Need help

I'm of the opinion, too low is no good, too much is no good.
Too much oil can cause the unit to work harder, or for oil that should be dropping by weight (crud) to float around or get stirred around. So proper oil level is just as important.
 
Run it and don't worry about it, it will adjust itself to the correct level.
It's common for operators to over fill machines.
 
matthewsx said:
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Hey, I recognize that building! It's the inside machine shop at my facility where I work. Notice the variety of lathes on the floor. Several of the Reed Prentice lathes are still in use in low-volume shops. The center aisle is mostly massive lathes now for turning shafts hundreds of feet long. The bay to the right has plasma tables and big boring jigs. Everything to the right not pictured is all CNC now, but a few decadent manual machines still live there (like a K&T No. 3 Model D that I don't think anyone knows how to run). My role in these shops is to anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and control the chemical and physical health hazards, like that oil haze in the room.

Edit: That building has 40 acres of floor space. Red brick construction not typical of the west coast. Pure capital!
 
Not sure the exact configuration of your lathe, but Monarch's generally use a pump in the headstock that distributes oil to a few key locations within the headstock. The pump sends oil to a distribution manifold, through some flow restriction metering valves, and then on to those locations. One location is a drip window in the upper part of the headstock. You should see oil dripping out of the end of the tube in that window, basically another SIGHT glass looking affair. The lower sight glass is the level. While oil does not drip rapidly out of the drip window, you should see a drop every few seconds. If not, it is critical that you take the cover off the headstock and chase down the problem.

Ideally, even if you see oil, you'd pull the headstock cover and check to be sure each of the lines out of the manifold is getting oil. The Bijur brand restrictor valves are prone to getting blocked, it doesn't take much contamination to foul them. Also, the oil pump itself has a felt filter (or at least should have) on the intake side which doesn't hurt to replace. It is a round piece of felt about the size of a silver dollar. Many just cut a piece of felt from a larger square bought from McMaster-Carr.

If you don't have a matching manual for your lathe, you can get one for around $50 by calling Monarch. They'll want to know the serial number. Worth it for the exploded parts diagrams.
 
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Jeez there's so much going on in that picture, it deserves a thread.

The flooring in that shop is made of end cuts from creosote treated beams from scrapped wood ships, old growth marine-grade stuff. The blocks are 5-6 inches on a side, and at least 6-8 tall, and are stacked in like pave' blocks. It supports big machinery. The CNC stuff is on poured blocks like it should be, but all that massive shipbuilding equipment lives on wood blocks from trees that were cut down 150-200 years ago. The building was built in the late 1800s, so the wood is much older than that, and the floor still supporting the precision machines that serve our nuclear capital fleet.

The electrical substation for that building is underground and requires three 12' turbine blowers with 4' outlets to supply enough air for 4 air changes per hour so workers can enter the space. Big stuff!
 
pontiac428 said:
Hey, I recognize that building! It's the inside machine shop at my facility where I work. Notice the variety of lathes on the floor. Several of the Reed Prentice lathes are still in use in low-volume shops. The center aisle is mostly massive lathes now for turning shafts hundreds of feet long. The bay to the right has plasma tables and big boring jigs. Everything to the right not pictured is all CNC now, but a few decadent manual machines still live there (like a K&T No. 3 Model D that I don't think anyone knows how to run). My role in these shops is to anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and control the chemical and physical health hazards, like that oil haze in the room.

Edit: That building has 40 acres of floor space. Red brick construction not typical of the west coast. Pure capital!
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Nice, just a random picture from the web that shows what I thought a production shop should look like.

Great to know it’s still in use.

John
 
The sight glass on my Monarch series 60 is in the back of the head stock the one on the front is a visual indicator that the oil pump is pumping oil or at least to that spot if this is a new to you Lathe it is definitely worth the time to check the oiling system and make sure oil is pumping everywhere it is supposed in the head stock when you take the lid off you can crack each line and operate the pump with a pry bar or big flat head screw driver I could gain access to mine from another removable cover on the back .
So not sure about that model but mine has two more oil pumps one for the carriage that sits on top the bed ways and another that does the change gears and all the gear train on the end of the lathe . If you are new to all this and not super familiar it is well worth the investment of buying a manual for you model lathe and to go over and check all of that because all it takes is one bad oil pump or Bijor metering device to not work and not work correctly and many bad things will happen quickly!!!!
Just my 2 cents
Darryl
 
Most Monarch lathes have the pump for the headstock in the back side of the machine towards the chuck. The is a cover for servicing.
Is the main motor going the correct direction?
What model do you have? I have some manuals around here some where.
 
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