What's new
What's new

Monarch 14C

jjensenjr

Plastic
Joined
Sep 9, 2020
New to the site and to lathes. Acquired a monarch 14c. Trying to get familiar with it but looking to see if anyone has some advice or tips on using it and how some of the levers work. Been messing with it just now sure what would be the better or best way to use it.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1322.jpg
    IMG_1322.jpg
    93.6 KB · Views: 285
  • IMG_1323.jpg
    IMG_1323.jpg
    68.3 KB · Views: 182
I have a few questions. Is it hooked to power, and does it run ? Is there a tail stock ?

You're new to lathes, any other machine experience ?

What would you like to make, or do with the machine ?

I'd probably watch a bunch of vids, and do some reading.

Also before running serious under power, I'd like to check it mechanically. Oil levels, how are all the dials and such turning, etc . . .
 
Pretty straightforward to run
low handle on the right of the carriage is brake/clutch, down engage pull up brake

high handle on the side of the carriage is lead screw reverse
two small toggle handles on carriage are long feed and cross feed. larger handle is half nut engage

four gear change handles are explained on the front of the machine

feed thread change also are pretty much explained on the feed chart

fresh oil in head, oil in the carriage check all the sight glasses

won't spin fast but will take a chip

Pretty sure you could turn a 10 inch south bend to chip in 3 passes with this.....
 
Anyone that's new to a lathe should read this book. Link to book below in two parts.
A different lathe but the basics are the same.
Be careful, these machines do kill or seriously injure. No long sleeves ,gloves, jewelry or loose clothing.

South Bend Lathe Works - Publication Reprints - How To Run A Lathe 55th Edition | VintageMachinery.org

South Bend Lathe Works - Publication Reprints - How To Run A Lathe | VintageMachinery.org

Not sure if this is the right book
kMonarch Machine Tool Co. - Publication Reprints - Model "C" Tool-Room Lathes | VintageMachinery.org

Monarch Machine Tool Co. - Publication Reprints - Model "C" 14" Tool Room Lathe | VintageMachinery.org


More Monarch information.
Monarch Machine Tool Co. - Publication Reprints | VintageMachinery.org


Thanks go to Vintage Machinery.org and those who contribute information.
 
Last edited:
Be careful, these machines do kill or seriously injure. No long sleeves ,gloves, jewelry or loose clothing.

I'll second what mllud22 said regarding safety and elaborate a bit. Imagine this machine turning very slow and getting your sleeve caught in it. It will wrap you up like fishing line on a fishing reel. Same scenario with the spindle turning fast, it'll just wrap you up faster.

Years ago, my brother, an experienced machinist, was checking alignment of a part on a similarly sized lathe. Rather than turning the machine by hand, he set the spindle on slow and checked the indicator with the machine under power. He had a loose fitting sweatshirt on and leaned over the machine. It caught his sweat shirt and proceeded to pull him into the machine. He was able to reach the clutch lever and stop the spindle before he died but not before the shirt dislocated his shoulder as it was pulling the shirt over his head. He's constantly warning me about safety in my own shop and he speaks with great credibility. I wear short sleeves, tight fitting shirts, take my wedding ring off and keep my hands on the handles.

Have fun and be careful
M
 
Yes its powered and operates. No other experience on machinist types of tools. We use some stainless steel shafts on our Packaging machines. So would like to make them if possible. I have been watching Abom but watching and doing are completely different at times. I believe oil level is ok but not completely sure since the sight glasses are no longer clear. No abnormal noises while its operating. Guess thats kinda good. All dials are there. It has the taper attachment on it also. Is this something i could remove.
 
Slowing getting familiar with it. Still working on trying to figure out what my slowest feed speed can be
I know the a-b and c,d,e have something to do with threading but are they used for feed speed when turning?
Thanks
 
Almost forgot...SO since i cannot rest the lathe directly on the concrete/floor, what is something that i could use as a spacer/shim when leveling. Right not i have some steel plates on some adjusting points and the others are directly on concrete. thanks
 
The base of each pedestal should have two holes near each corner. One of those two is generally tapped, on mine tapped to take 3/4”x 16 (fine thread) bolts. You’ll want to have those to level the machine, probably with a small steel plate under each.
 
I know the a-b and c,d,e have something to do with threading but are they used for feed speed when turning?

Applies to both. Its just a gear box - it does not know if you are feeding or threading:) Which is something you select at the apron and right end of QC gear box (feed rod or lead screw selection)

The slowest feed rate (and finest thread) are lower right corner (of info on gearbox) - and all the way to the left end of that row will tell you about the A and B and C,D,E
 
Last edited:
Will probably never use it since we do not use any tapered shafts. But wouldnt probably matter either way. Thanks
 
The taper attachment would be difficult to remove. Monarch probably used a telescopic taper attachment, which is to say one that could be used without detaching the cross feed nut. This requires a two piece cross feed screw, the threaded portion can slide in and out of the portion that attaches to the cross feed dial/handle. However, the threaded portion of the cross feed screw is captured at the other end by the taper attachment. Without the taper attachment on the other end, the threaded portion will just come out when you try to move the cross slide.

In short, removing the taper attachment will either require a new cross feed screw, or a hack job on the existing one that would render the taper attachment unable to be reattached.

If you ever have to sell or pass along the lathe, a working taper attachment is a big draw. Also, the relevant natural laws also suggest that after you disable the taper attachment, you will receive a job that necessitates one...
 
The taper attachment would be difficult to remove. Monarch probably used a telescopic taper attachment, which is to say one that could be used without detaching the cross feed nut. This requires a two piece cross feed screw, the threaded portion can slide in and out of the portion that attaches to the cross feed dial/handle. However, the threaded portion of the cross feed screw is captured at the other end by the taper attachment. Without the taper attachment on the other end, the threaded portion will just come out when you try to move the cross slide.

In short, removing the taper attachment will either require a new cross feed screw, or a hack job on the existing one that would render the taper attachment unable to be reattached.

If you ever have to sell or pass along the lathe, a working taper attachment is a big draw. Also, the relevant natural laws also suggest that after you disable the taper attachment, you will receive a job that necessitates one...

I have a 1944 12”CK with a taper attachment which I believe is typical of all Monarchs’ taper attachments. Fairly simple to remove the taper attachment without modifying the cross slide. Vintagemachinery.org’s collection has info on the Monarch taper attachment.
 
I was talking about the cross feed screw itself. Well, I suppose you could also make a fixed bracket to capture the backside of the screw. But either way you do it, it is more complicated than just unbolting some stuff.
 
On My Summer '46 CW16, the screw terminates in a thrust block (35 in first image) riveted to the bottom of the slotted flat "draw bar" (36 in second image) this bar can be both "clamped to the cross slide" and additionally clamped to an anchor situated over the T/A

Manual scan_19.jpgManual scan_20.jpg

Upper left instructions on operating T/A

Manual scan_10.jpg
 
I mean, I haven’t taken apart a Monarch taper as thoroughly as an American or a Lodge & Shipley, but on a Monarch you can drop every piece of the taper attachment off of the lathe and still have a working cross-slide without a big drawbar plate hanging off the backside? I have looked at parts breakdowns, and they show a different bracket that bolts onto the backside of the saddle to capture the cross feed screw on the backside (versus lathes with a taper attachment).

Maybe I am just wrong though.
 
I mean, I haven’t taken apart a Monarch taper as thoroughly as an American or a Lodge & Shipley, but on a Monarch you can drop every piece of the taper attachment off of the lathe and still have a working cross-slide without a big drawbar plate hanging off the backside? I have looked at parts breakdowns, and they show a different bracket that bolts onto the backside of the saddle to capture the cross feed screw on the backside (versus lathes with a taper attachment).

Maybe I am just wrong though.

You are correct, my mistake. I took a careful look at mine, which matches the diagrams johnoder posted. The draw bar (#36, diagram 2) will float if the taper attachment is removed. Since the cross slide lead screw is secured by a thrust block to the drawbar, it wouldn’t be solid unless some further modifications were made.

Unlike johnoder’s machine, my thrust block is secured with 4 capsscrews instead of rivets. Could be changes made by Monarch, or perhaps by prior owners. FWIW it seems that the thrust bearings between that thrust block and leadscrew are not commonly available.
 








 
Back
Top