# Monarch 16CW Restoration



## pgriek (May 19, 2014)

It was surely one of the happiest days for me when I bought my old Monarch lathe a few months ago. It was in a fairly good state, consider it was build more than 70 years ago. I can't say how she was treated through the years but I do know she found a good home with me 


I have started to restore the machine but like many other restorations, anyway when it comes to me, lead to so many other little projects and things to make to assist or least make the restoration a bit better. My first side project was to build a sandblaster cabinet, wanted build one for so long but never come it, but this time I did. The sandblast cabinet is to blast most of the smaller parts clean before coating. The second side project is building an A-frame lifting beam. 


I started off by taking off the QC gearbox and clean that up.


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## drs23 (May 19, 2014)

pgriek said:


> It was surely one of the happiest days for me when I bought my old Monarch lathe a few months ago. It was in a fairly good state, consider it was build more than 70 years ago. I can't say how she was treated through the years but I do know she found a good home with me
> 
> 
> I have started to restore the machine but like many other restorations, anyway when it comes to me, lead to so many other little projects and things to make to assist or least make the restoration a bit better. My first side project was to build a sandblaster cabinet, wanted build one for so long but never come it, but this time I did. The sandblast cabinet is to blast most of the smaller parts clean before coating. The second side project is building an A-frame lifting beam.
> ...



It appears Sir you have scored a gem. I'll be glued to this resto. They're my favs ya know?


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## xalky (May 19, 2014)

I'm a huge fan fan of Monarch lathes too and this one seems to be in relatively good shape. They are very well built rigid and accurate machines. Bring her back to the glory that she deserves and she'll serve another 70 yrs easily.


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## Tony Wells (May 19, 2014)

I have her cousin. A 16-W, s/n 7749. There is no date stamped on my plate, however.


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## Cadillac STS (Aug 31, 2016)

Tony Wells said:


> I have her cousin. A 16-W, s/n 7749. There is no date stamped on my plate, however.




Just noticed on the Monarch manual the slogan "No Obsolescence Tolerated Here."  And the decades since shows they were true to their slogan!!


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## jpfabricator (Aug 31, 2016)

Tuned in. I also have a 16cw waiting for power.

Sent from somwhere in east Texas by Jake!


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## Reeltor (Aug 31, 2016)

I too have a Monarch CW, a great lathe
I hadn't a clue that so many members also had CW's

Not to be a wise ass or anything but the lathe looks like it's ready to work.  Do you just want to put some fresh paint on it or does it have problems?


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## FOMOGO (Aug 31, 2016)

That's a beautiful machine, and the setting with the brick wall and the corrugated metal sliding door make it look right at home and era appropriate. The heavy steady in Tony's post is really a work of art all by itself. Cheers, Mike


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## Tony Wells (Aug 31, 2016)

Yeah, and I dearly wish I had that steady rest.


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## 4GSR (Aug 31, 2016)

Tony Wells said:


> Yeah, and I dearly wish I had that steady rest.


Tony,
I have one here that someone started to  modify to fit on my 20" Lodge & Shipley lathe.  I don't know if it was originally from 18" or 20" Monarch. I might be willing to draw it up for you to fit your lathe if you wanted to build one.  Only problem right now I having the time to do so.
Ken


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## Tony Wells (Aug 31, 2016)

Ken, I've been using a light duty, modified steady rest so far on the lathe, I just don't like it. So time is no issue at all. I get by, but could and would push the machine to it's capability if I had the proper steady rest. I do some adapter subs on it, and of course, it has such a small spindle hole I can't swallow things like that so have to use a steady rest. Longer stuff I bring in holed, but these I just buy P80 bar and drill myself then bore. Nothing special about the bores, as I'm sure you know, but sure could do them faster. Once in a long while I do a short float sub, so the bore is a little more critical on them, but generally not on the adapters.

I've been toying with the idea of building one, sort of patterned after the Mazak design, but only in my head at this point. Nothing on paper. If it's something you want to do, I'd sure be happy to have a "genuine" copy of a Monarch design.


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