Monarch being delivered

[Cal Haines]

Resistance checks on the AC section of the MG would be a good place to start. Do you know how to use a VOM?

Check the RPC panels at WNY (http://wnysupply.com/) before you try to roll your own RPC. I don't think you can save enough money to make it worth the time/hassle.

Do you know if the machine was running from the MG at its last permanent location? (I know that it's passed through a couple of hands since.)

Cal

 

[Walt]

Walt,

I'm just curious, did you have room to get a truck and trailer or a flat-bed wrecker around to the basement door? $50 to have a wrecker pick the lathe up and drop it around back would be a fairly typical charge. A Bil-Jax type trailer with a lowering deck makes moving machines sooooo much easier.
http://www.biljax.com/products/et-7000/

Cal

Hi Cal,

I have no road access to the back of my house where the basement-level door is located. There is a large tree directly across the concrete stoop from the door, a rather steep slope to the left, and more trees + slope to the right. In retrospect though, I should have approached my neighbor to let me drive across his lawn. Hard to say if his wife would have allowed it, but I never asked.

There is a place nearby that rents a trailer with a hydraulic deck. When I called it was reserved for the next 3 weekends. That would have been much safer!

Walt

 

[Walt]

Resistance checks on the AC section of the MG would be a good place to start. Do you know how to use a VOM?

Check the RPC panels at WNY (http://wnysupply.com/) before you try to roll your own RPC. I don't think you can save enough money to make it worth the time/hassle.

Do you know if the machine was running from the MG at its last permanent location? (I know that it's passed through a couple of hands since.)

Cal

Thanks for the link, I will check it out. It would be nice to buy some expertise in the electrical supply project and save my efforts for the lathe itself. As it is I will have to run a power cable for the 220 line and probably replace the 20A breaker pair with at least a 30 A pair. Edit/ The panels are for 3-hp, 10-hp, and larger. Can I start a 10-hp motor on a 30 A circuit? I'm not clear on the requirements. I have 100A service. /Edit

2nd Edit/ Ahh, I found a 7.5 hp panel in the Gold series /2nd Edit

I own an inexpensive Radio Shack volt-ohm meter and have used it to assemble low-voltage DC components for a LED light. I've done some very basic house wiring and know that it's important not to reverse the hot and neutral lines.

It seems likely the lathe has not been run for a long time. The previous owner said he did not have it running, and he said it was in storage when he bought it. I think at some point someone tried to run the DC motor directly from a DC power supply. There's a strange box tucked into a compartment in the back of the lathe with a cheap Dymo plastic strip label on it for "110v DC out". Clearly not original equipment. Sorry for the low resolution photo.



The previous owner said he had an electrician come out and inspect it. The electrician told the PO that the brushes are in good shape.

I hope to complete the move into my basement within a week and will post photos of the electrical parts.

Walt

 

[Cal Haines]

Thanks for the link, I will check it out. It would be nice to buy some expertise in the electrical supply project and save my efforts for the lathe itself. As it is I will have to run a power cable for the 220 line and probably replace the 20A breaker pair with at least a 30 A pair. Edit/ The panels are for 3-hp, 10-hp, and larger. Can I start a 10-hp motor on a 30 A circuit? I'm not clear on the requirements. I have 100A service. /Edit

2nd Edit/ Ahh, I found a 7.5 hp panel in the Gold series /2nd Edit

...

Hi Walt,

A RPC with a 7.5HP idler motor on a 30A circuit, minimum #10 wire, is more than enough for a 10EE. If you go with a 10HP idler motor you'll need a heavier circuit (40A, minimum #8 wire). That's overkill unless your planning to run something bigger than a 10EE down the road. A 7.5HP idler will easily handle machines up to about 4HP. A 10EE draws about 6HP at full power, but it doesn't start under load, so you don't need a 10 to 15HP RPC (as some would have you believe). There are lots of 10EEs running very happily from 7.5HP RPCs.

How far will the RPC and the lathe be located from the breaker panel? (It's best to put the RPC near the breaker panel if you can.)

WNY does have a 7.5 HP panel in their standard series for $161. You have to scroll down to the bottom of the page:
http://www.wnysupply.com/index.cfm/fa/items.main/parentcat/25258/subcatid/0/id/328115

You can save some money by purchasing a kit for $75. You have to find your own enclosure and wire it up. Some guys use and old PC case as a cheap enclosure.
http://www.wnysupply.com/index.cfm/fa/items.main/parentcat/25260/subcatid/0/id/328281

From what I can tell the only difference between their standard and gold series panels is the number of run capacitors. They add two more capacitors (possibly two pairs of capacitors) to the circuit for better balance. That's definitely not worth the extra money, in my humble opinion. You can add additional run caps on your own and save the $75+.

And just for the record, I have no connection to WNY. They just seem to have a well engineered product at a reasonable price and people that I know who've bought from them have been happy.

Cal

 

[eightball]

Congrats on your lathe. I personally think that monarchs are the most user friendly lathe there is. But i havent used them all so maybe im biased. We have a cw(i think) at work that is 16 x54. it is an old 2nd world war lathe and even though it has its little quirks, i still prefer to thread and cut tapers on it above the more modern lathes. I begged my superiors to have it rebuilt but its just cheaper to buy the disposible stuff they sell nowdays. If they ever decide to part with the old beast I am sure ill have the highest bid on it. I cut my teeth on that lathe.

 

[Walt]

I haven't updated this thread for a while. Here's where things stand.

I got the lathe into my basement workshop last weekend, then let it sit while I recuperated. It was a lot of work getting it there. I started turning it to get it into position last night, but had to stop at about 70 degrees out of the needed 180 degree turn because trailing wheels on the Roll-A-Lifts would not pivot.

After fighting it for over an hour I realized the problem was in re-attaching the Roll-A-Lifts, I didn't get the trailing end unit plumb against the end of the lathe. It's only out of plumb by a couple of inches, but it's simply impossible to make the wheels pivot correctly. It's the grocery cart from hell! Should be easy to fix tonight.

The other issue I'm up against is I've temporarily run low on money. Just before I found the Monarch, I had ordered a new mill! My cash reserves are at the point where I don't feel comfortable spending more money on a hobby. The rotary phase converter is going to have to wait a few weeks at least.

Walt

Edit/ The Monarch coming through my basement door. BTW, I hired a wrecker to drive the lathe around to my back door. /Edit

 

[Cal Haines]

Walt,

Thanks for the update. I was beginning to wonder what happened to you.

Cal

 

[8ntsane]

Walt

Atleast you got the lathe, got it home, and in the basement. If you have to take a break before getting started on the RPC, its all good. With a new mill on the way, you must have your hands full.

Congrats on the new machines :thumbzup:

 

[Ulma Doctor]

Hi Walt!
that is a beautiful lathe
i had read that you were interested in building a 7.5 hp RPC unit.
If you already have a motor to use as an idler, i can show you how to do wire it up easily and very inexpensively, less than $100.
I have built many RPC's and got pretty good at it. My first RPC is still in operation from 15 years ago, it gets used 2-3 hrs daily M-F.
I can also instruct you on how to balance your newly constructed RPC as well.
It's not very hard, if you have basic electrical knowledge you'll have no problems.
Send me a PM, if you need any assistance.
I'm happy to help out...

mike)

 

[Walt]

A follow up on an old thread.

I've purchased and installed a rotary phase converter to power the 10EE.

With Cal Haines' help I'm working through the wiring. We've found the exciter is completely missing! Fortunately it can be replaced with a home-built, externally powered DC-power supply. Haven't gotten that far yet.

It appears that someone replaced the 230V DC control panel with a 115V one. Again, this isn't a huge problem.

On the plus side, we've established the motor-generator is functional. It appears the DC drive motor is good too. I'll be performing a live test very soon to nail that down.



In the meantime, I just made a pin to connect the DC motor gear box shift linkage to the front panel control lever. It's not perfect, but the pin is a solid repair that will out last me.





I will replace the bits of wire with cotter pins as soon as the local roads are passable.

Walt