Buying a lathe blindfolded

Vernon · 2010-07-05T03:33:04+00:00

Guys,I have long wanted to buy a Hardinge HLV or Monarch 10EE lathestrictly for hobby use. Admittedly, my approach is neither scientificnor even rational. My basis for wanting one is not based on anyspecific kind of work. I don't need one. I just want it.I have found a Monarch in the back of a local shop. Nobody remembersanybody last using it. They don't know if it runs. Apparently it'sbeen there since the beginning of the last ice age.I get the impression they would sell it by the pound. However, thetrouble is that may be what it's worth. Is there a price at which ifI buy it I cannot go wrong no matter what works or doesn't work onit? I'm told that rebuilding one of these can entail ghastly sums ofmoney. I can't afford to go there. I just would like to know howmuch I could offer and be able to break even under the worst casescenario or have a usable lathe if I'm lucky. The lathe is not hookedup to power so running it is likely out of the question.When I was a young man I dreamed of owning a sailboat. Finally Irealized that if somebody GAVE me a sailboat I couldn't afford one.Might that be the case with a Monarch 10EE?Thanks for any and all input.V

Jul 05, 2010 25 Replies

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Ned Simmons 16 years ago

This is a typical gear-head lathe with a regular 3 phase induction motor drive. No variable speed.

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dcaster 16 years ago

Where are you located? Just want to know where there are all these Monarchs for sale.

Dan

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Vernon 16 years ago

=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0If I can get

564

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DoN. Nichols 16 years ago

O.K. I didn't know that they made any like that.

Thanks, DoN.

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Dave H. 16 years ago

Possibly simpler, as long as you don't mind having "steps" in the speed control, would be to use an 8-bit (256 steps) or 12-bit (4096 steps) analog-to-digital converter on the wiper of a pot fed with a stable reference, digital lines to the address lines of a pair of EPROMs (or a trio if you go 12-bit) with suitable values burned in, each of their sets of data outputs run back to the inputs of a pair of 8 or 12-bit digital-to-analog converters to get the pair of voltage curves you need from a single pot - I've used this a couple of times to get weird pot laws. With EPROMs you can blank and reprogram a few times to get exactly the characteristic you need, there are "digital potentiometer" ICs that you could use instead of the DACs, too.

Dave H.

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