged properly then it confuses the entire system. Any advice on what levers/dials to push/engage would be greatly appreciated.

If you respond, you should (correctly) assume I am an abject moron who should not be allowed near power tools.

make sure the generator is spinning in the correct direction.

Thanks for replying. I did try swapping legs on the 3 phase power line. I opened the panel below the carriage/adjacent the generator switch. I can see the direction of rotation arrow on the generator but I can't visually tell which way it is spinning. Maybe I could get a better view from the end of the machine after taking off the big cover on the headstock end?

isn't there a cover on the tailstock end that is removable to see the generator?
also make sure the variable speed knob on the bottom left, is not turned all the way counter clockwise. put it somewhere in the middle of the range

Thank you. I will look at the tailstock end and make sure the variable speed knob is somewhere in the middle of the range. Thank you for your suggestions.

jncorn said:

Hello,

I am brand new to metal working. I just picked up a 1943 Monarch 10EE. It's beautiful. I am having trouble getting it started, though. The generator starts up fine and sounds great. But I am not sure what I need to do to start the spindle! The lathe has an ELSR feature and I think that is related to my struggles. I have read somewhere that if it not engaged properly then it confuses the entire system. Any advice on what levers/dials to push/engage would be greatly appreciated.
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Take off the cover on the end, under the tailstock and make sure that the motor/generator (MG) is turning counter-clockwise. (The variable speed control has nothing to do with how fast the MG is turns.) Start the MG, then turn it off and watch the MG as it slows down to tell which way it's turning. Swap L1 and L2 to cause it to rotate the other direction. Are you running from 3-phase or from something like a rotary phase converter (RPC)?

With the round-dial ELSR system, the spindle is controlled by a pair of micro switches in the casting underneath the tachometer. Set the switch on top to F (forward), then the lever on the rod on top (the one that runs through the carriage and into the ELSR casting) should start/stop the spindle. If not, have someone check the DC voltage out of the exciter. You need to read the E1-E2 voltage at the terminal panel on the MG, behind the cover in the bed, at the operator's feet. You should read about 115 VDC between E1 and E2.

What's the serial number and build date of the machine?

Cal

Hello all,

Thank you for your thoughtful replies. I managed to get the machine up and running yesterday and made my first chips!

The problem was a combination of things: The variable speed dial was indeed turned all the way down and the machine was set to run the back gear; the microswitch on top was stuck and I managed to get it unstuck; the generator was initially running backwards but having swapped two legs on the three phase power it then turned in the correct direction.

Thank you all again. I appreciate your willingness to provide suggestions!

What brand tool post is on it. Interesting with the redial notches on the bottom of it.

I also have the identical machine, except missing the collet closing stuff.

One minor correction to Cal's advice - the switch on top of the ELSR box is labelled R-N-L not forward/neutral/reverse. It's used in conjunction with the Left-Right chrome knob to allow the ELSR system to stop the motor correctly when cutting left hand threads.