Enco 1236 Lathe questions

pmason

Registered
Registered
Joined
Aug 14, 2016
Messages
21
Just picked up an Enco 1236, date is 1990 and have some questions and problems.
Questions: (note first time lathe owner)
- Looking for a manual, haven't found one that looks like this lathe.
- Want to know what kind of oil I need and where are all the places to oil.
- Need to learn what all the knobs/levers do, some I know others not so sure.

When I picked it up it was running fine, he was just switching the level on the lower right of the carriage, up was one direction, down was the other direction, but once I have it at my place it doesn't do anything.
lathe.jpg
When I opened the electrical box on the side there looked to be like breakers and when I pressed one of the black buttons and the lathe started to run, pressed the other one and it ran the other direction. But the buttons didn't seem to be breakers as they wouldn't reset even if I removed power.
panel.jpg
Thought it might be the switch that the carriage lever triggers, which I will call a barrel switch as one of the lifting straps I was using was pressing on some of the wires just below it, but taking the cover off all the wires looked fine.
switch.jpg
I need to break out the volt meter and start to do some testing. But hoping someone here might point me in the right direction, or that problem is X.
Thanks for any help.
 
Those barrel switches are a big pain. I have to readjust mine every so often. Not a very elegant solution.
 
Do you have the "ESTOP" engaged?

Ray
 
Thanks for calling out the similarity in my thread, we're in a very similar boat. Is it marked 1236? Mine is a 110-2035 made in November 89, so they may have just switched model numbers in 1990 as I can't find a single reference to my model # anywhere. They do look very very similar.

The model number is on the faceplate, lower right corner:
IMG_1904.jpg

However, another member was so kind to point it looks a lot like a Grizzly G9249, which is discontinued, but they still have and sell parts for it as it's very similar to the gearhead verions, the 4003. Ours are gap bed, belt drive lathes. Not as convenient as gear head or variable speed lathes, but they have the benefit of smoother running and better surface finishes (like older machines) because they lack the tiny vibrations that gear heads can cause.

Note that the Grizzly is marked a 12x37, not a 12x36, but often that can just be a small difference in tailstock design to gain an inch of length.

Here's a manual that is close enough to be world's of help: G9249

So a few thoughts based on your post. Those black buttons are on contactors, not breakers and I'm guessing you just need to twist and pull up on the emergency stop button to restore normal connections based on the fact you get power when you manual bypass them.

If that doesn't help, the diagram in the manual above is close enough that you should be able to break it into pieces and work through any issues.

If that doesn't get you there, I'm happy to take a look on mine for comparison and post any pics you need. I'm not up an running yet as the strain reliefs on the motor and electrical box are all broken (brittle old plastic) and I want to replace those and do a deep clean in the gearbox including changing the oil before I actual power it up. That should all happen soon, though.
 
rdean, I need to look at that too, as I tried that button, even when I pressed the black button on the breaker or whatever you call it and it didn't seem to do anything. Just need to test it to make sure that switch is working too.
 
jung4g, ok the model number is in the same location mine just says 1236, like you said probably just one year off and they decided to change the number. Just glad to see someone else with the same machine :) I will review that Grizzly manual, did email the previous owner as I know is it the original owner to see if he didn't have the manual hidden someplace.
Like rdean pointed out I need to double check the stop button, I did pull it out, didn't seem to make a difference, will see if I can play with it again tonight and do some testing with the meter.
 
You mentioned the lifting strap pushing on the wires for the carriage/barrel FWD/OFF/REV switch. I would start by testing the wires and switch.

The black buttons are on the relays. Control voltage makes the relay latch in to enable full voltage for the motor. One of these will have wires from the FWD position, and one will have wires from the REV position.

Check continuity between the wires on the carriage/barrel switch and their position in the relay. Not easy to tell from the picture but you should be able to see which wires are control voltage and which are full voltage. The full voltage will be thicker and run to the motor.

My G9249 manual states the spindle oil to be ISO 68 / SAE20 "bearing and gear oil". I purchased Mobil Vactra #2 from MSC. There are many other sources.

Mobil Vactra oil at MSC Direct
 
Dave, thanks on the oil tip, not sure if its good or bad but I have Shars, MCS, and CDCO all pretty close, drive by Shars almost every day.
 
Wow, all three being close. I think this could be damaging to my wallet. Too easy to be tempted.

MSC Harrisburg PA is about 50mins drive. I have not made the trip yet.
 
Per Dave, what I call Contactors, he calls Relays, really their the same type of things with the same function. A lower current (sometimes also a lower voltage through a transformer) line controlling a higher current connection (or connections) instead of the physical switch (in this case your "barrel switch") being heavy duty enough to handle the full voltage/current.

Note that I've had to replace these before because the on/off functions cause a very small arc during the connection procedure and that can cause oxidation that builds up over time. After long enough, the closure function may not be strong enough to maintain a connection through that oxidation. If that is the problem and you can open up the relay, you maybe be able file/sand it down enough to make it work again. The fact that you can manually turn the relay "ON" with the black button may work because your push has more force than the internal function is capable off, and you're thus overcoming the oxidation that blocks normal function.

Somehow, I doubt that is your issue.

Looks at the wiring diagram, there are 3 safety switches (at least on the grizzly version):
Safety Stop Button
Chuck Guard Safety Switch
Gear Change Door Safety Switch

If any of those switches is OPEN, the control voltage to the Contactors/Relays will not pass, so things won't turn on. I don't think you have the Chuck guard switch, so just the other two are worth checking. My lathe does have an aftermarket NC safety switch added that is adjustable so if the carriage gets too close the chuck, it'll shut-off before crashing.


From looking at your pics, it looks like your strain relief on the bottom of the electrical box, the one on the bottom right, likely to the E Stop button, is broken or just disconnected. Please reconnect or repair, just as a safety precaution.


On a side note, your notes on MSC locations may be my downfall. I had only been on the mscdirect site. After a quick check I found out I work just 3 miles from the local branch, and it's between work and home. Looks like I know where I'll be over lunch tomorrow.
 
Back
Top