Going to look at a 1944 12CK… what to look for?

[Sellers Machine Co]

I’m a new hobby machinist slowly collecting machines for my dream shop. I have built up a decent fleet so far, but a Monarch lathe has always been at the top of my list. I have found a 12CK not too far down the road. I’ll hopefully be going to look at it, but I was wondering if there is anything specific to these I should be looking at? I know to check for backlash and wear in the ways and saddle. It is my understanding that this lathe can be powered up when I go to look at it, but I need to verify that.

 

[benmychree]

Run it through all the speeds and feeds and check to see if the leadscrew reverse lever on the saddle stays engaged and reverses properly and that the spindle clutch engages properly, I bought one out of a school shop and discovered that there was a sheared key in the headstock so that half of the spindle speeds din not operate, it was an easy fix. and ran fine, they are a very fine machine, only downside is that change gears cannot be used on the machine due to its construction.

 

[Ultradog MN]

That is a "raised in the sand" model.
The 12C, CK, KK, etc models normally swung 14 1/2".
They made some of those to get more swing in a "smaller" lathe. It would not be as rigid as their normal 16-18" models. You probably know Monarchs were very stout and could take a bit of upsizing but it is a 14 1/2" machine horsepower and strength wise.
I see a couple of gagets on the apron and cross slide dial/wheel which I can't quite ID from the photo. If you buy it I will enjoy sleuthing those out with you.
Good luck with getting it.

 

[rabler]

Check the leveling bolts, the 8 bolts that support the frame on the floor. Looks like several are missing but sometimes they get snapped off in the frame. Spin the tailstock all the way out and check for wear/wobble in that spindle. Look at all the handles and cranks to see if any have been welded up.

As an 80 year old lathe it is going to have some wear in all locations. But they are very heavy duty machines.

 

[Sellers Machine Co]

Thank y’all for the comments! It came home with me. All in all I feel like it’s in good condition for its age. A little wear, a little backlash… but I’m just having fun, not making space ship parts! It does seem to have some unusual features based off of my limited knowledge. Once I get it unloaded today I’ll post more pics so yall can tell me what a good or bad decision I made! I also need to find pretty much everything for it, since it only came with one chuck and no tool post or live centers.

 

[benmychree]

Gadgets on the carriage and apron -- 12ck is a toolroom machine, has reverse to lead screw on carriage with stops on reverse rod and thread stop on crossfeed dial/crank; mine was just the same.

 

[rabler]

Looks like that one may have a trav-a-dail (or something similar) on the cross-slide. Redundant with a DRO, but cool anyway.

 

[Sellers Machine Co]

We got it off the trailer and into the shop successfully. I have a 5,000 pound forklift but it’s old and tired and I always have to spend as much time working on it as I do unloading machines. The DRO doesn’t appear to be working, so I’ll have to look into that. But here’s some pictures of the old girl, I’m really happy with it!

 

[Sellers Machine Co]

Check the leveling bolts, the 8 bolts that support the frame on the floor. Looks like several are missing but sometimes they get snapped off in the frame. Spin the tailstock all the way out and check for wear/wobble in that spindle. Look at all the handles and cranks to see if any have been welded up.

As an 80 year old lathe it is going to have some wear in all locations. But they are very heavy duty machines.

4 out of 8 of the leveling bolts are broken off in the castings… so that will be fun. Nothing has been welded that I can see, the tail stock is literally so smooth you give it a spin and it just keeps going. Rock solid with no movement. I’m new to machining but I think this is one of the best condition machines I’ve purchased, other than the backlash. I’m sure some of that can be adjusted out though.

 

[benmychree]

I should have looked at the "blown up" view much sooner to see the special features! I now see the power feed compound rest, although God only knows what exactly the extra levers do. I saw a similar one at a machinery dealer's warehouse many years ago that actually had two compounds rests at opposite ends of the cross slide that could be operated independently of each other at different angles and locations, obviously for a special purpose/job for war work, as I suppose was the case for this machine, as well.