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Enterprise El-2 Help Needed
- Thread starter lowlife
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2019
- Messages
- 532
Your lathe's drive config is different than mine. Mine has a triple belt which run up behind the end-gears, not up inside the headstock. What's the machine # on yours?
[edited post because I didn't initially see the pictures]
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- Joined
- Nov 14, 2020
- Messages
- 1,725
I have been in this business for a long time and I have never seen one before.
Look at the generous cast iron base, that makes for a rigid machine and reduces vibration.
Hardened ways? Is that what it says on the bed by the tailstock?
What is the swing?
Look at the generous cast iron base, that makes for a rigid machine and reduces vibration.
Hardened ways? Is that what it says on the bed by the tailstock?
What is the swing?
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2019
- Messages
- 532
@sdelivery - The EL-2 is 15" swing, 40" c-c (manual implies a 60" existed too). Not a gap bed. Yes, hardened ways. 45 to 2000 RPM. 2 speed, 3hp motor. Yes - they are very rare. I have had a saved search in eBay since I bought this lathe and only had a hit once about 2 yrs ago. My understanding is that MKL did some work in conjunction/contracting for Colchester or Clausing back in the 70's. I wish the OP would post up about his contact for parts; his post was 7 years ago but I'm still surprised he found someone who could provide old stock back in 2015.
I went through mine a while back; most issues were just due to lack of maintenance: the dovetails for the half-nuts were out of adjustment (easy fix), selector handle had a very worn/non-functioning safety interlock, broken sight glasses replaced, gibs all around weren't set well, replaced some oil cups, carriage locks needed re-making (they were loose), tumbler box and apron disassembled for a good cleaning...that sort of thing.
The lathe does work well; solid, slips into gears much more easily than my G4003G. I do like the imperial/metric at the flip of a lever. I have one remaining major problem: the tailstock rocks a hair forward/lower when you tighten it down which causes a taper. Thankfully the wear is in the TS and not the bed. I plan on sorting that out, swapping the compound for a rigid tool holder, and retrofitting a steady rest...then she'll be good for a thorough clean up. I've got a lot of projects ahead of it though.
This is the replacement I made for the selector base to fix the interlock issue. Nothing special, just interesting to see how worn the original one was. You can also see how it was slipping past FWD into no-mans land. Students must have given it quite a workout.
I went through mine a while back; most issues were just due to lack of maintenance: the dovetails for the half-nuts were out of adjustment (easy fix), selector handle had a very worn/non-functioning safety interlock, broken sight glasses replaced, gibs all around weren't set well, replaced some oil cups, carriage locks needed re-making (they were loose), tumbler box and apron disassembled for a good cleaning...that sort of thing.
The lathe does work well; solid, slips into gears much more easily than my G4003G. I do like the imperial/metric at the flip of a lever. I have one remaining major problem: the tailstock rocks a hair forward/lower when you tighten it down which causes a taper. Thankfully the wear is in the TS and not the bed. I plan on sorting that out, swapping the compound for a rigid tool holder, and retrofitting a steady rest...then she'll be good for a thorough clean up. I've got a lot of projects ahead of it though.
This is the replacement I made for the selector base to fix the interlock issue. Nothing special, just interesting to see how worn the original one was. You can also see how it was slipping past FWD into no-mans land. Students must have given it quite a workout.
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