Please help identify Monarch lathe found in pieces

[guythatbrews]

Removing the headstock spindle is non-trivial and requires a bit of headstock disassembly. The big, ultra precise main spindle bearing will also come out when the spindle is removed. Personally, i would be more concerned about the corrosion in this bearing if it's not living in the headstock than i would be about the condition of the ways. Replacing this bearing could cost more than a bed regrind if you could even find a spare. From a practical perspective it might be better to consider this machine a parts machine and look for a complete, fully assembled but worn machine as your primary rebuild project.

Saturday is the day and I'll know much more soon.

I wasn't looking for a project like this. It found me. It's not the model lathe I would have picked to rebuild, but price and location couldn't be better. And coincidentally I was planning on rebuilding my B&S 13 grinder, so getting stuff together already.

If too much important stuff is missing and I can't pass this along to someone else sad to say it will go to scrap. I'm optimistic all will be good. Wish me luck.

 

[Phil in Montana]

It dont really matters what it was, its all going to the scrap pile anyway, I have sold good working, nice paint monarchs, well tooled for 3000 bucks... not worth the time to mess with this pile of rust...Phil

 

[guythatbrews]

It dont really matters what it was, its all going to the scrap pile anyway, I have sold good working, nice paint monarchs, well tooled for 3000 bucks... not worth the time to mess with this pile of rust...Phil

I hear you.

I have no illusions of any monetary gain. Quite the opposite. Labor and frusration. Maybe my twisted idea of fun. But it's not a pile of rust by any means. All the important stuff (I can see) is good.

Someone told the brother-in-law in charge of the estate in good condition it is worth $25,000. I know the someone and he is rather full of it. He runs a second generation machine shop, not a machinist, but he should know better. The estate guy, also not a machinist, knows the 25k is malarkey and he'd have to get hauled off at a loss. Hope I don't have to do the same...

 

[Cole2534]

One lost gear or shaft from all of that mess will ruin the project. There are too many other, complete lathes to peruse to entertain this idea.

 

[guythatbrews]

That's the rub, innit it?

If not for som extenuating circumstances I wouldn't even consider it. Deceased owner's rep and his assurance to survivors it's all there helps a lot.

And my haul-off is being bartered for some pretty cool, hard to obtain tools. So I'll break even if I have to scrap it.

 

[1yesca]

I hear you.

I have no illusions of any monetary gain. Quite the opposite. Labor and frusration. Maybe my twisted idea of fun. But it's not a pile of rust by any means. All the important stuff (I can see) is good.

Someone told the brother-in-law in charge of the estate in good condition it is worth $25,000. I know the someone and he is rather full of it. He runs a second generation machine shop, not a machinist, but he should know better. The estate guy, also not a machinist, knows the 25k is malarkey and he'd have to get hauled off at a loss. Hope I don't have to do the same...

i think it would be a good learning curve project and about the cost i would just flat tell them i will not charge you a dime to haul it

off . if you can do better then go for it as its going to cost me to get it out of here and nothing for you to let me do it

 

[guythatbrews]

Got the pices hauled to my shop and now have model and serial number

So the lathe is a 16CY, serial number 24280, September 1943. The tag is readable but just barely. Somehow it got dinged up, probably some maroon storing a wrench or something there.

Over the weekend we loaded this thing up and hauled it about 15 miles to my shop. It was a chore what with crummy asphalt driveway, no room to work, and little to work with. A forklift would not have had enough room to maneuver. Saturday we bolted it on skates and rolled it to the back of the tilt trailer with bars and winched it on. Pretty steep incline since the drive was uphill. We also had a 3x6x 6" thick surface plate on the load and a 2x3 plate. It was a chunk. Sunday went back and picked up the top stuff. It was another chore with nothing but an engine hoist. Two guys helped so for free labor and about $130 for the trailer rental over the weekend it is here. No pictures of the mess on the trailer.

At first blush It looks like all the parts are here except the compound rest. There is more to uncover and also a storage unit so I hope I can find that. The cross slide has very little wear, estimate less than .001 in the middle and maybe just over that on the ends. I think the reason the spindle was removed was the gear for the leadscrew reverse with the single dog had to be replaced since a new one is in the pile. Spindle bearings are in situ and well wrapped and taped.

My plan is to get the headstock back together and see if it appears ok. Have to inspect all the remaining gears for damage. All my fingers are crossed. If that works I'll pull the bed inside, level it and give it a chance to settle down and level it while I start on the apron and qcgb.

I don't know if this was standard but it has the planetary cross feed dial which is pretty cool.


Even if I have to part it out I think I'll be ok, even if I count my labor. It came with 6 big aloris holders but haven't found the tool post yet. A 12" cushman 4 jaw that I don't think has ever been used, and another I think he'll give me. I found a 6" 6 jaw buck chuck in the mess with non-reversible jaws. I'll use that on my 10EE. A complete dial indicator holder, two more without the indicator, and a micrometer stop. And a steady rest with pad jaws and roller jaws.

 

[marka12161]

Glad to hear things are looking promising. I have a list of apron bearings and sources for replacements. PM me your email if you would like a copy. If you decide to part it out, please let me know as i would surely be interested in a few of the parts.

M

 

[guythatbrews]

Glad to hear things are looking promising. I have a list of apron bearings and sources for replacements. PM me your email if you would like a copy. If you decide to part it out, please let me know as i would surely be interested in a few of the parts.

M

Bearing list would be great. Thanks I'll pm you.

Time will tell if it's gonna get parted out.

 

[*D'B=6bk]

If you decide to scrap it, I'm looking for a steady rest and a few other parts for my 1944 16CY.

If you refurbish it, I tore mine down, everything except the head stock. If you need any reference pics, questions about how things should go, etc, feel free to message me and I probably have pics of it.

 

[guythatbrews]

If you decide to scrap it, I'm looking for a steady rest and a few other parts for my 1944 16CY.

If you refurbish it, I tore mine down, everything except the head stock. If you need any reference pics, questions about how things should go, etc, feel free to message me and I probably have pics of it.

Thanks that is kind.

 

[jlegge]

John Oder has it. That tag on headstock at the lower right corner. It should have serial number, swing, and date of manufacture on it.

My only hesitation on that is, most of those tags are placed higher, above where it is. Usually the lower tag was a secondary tag, when, in such cases they used two tags. In those cases the upper tag had the important info. But it doesn't appear an upper tag is missing.

View attachment 347811

It would make a great machine rescue story too, btw. You should take it.

Large Swing machines sometimes had the tag lower on the headstock. Looking at the pictures I was thinking I might have been a Model M, but if only 16 or so swing, more like a AA or something similar.

 

[guythatbrews]

Large Swing machines sometimes had the tag lower on the headstock. Looking at the pictures I was thinking I might have been a Model M, but if only 16 or so swing, more like a AA or something similar.

You missed my earlier post. It is a 1943 cy16. The tag is where you say.

Unfortunately some headstock gears are missing. The guy had a storage unit and we are looking there tomorrow, but I don't hold out much hope at this point.

 

[guythatbrews]

I am going to part his lathe out. Couldn't find the missing headstock gears.

I'll post it in the parts forum.