Rex wrote:

Just acquired an Enco 1024 Lathe, ca 1986.
Looks like a nice machine. 10x24, several chucks, steady, Aloris, bench
etc.
I'd like to get a manual on it, but doubt Enco will be helpful here. Any
of you have this machine, and can offer advice as to weaknesses,
recommended upgrades etc?

Does it look the same as my Jet 1024?

http://www.grumpyoldgeek.com/images/lathe.jpg

If so, I can tell you it's a decent machine. It's
not a Monarch EE, but it gets the job done. I
made this part with it yesterday:

http://www.grumpyoldgeek.com/images/scopetube.jpg

It's a custom eyepiece tube for my daughter's
microscope. It adapts a modern Nikon 10x eyepiece
to her 50 year old Wild-Heerbrugg scope.

Metric threads, boring, groving, turning. It took
me the better part of an hour to figure out how
to rearrange the geartrain for metric, but it did
work fine once I got it.

The lathe electrics were crap and ended up in the
recycle bin. I installed a Leason 1 hp 3 phase
motor and a Hitachi 1hp VFD. An excellent investment.

I have a manual, but it doesn't say much. I don't
remember where I got it.