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Pratt & Whitney Model C 14x30, odd model number?

racolton

Plastic
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Location
Minnesota, USA
Hello All,
I recently acquired a Pratt & Whitney Model C 14x30 lathe from an auction, but the model number doesn't match information I have found for other model C lathes. The tag on the ways says "14in Lathe Model C", then below that is an M followed by 1457-850. The other models I have found info for are M-1694 and M-1696, but nothing on the M-1457.
Long story short, I guess, are there any major differences between the M-16xx models and the M-1457 I have? Also, does anyone have an idea on what year this thing might have been made?

Thank you,
Ross
 

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Something isn't right - like my serial book - it says both 14 and 16 were M-1696 - and the parts book pub agrees with this.

Fair chance the 1457 was dropped for simpler production (Maybe minimal differing parts the like head and tail stock stock casting) - but this is the first I have known of such. Same serial book says 850 is from 1942

I do know the M-1696 14 and 16 both use the same spindle bearings

Be interesting to know if the 1457 was RAISED like the 1696 - All those - like the 1694 were 2 1/2 more swing than catalog size. None of the "M" lathes that these replaced were RAISED - except maybe the 12 B built during the war as an improved 13" B

If raised, your 1457 will have an actual swing of 16 1/2"
 
Very strange - guess I won't worry about it too much until I start tearing into it to clean everything up, and will make sure to let my kids know that it should be listed as "Ultra Rare" whenever they go to liquidate my assets. :-)

The manual I found for the M1694 shows the center to bed height to be 7" and I measured mine to be 8", so possibly not raised like the 16xx series? (I don't know how to properly measure swing.)

Thank you for the info!
 
Its raised. My 16" Monarch is exactly 9" from flat way up to CL - not on a diagonal and it is said to have an actual swing of 18 1/2". However P&W measured it it would have to clear 8.25" to nearest feature of bed - on a diagonal. As a comparison, the much older 20 Model B had an actual capacity of but 21 1/4" and the 16 B but 16 1/2"
 








 
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