Hello everyone,
I have a bunch of questions about a machine.
I posted this at the end of another thread but thought that maybe it was better to have it on its own. I am very new at this forum stuff, and apologize for any errors that I make due to ignorance or over-enthusiasm.
I have been reading all the posts I can find on older Monarch lathes, and have found especially enlightening ones posted by Carla. They have been very informative, thank you.
I have not found much about the model AA, so what the heck, maybe some of you way more knowledgeable about this machine than I, might take a moment.
The first question is about the date. The previous owner of the machine, who knows little about its history, thought that it was post war, late forties. The machine came with the plant and they use it rarely.
The serial number 3041 seems to place it in the late twenties to early thirties. I emailed Monarch and they responded that it was delivered on March 1930 to the Pittsburgh, PA Department of Education. This is exciting news, and might explain why a machine that is so old, and one that has not received the best of care or much use for the past couple of decades is still in pretty good condition.
One problem is the card for this serial number specifies that the machine as a 16" x 72" When I posted the serial number one person said that I might have missed a digit, so I went back see. The machine is in a warehouse waiting to be moved.
Unless I am missing some important element it looks like the serial number is AA-3041. There is no brass Identification Tag, that I guess is common on Monarchs with all the pertinent information. I don't even see where the tag might have been. There is a spot on the headstock where something was, but whatever it was, it was there by adhesive and not rivets or screws.
Further on the identification route, at least with South Bends, it seems that the head stock configuration and apron are two of the most evolving elements and these change substantially over the years.
So that is all I currently know. As per Carla's recommendation, about another Monarch, I will be pulling the top cover off to inspect the condition of the gears and will post pictures.
I am concerned about the low top working speed of 640 rpm. Much of what I machine is plastic and aluminum, but also a fair bit of stainless. I would think that this would be a great lathe for 2" to 3" diameter stainless bar stock. The unit is 5hp 3 phase and I purchased a fancy 5hp VFD. This could possible increase the highest speed somewhat.
From Carla's and other posts, pre 1935 lathes do not have hardened beds. Would this be a reason not to own a 1930's Monarch?
Everything is filthy, covered in oil and dust, but the head seems quiet, I have not worked in through every speed. The compound, cross slide, tail stock, and apron all move very smoothly. The bed does not show appreciable wear. There are some minor dings. The machine has its steady rest, taper attachment, some chucks, a lot of other tooling which I need to inventory.
On the down side of moving this into the shop is that it is nearly two tons, takes up 32 square feet of floor space and while this would greatly improve my capability on larger work, I do not get a whole lot of larger work. It is also eighty years old, while the price is right, would I be wasting time and energy on such an old machine?
I have a bunch of questions about a machine.
I posted this at the end of another thread but thought that maybe it was better to have it on its own. I am very new at this forum stuff, and apologize for any errors that I make due to ignorance or over-enthusiasm.
I have been reading all the posts I can find on older Monarch lathes, and have found especially enlightening ones posted by Carla. They have been very informative, thank you.
I have not found much about the model AA, so what the heck, maybe some of you way more knowledgeable about this machine than I, might take a moment.
The first question is about the date. The previous owner of the machine, who knows little about its history, thought that it was post war, late forties. The machine came with the plant and they use it rarely.
The serial number 3041 seems to place it in the late twenties to early thirties. I emailed Monarch and they responded that it was delivered on March 1930 to the Pittsburgh, PA Department of Education. This is exciting news, and might explain why a machine that is so old, and one that has not received the best of care or much use for the past couple of decades is still in pretty good condition.
One problem is the card for this serial number specifies that the machine as a 16" x 72" When I posted the serial number one person said that I might have missed a digit, so I went back see. The machine is in a warehouse waiting to be moved.
Unless I am missing some important element it looks like the serial number is AA-3041. There is no brass Identification Tag, that I guess is common on Monarchs with all the pertinent information. I don't even see where the tag might have been. There is a spot on the headstock where something was, but whatever it was, it was there by adhesive and not rivets or screws.
Further on the identification route, at least with South Bends, it seems that the head stock configuration and apron are two of the most evolving elements and these change substantially over the years.
So that is all I currently know. As per Carla's recommendation, about another Monarch, I will be pulling the top cover off to inspect the condition of the gears and will post pictures.
I am concerned about the low top working speed of 640 rpm. Much of what I machine is plastic and aluminum, but also a fair bit of stainless. I would think that this would be a great lathe for 2" to 3" diameter stainless bar stock. The unit is 5hp 3 phase and I purchased a fancy 5hp VFD. This could possible increase the highest speed somewhat.
From Carla's and other posts, pre 1935 lathes do not have hardened beds. Would this be a reason not to own a 1930's Monarch?
Everything is filthy, covered in oil and dust, but the head seems quiet, I have not worked in through every speed. The compound, cross slide, tail stock, and apron all move very smoothly. The bed does not show appreciable wear. There are some minor dings. The machine has its steady rest, taper attachment, some chucks, a lot of other tooling which I need to inventory.
On the down side of moving this into the shop is that it is nearly two tons, takes up 32 square feet of floor space and while this would greatly improve my capability on larger work, I do not get a whole lot of larger work. It is also eighty years old, while the price is right, would I be wasting time and energy on such an old machine?
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A 1930's advertising stroke of genius.
