Jaxian
Stainless
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2013
- Location
- Santa Cruz
So I have kept my eyes out for years now to try to get a better manual lathe for one off and second op stuff. The CNC makes money but just putting something in to do a quick job is a pain. Plus the CNC only has like 26" of Z, I keep getting jobs that need a lot more space than that.
From reading these forums I had settled on my dream machine. Either a American Pacemaker (late model Type D), a Lodge & Shipley Powerturn or a Monarch Series 612. Preferably a 20 x 54 with a taper attachment. Unfortunately these are unobtanium around here. They were all sold off or scrapped years ago. I figured I would take a trip back to Yoder Bros. as they always had a bunch in stock of each type. Knew I had to go see them as most are just hammered to death so needed to be able to check it out myself.
So while checking out Craigslist I find a Monarch Series 62 for sale, and a bunch of other really nice old machines. So I look down the list, the ad was just a few hours old and of course it's already marked as SOLD. Not surprised, even at like $9k it was going to go quick. A few weeks later I see the ad again and look at the other machines. Gear machines, huge American Pacemaker, American radial drill, Cincinnati vertical and horizontal mills, Axelson lathe etc. I notice the Monarch is not listed as SOLD anymore. I figure what the heck and call the guy. He says it's back for sale but not yet. It's not working and they are trying to fix it. I tell him to put me in line and he does. Down side is it's not a 20 x 54 but a 25 x 72. Also no taper attachment but a Air Gauge tracer. Also it's a Series 62 not a 612 and so has the huge hydraulic tank by the headstock eating up more space. And the hydraulics can be a problem. Well, ok but it is much bigger than I needed. Beggars can't be choosers.
I ask what the issue is and he says it won't shift there are hydraulic issues.
He is confident they will get it working and they will let me know. I called back every few weeks to get a update and they were having no luck. I talked with a friend who does machine repair and he says, no issue we can fix anything, if it's in good shape otherwise go for it. I talk to the seller next time and say I will buy it for a reduced price if they can't get it to work. He says just cover what he has in it and that's fine. Very nice guy, vastly cheaper. So I got it for much less than asking on the gamble that I could fix a hydraulic issue in the gearbox. I go to look at it and it's in great shape. Gears in the headstock look new, the ways after 60 years don't even have wear marks, just staining because they loved running coolant. So I bought it and dragged it home to roll the dice that I could fix it.
The rigging was like $3600, which was actually great to pick up a 15,000 lb lathe and deliver it to me more than 100 miles away. There was one oops. I now have a hole in my driveway where the forklift went through. Not cool but it survived. I have a pic if anyone wants to see it.
So it's 1962 Monarch Series 62 Pre-Selector 25 x 72 with the Air Gauge tracer, rapids, the two speed tailstock with the built in bearings. He also gave me a FIMS 5 toolpost with a bunch of tool holders, a 15" Cushman 4 jaw, a 15" Cushman 3 jaw that was only used once, a 10" Cushman 3 jaw, a 18" faceplate, 2 x 15" faceplates, a steady rest, and a 18" 4 jaw from something else that has no mounting stuff and looks import. Also 4 live centers, tons of tooling, the original manual for it and more stuff I am forgetting right now. It was sold originally in Mar 1962 to Kaiser Aircraft & Electronics in San Jose delivered in May 1962. They auctioned it off in 1997 to the guy I bought it from in Stockton. So I am the 3rd owner. The paint is original so even though it's ugly I am fine with that.
Getting it to actually work was a story of it's own and required a lot of work and luck but ultimately I found the problem and fixed it. I can put it in another thread if someone wants to see me try to teach myself hydraulics and lots of pictures of the inside of the headstock on a Series 62. It all works perfectly now. The machine is in great shape.
Here are the pictures. Sorry they are all close up but I don't have but a few feet around the whole machine so can't back up very far.
From reading these forums I had settled on my dream machine. Either a American Pacemaker (late model Type D), a Lodge & Shipley Powerturn or a Monarch Series 612. Preferably a 20 x 54 with a taper attachment. Unfortunately these are unobtanium around here. They were all sold off or scrapped years ago. I figured I would take a trip back to Yoder Bros. as they always had a bunch in stock of each type. Knew I had to go see them as most are just hammered to death so needed to be able to check it out myself.
So while checking out Craigslist I find a Monarch Series 62 for sale, and a bunch of other really nice old machines. So I look down the list, the ad was just a few hours old and of course it's already marked as SOLD. Not surprised, even at like $9k it was going to go quick. A few weeks later I see the ad again and look at the other machines. Gear machines, huge American Pacemaker, American radial drill, Cincinnati vertical and horizontal mills, Axelson lathe etc. I notice the Monarch is not listed as SOLD anymore. I figure what the heck and call the guy. He says it's back for sale but not yet. It's not working and they are trying to fix it. I tell him to put me in line and he does. Down side is it's not a 20 x 54 but a 25 x 72. Also no taper attachment but a Air Gauge tracer. Also it's a Series 62 not a 612 and so has the huge hydraulic tank by the headstock eating up more space. And the hydraulics can be a problem. Well, ok but it is much bigger than I needed. Beggars can't be choosers.
I ask what the issue is and he says it won't shift there are hydraulic issues.
He is confident they will get it working and they will let me know. I called back every few weeks to get a update and they were having no luck. I talked with a friend who does machine repair and he says, no issue we can fix anything, if it's in good shape otherwise go for it. I talk to the seller next time and say I will buy it for a reduced price if they can't get it to work. He says just cover what he has in it and that's fine. Very nice guy, vastly cheaper. So I got it for much less than asking on the gamble that I could fix a hydraulic issue in the gearbox. I go to look at it and it's in great shape. Gears in the headstock look new, the ways after 60 years don't even have wear marks, just staining because they loved running coolant. So I bought it and dragged it home to roll the dice that I could fix it.
The rigging was like $3600, which was actually great to pick up a 15,000 lb lathe and deliver it to me more than 100 miles away. There was one oops. I now have a hole in my driveway where the forklift went through. Not cool but it survived. I have a pic if anyone wants to see it.
So it's 1962 Monarch Series 62 Pre-Selector 25 x 72 with the Air Gauge tracer, rapids, the two speed tailstock with the built in bearings. He also gave me a FIMS 5 toolpost with a bunch of tool holders, a 15" Cushman 4 jaw, a 15" Cushman 3 jaw that was only used once, a 10" Cushman 3 jaw, a 18" faceplate, 2 x 15" faceplates, a steady rest, and a 18" 4 jaw from something else that has no mounting stuff and looks import. Also 4 live centers, tons of tooling, the original manual for it and more stuff I am forgetting right now. It was sold originally in Mar 1962 to Kaiser Aircraft & Electronics in San Jose delivered in May 1962. They auctioned it off in 1997 to the guy I bought it from in Stockton. So I am the 3rd owner. The paint is original so even though it's ugly I am fine with that.
Getting it to actually work was a story of it's own and required a lot of work and luck but ultimately I found the problem and fixed it. I can put it in another thread if someone wants to see me try to teach myself hydraulics and lots of pictures of the inside of the headstock on a Series 62. It all works perfectly now. The machine is in great shape.
Here are the pictures. Sorry they are all close up but I don't have but a few feet around the whole machine so can't back up very far.
. all id do is to spot fill and patch the paint on spots that have filler busted out, but even that could be a pain for not much gain, especially if you wind up with a poor match of topcoat. cheers and happy turning!
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