Buying a 15x24 Monarch Lathe

No brass plate eh? The brass plate usually states the serial number and year manufactured.
Mine is 14 x 36 built 1939. What ever you can fit on them can be machined. Great machines.
One number on the ways is the serial number. Rest are probably inventory numbers from owners before you. Mine has a navy number and anchor insignia. War years they were on ships.
 
I have the gearbox cover off everything looks ok except for the splines on one of the gears but it works. The clutch is also in working condition. The gearbox had most of its oil drained.

What type of Oil should I use in the gearbox???

This is a very old Monarch it doesn't have an oil pump in the gearbox.... Gears just spin in the oil bath.....
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I use iso32 hydraulic oil for my lathe gear boxes, Inexpensive, and readily available. If you don't get very cold in your shop than iso68 hydraulic oil might be a better option. There are a lot of gear oils out there, but stay away from sulfated antiwear oils if there is any brass inside the gearbox.
 
I have the gearbox cover off everything looks ok except for the splines on one of the gears but it works. The clutch is also in working condition. The gearbox had most of its oil drained.

What type of Oil should I use in the gearbox???

This is a very old Monarch it doesn't have an oil pump in the gearbox.... Gears just spin in the oil bath.....
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View attachment 325302
I use Mobil DTE medium heavy oil in mine. If you have a site glass on the front, fill to half of the site glass. The key to narrowing down the age is the bearings in the head. Timken spindle bearings puts it after 1934. But what intrigues me is the belt from the motor. Mine is 3 separate belts. Yours may be a 40's war lathe. How many speeds is the head?
 
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I use Mobil DTE medium heavy oil in mine. If you have a site glass on the front, fill to half of the site glass. The key to narrowing down the age is the bearings in the head. Timken spindle bearings puts it after 1934. But what intrigues me is the belt from the motor. Mine is 3 separate belts. Yours may be a 40's war lathe. How many speeds is the head?

There are only 2 brass plates 1 for the spindle speeds and 1 for the leadscrew....... Looks like 8 speeds....
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