# Since everyone else is dong it, or my new (old) lathe



## G1K (Jan 9, 2009)

I decided I needed a new lathe and have been searching for a particular model for a few years on and off.

This is the old craftsman that the new lathe is replacing:

Before:










After:





I found a Monarch 10EE on craigslist in I think in July or August ’08 and drove about 80 miles to see it. It was a mess, but I bought it any way.

Here’s the before shot from the day I initially looked at it





















Here it is arriving home:










Some pics of stripping, cleaning, cleaning and some more cleaning:
Motor/generator unit out






all cleaned up


























And finally today I got everything put back together:



























I still have a few electrical things to work out, and get everything dialed in but the hard part is now over with.



In case anyone is wondering about the color, machine tool grey is not an exciting color for me, and orange is my favorite color. I've never seen an orange 10EE, so I figured why not...

Ryan


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## gadget_lover (Jan 9, 2009)

That's a seriously great looking piece of equipment.

What's the motor/generator for? 110 from 3 phase?


Dan


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## modamag (Jan 9, 2009)

Great Job Ryan.
That got to be one of the nicest round dial I have ever seen.
How do you like the battleship hum when the MG fires up?
My family doesn't but I myself love it.

I actually saw your lathe on the PM board first. I believe another PM member also used orange when he purchase his from a local university.


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## PhotonFanatic (Jan 9, 2009)

Wow, how many hours did you invest in that?

I think it's safe to say that you won't have many color imitators by those doing similar restorations. :devil:


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## SafetyBob (Jan 9, 2009)

I have a Bridgeport you can start on next.....

Seriously, that is a tremendous job on reconditioning that thing. Now I will not show pictures of my old hunk now. This is getting embarrassing, everyone getting new lathes and mine still runs good enough, or do I need to get the paint can out? 

I was going to ask the same question about the motor setup on that. Is that factory standard for those things?

Bob E.


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## G1K (Jan 9, 2009)

gadget_lover said:


> That's a seriously great looking piece of equipment.
> 
> What's the motor/generator for? 110 from 3 phase?
> 
> ...



The lathe takes 3 phase in. The motor generator converts the 220 3 phase in to DC out for the DC spindle motor. There's also a belt driven exciter on top of the M/G which creates the 115 DC for the lathe controls.



PhotonFanatic said:


> Wow, how many hours did you invest in that?
> 
> I think it's safe to say that you won't have many color imitators by those doing similar restorations. :devil:



I started working on it for an hour or two per day, but I (my wife) also had a baby in May, so my time was extremely limited that I could spend fooling around with it. If I had to guess, maybe 80 hours?



SafetyBob said:


> I have a Bridgeport you can start on next.....
> 
> Seriously, that is a tremendous job on reconditioning that thing. Now I will not show pictures of my old hunk now. This is getting embarrassing, everyone getting new lathes and mine still runs good enough, or do I need to get the paint can out?
> 
> ...



I say put up the pics, I love looking at machinery, especially "old hunks" 

The M/G was factory standard until sometime in the 50's I think when Monarch offered another power option, but I'm not quite sure on the dates...
This particular lathe was made in April 1942.

R



modamag said:


> Great Job Ryan.
> That got to be one of the nicest round dial I have ever seen.
> How do you like the battleship hum when the MG fires up?
> My family doesn't but I myself love it.
> ...



Thanks for the compliment!!


I don't mind the noise, with all the covers on it's not too bad at all. It's quite a bit quieter than some of the other noise makers in the garage.

R


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## modamag (Jan 9, 2009)

The 10EE MG setup is basically a 3-phase 5HP motor driving another 3HP DC generator.

In order to run these @ home people been running them with 7HP RPC to generate the 3-phase to drive the 5HP MG to spec.

Ryan, I just realized that you got a taper nose piece to yours. Mucho CONGRATS! If I had/found one, I would never have parted with mine.


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## HoopleHead (Jan 9, 2009)

wow, very nice and beautiful restoration


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## gadget_lover (Jan 9, 2009)

I see now! The MG is in the lower right and that drives the DC motor under the spindle on the lower left. 

Very clever. 

Daniel


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## G1K (Jan 9, 2009)

modamag said:


> Ryan, I just realized that you got a taper nose piece to yours. Mucho CONGRATS! If I had/found one, I would never have parted with mine.


Believe it or not, I posted a WTB over on PM and a guy in Rochester NY had an extra he sold to me at a very fair price. The lathe came with a lantern style post, right and left turning holders and a parting tool. It also had a collet closer wheel, 8" 4 jaw, 6" 3 jaw, 2 face plates, jacobs chuck and something else I think I'm forgetting. 

I have an Aloris BXA on the way, and a few indexable carbide tools, but I still need a few more ... I think that's always the case though.

I'm going to get a set of 5c collets next week.



HoopleHead said:


> wow, very nice and beautiful restoration



Thank you. It's been a learning experience for sure.


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## Anglepoise (Jan 9, 2009)

Love to see old iron brought back to productive life.


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## Data (Jan 9, 2009)

G1K,

That is a super job. The paint is one of my favorite colors too. Enjoy using that machine.




SafetyBob said:


> I have a Bridgeport you can start on next.....


Bob, Bob, Bob, he doesn't do Bridgeports, he does Monarchs! 

You can start on my Monarch next . . . 


Cheers
Dave


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## precisionworks (Jan 9, 2009)

That's as nice a restoration as I've ever seen on a 10EE:twothumbs

Monarch went through a number of variations on their variable speed spindle drive, first sold in 1939. Those early machines used a Sundstand hydraulic-hydrostatic drive (which makes the motor generator set look tiny). 1941 saw the first use of the Reliance MG set. In 1949, the factory developed the WIAD (Works In A Drawer) that used Thyratron vacuum tubes to rectify AC to DC for the DC spindle drive motor. 1960 was the first year of solid state controls (although the Thyratrons were still used for AC-DC conversion), and the motor was upgraded to 5 hp. The vacuum tubes disappeared in 1984, and a 7.5 hp inverter drive (VFD) came out in 1995.

The factory took great care in making those machines. Standard spindle runout was spec'd at under .000040" (40 millionths).


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## cmacclel (Jan 9, 2009)

WOW!! Orange is my Favorite color! Can you fly down here for a week and paint my new one orange  I'd be scared to use it! it's to pretty. What paint did you use?

Mac


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## G1K (Jan 10, 2009)

Valspar Tractor and Implement paint. I would have used automotive paint, I have all the spraying equipment but the lathe is too heavy to move over to the shop with the spraybooth, and I have an infant at home and an attached garage so I didn't want to stink the place up.

All the old paint was removed with a 1" wide gasket scraper, then bondo and glazing putty until smooth. Finally the orange paint was brushed on. 

R


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## TranquillityBase (Jan 10, 2009)

Awesome!

Sweet lathe and sweet motorcycles...now that's a dream shop :twothumbs

Where's the tire changer?


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## G1K (Jan 10, 2009)

TranquillityBase said:


> Awesome!
> 
> Sweet lathe and sweet motorcycles...now that's a dream shop :twothumbs
> 
> Where's the tire changer?




The changer's at a friends house.. but when I'm in a hurry I just use the spoons... no shortage of tires however... 










R


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## TranquillityBase (Jan 10, 2009)

Nice :twothumbs


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## cmacclel (Jan 10, 2009)

G1K said:


> Valspar Tractor and Implement paint. I would have used automotive paint, I have all the spraying equipment but the lathe is too have to move over to the shop with the spraybooth, and I have an infant at home and an attached garage so I didn't want to stink the place up.
> 
> All the old paint was removed with a 1" wide gasket scraper, then bondo and glazing putty until smooth. Finally the orange paint was brushed on.
> 
> R


 

Your kidding right?? You used a brush?? The finish look nice and smooth in the photos without a brushmark in sight!

Mac


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## wquiles (Jan 10, 2009)

Great restoration :thumbsup:

Will


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## will (Jan 10, 2009)

cmacclel said:


> Your kidding right?? You used a brush?? The finish look nice and smooth in the photos without a brushmark in sight!
> 
> Mac



Wow - great restoration , and - no brush marks.


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## McGizmo (Jan 10, 2009)

Late to the party but what a great job like all have said! :thumbsup: You have established a bond with that machine that can only be viewed with envy by most of us. May it serve you well as you have served it! :bow:


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## Data (Jan 10, 2009)

McGizmo said:


> Late to the party but what a great job like all have said! :thumbsup: You have established a bond with that machine that can only be viewed with envy by most of us. May it serve you well as you have served it! :bow:



[star trek voice]

"I must remind you Captain, it is simply a collection of bulkheads and conduits, I am certain it has no feelings". :devil:

[/star trek voice]


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## donn_ (Jan 10, 2009)

Great job. An Art Deco lathe!


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## jasonck08 (Jan 10, 2009)

Wow... Amazing work. How much did it cost you on CL?


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## arpit (Jan 10, 2009)

Nice one! Now go restore one of these:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=euo8IKf2CuQ&feature=related

Or perhaps one of these:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7yYwUC44WJg


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## G1K (Jan 10, 2009)

McGizmo said:


> Late to the party but what a great job like all have said! :thumbsup: You have established a bond with that machine that can only be viewed with envy by most of us. May it serve you well as you have served it! :bow:



Don, Thanks for the kind words. Now I can start that project I mentioned to you last October. Unfortunately the Monarch and I bonded even further this evening. Something in the gear box did not feel right, and there was a part attached to it that needed a repaint.









cmacclel said:


> Your kidding right?? You used a brush?? The finish look nice and smooth in the photos without a brushmark in sight!
> 
> Mac


Nope, no kidding. I used a 1.5" and 2" brush for the whole thing. The paint leveled out extremely well despite the cold temps here, but there are a few brush marks if you know where to look


jasonck08 said:


> Wow... Amazing work. How much did it cost you on CL?



I paid $950 for the lathe and tooling.



arpit said:


> Nice one! Now go restore one of these:
> http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=euo8IKf2CuQ&feature=related
> 
> Or perhaps one of these:
> ...




I wish I could afford those. Amazing machinery for sure.


Ryan


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## jasonck08 (Jan 11, 2009)

Good deal... it's probably doubled or tippled in value by now!  Once you get everything up and running, show us what this puppy can do!


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## PEU (Jan 12, 2009)

Look at that beauty! congrats on such a wonderfull restoration job!


Pablo


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## 3rdrock (Jan 12, 2009)

Nice job. :thumbsup:

BTW,is that Kubota Orange ?


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## G1K (Jan 12, 2009)

3rdrock said:


> Nice job. :thumbsup:
> 
> BTW,is that Kubota Orange ?




Why yes it is 

R


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## cmacclel (May 28, 2009)

How is the paint holding up? I may have a project like this in store for my new mill. 

Mac


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## G1K (May 28, 2009)

So far so good. There are two chips, both because I banged a large piece of steel into it, the steel also made a chip in the concrete floor. 

The way oil has no softening affect on the paint at all. I have not tried any coolant yet, but I don't expect any problems.

It did take a long time to harden up, I painted it in the winter in an unheated garage. 


Ryan


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## cmacclel (May 28, 2009)

G1K said:


> So far so good. There are two chips, both because I banged a large piece of steel into it, the steel also made a chip in the concrete floor.
> 
> The way oil has no softening affect on the paint at all. I have not tried any coolant yet, but I don't expect any problems.
> 
> ...


 
Did I read there was a hardener available for the Valspar line?

Mac


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## saabluster (May 29, 2009)

I just have to say that this is one of the most beautiful machines I have ever seen. Well done!


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## G1K (May 29, 2009)

cmacclel said:


> Did I read there was a hardener available for the Valspar line?
> 
> Mac


This is the hardener. It seems to have the desired effect, but since I don't have any parts with out it I can't directly compare...

It's cheap compared to the work with putting on another coat.








saabluster said:


> I just have to say that this is one of the most beautiful machines I have ever seen. Well done!




Thank you.


Ryan


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## Clark (Jun 15, 2009)

I have a 1938 Atlas just like that one, that someone painted the same shade of blue.

I have had a PM1236 on order for 3 months.

I sold my Clausing 5914 3 months ago. When I scraped the paint off that lathe, it looked like the above Monarch with the paint scraped off.


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## Pellidon (Jun 15, 2009)

We had a 1939 and a 1941 vintage Monarch. Both were converted to a newer variable speed drive. I retained the gearbox on the older of the two when I converted it to a new drive. 

Unfortunately we sold both when we moved. I still miss those babies.


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