Does anyone have photos of a Monarch T lathe they can share?

[DaveE907]

Monarch built beautiful T lathes, never seen one where they were that could be photographed, go to prison! Does anyone have a photo of one, even scrapped?

 

[jlegge]

Here are a couple I have. They are of a Model O

 

[jlegge]

Here are a couple more. There use to be a you tube video one a Monarch T-lathe in operations.

John

 

[Cole2534]

So were there 2 operators as well?

 

[jlegge]

T-lathes were originally tracer controlled. The model F had one tool slide and the model O had two tool slides. The pictures look like this machine was rebuilt with new controls and a push button controls at each tool slide.

 

[DaveE907]

John, thank you for posting those photos and rattling my peabrain a bit. It didn't occur to me to look for videos, a quick search brought this one up. It might even be the same T-lathe shown in your photos. It appears to be a well done rebuild.

60" MONARCH T-LATHE - YouTube

This one is a short video of a similar size Monarch T-lathe still equipped with original hydraulics.

Monarch T lathe - YouTube

 

[adammil1]

Just wondering what is the point of a "T" lathe? You trade in a machine that allows you to turn long parts like a horizontal lathe should, and unlike a VTL you are still stuck fighting gravity when loading the part and working it! If I were in the market for a lathe that could handle parts that were sized to fit a T lathe I would just look for a VTL. Did monarch ever make VTLs?

The only reason I can think that Monarch would have made a T lathe is rather than redesigning a geared head machine to go vertical they could just go and reuse the headstocks off their horizontals and stay horizontal. None the less if I were a customer unless I really loved Monarchs the excuse they were too cheap in Sidney to redesign their headstock wouldn't have worked for me and I would just be buying a Bullard.

 

[Mud]

What would have been the price difference between the T lathe and a Bullard when new?

 

[jlegge]

Monarch and Lodge and Shipley were big makers of T-lathes. T-lathes were developed for the rings used in early jet engin parts. And in the 1950's Monarch could not build these fast enough. Production went into the 1960's, then these machines lost favor to the new NC machines being built. From my understanding these parts had odd contours which was best done with tracers, which Monarch was the leader in the field at this time. I am not sure if Lodge built the first T lathe or if Monarch did, they both built a lot of them.

Starting in 1978 Monarch start build VTL's, and they built a fair number of these until they closed. The castings were imported from an Italian builder (I can't think of their name), and Monarch put on the controls, tool holder, and other key features. They built a huge one with a 12 foot table that held tolenerces of that of a EE. It took a lot of reworking it to get it to meet specs, but the crew there pulled it off.

John

 

[EmanuelGoldstein]

The castings were imported from an Italian builder (I can't think of their name),

Morando.

Just thought I'd stick that in here for posterity.

They didn't have that great a reputation, by the way.

 

[jlegge]

Thank you for the comment. I had a brain fart and couldn't think of Morando when I posted. Monarch just got the finished casting from them and we added the mechanicals, motors, controls, etc.

Monarch sold a fair amount starting in 1978 up to when they closed in 1997.

 

[EmanuelGoldstein]

Monarch just got the finished casting from them and we added the mechanicals, motors, controls, etc.

Monarch sold a fair amount starting in 1978 up to when they closed in 1997.

Didn't mean to insult Monarch, gossip at the time was they weren't as sturdy as Bullards and Grays (the Ringmaster would have been competition for a T lathe ?) and definitely G&Ls (5" diameter ballscrews, mmm). But the allegedly-flimsy castings were not Monarch's fault