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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    8

    Smile New 9" model A owner, and restoration

    Hi All,
    First off id like to introduce my self. My name is Cameron and I live in the Brisbane/Ipswich area and have had a hobby of making DIY gas turbines for many years. I have been reading over a lot of old posts on this forum lately as I just became the owner of a model A 1951 Hercus lathe

    Reason I went for the hercus is the quality over a lot of the Chinees stuff. I felt the hercus was a better starting point and a good lathe that will out last me probably if treated right. So I have spent ages looking and just last week got an offer I couldn’t refuse on a hercus Model A 9" lathe. From the S/N I have dated it to late 1951. I have attached some pictures below of my lathe as it sits now in my shed:




    As you can see lathe has been neglected for some time and is in need of a resto. First off I want to get a bench for the lathe. Id like an original bench so I have started looking and have found one. Now jsut a matter of buying it and then starting the resto.

    First off I plan to restor the stand then completely strip the lathe and then part by part starting with the bed restore it and then mount it on the stand so at the end it is all complete and running again.

    But first I have a few questions.

    In the past how have you guys found the easiest way to paint?
    There are a lot of active surfaces on a lathe that cant be painted and spraying will need a lot of masking up. But brushing paint on will take a while but avoid a lot of masking. What can you recommend for the process?

    Next then is what paint do you all recommend?
    I really dont know where to start here. Should I etch prime it then paint or paint straight onto the cast what type of paint would car engine block paint be best price vs finish paint etc. Any advice in this area would be appreciated.

    Well ill keep you all up to date as things happen for the lathe over time and how it all goes.

    Cheers
    Cameron

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    near Warragul, Victoria
    Posts
    3,718

    Default painting

    Hi Cameron

    A really good trick engine rebuilders use is: instead of using masking tape .. a awkward and messy operation . Before you apply the paint , apply a thin film of oil onto anything you don't want paint to adhere to.. it works great ..after the paint has gone off , you just wipe off the oiled areas and presto

    Don't be too fussy regarding paint type ... basic enamel will do . Brush application is fine too . Most important is the prep time... more time spent preparing the surface will = better finish... But Hercus would have just applied paint in a ad hoc fashion anyway . It's a workshop machine , not ROLLS ROYCE automobile

    MIKE

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
    Posts
    1,894

    Default

    Brushed on enamel paint, directly over clean metal or prepainted surface is surprisingly effective. That's all I ever do. Leftover paint is kept for touchups. Good quality paint and brush helps.
    I think I'm falling in love with Machinery Grey.

    Jordan

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
    Age
    71
    Posts
    6,458

    Default

    Jordan favours grey so I thought I'd post a few photos of one of my favourite grey 9" restorations. This is the handywork of Gene "Footz", a panel beater from Adelaide. Gene posted these images a while back and I had to save them. Wish my machines looked as good!

    BT

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    near Warragul, Victoria
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    3,718

    Default wrong colour

    I think they were green ..not grey

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
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    71
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    6,458

    Default

    Some were green. Some weren't.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    8

    Default

    Hi,
    Mike it is funny you mention Rolls Royce..lol . I actually build Rolls Toyce Gas turbines for my day job...lol So this rebuild will probably turn into a full overhaul and look something like a Rolls Royce would..lol

    But thanks for the idea of oil and paint. Might give it a go. I think the trick will be not to get oil running into paint and making a mess.

    As for paint think Im set on engine enamel then. Heat proof good on cast surfaces and good around oil so I think this will be my go. Had a look at a few brands today and found Buick green engine colour is pretty much spot on to Hercus green so I think Ill go that colour. I look at grey machines all day in a work shop so I want to liven mine up..lol

    But the pictures posted of those other Hercus's are awsome. I spotted one has a micrometer stop very nice

    Cheers
    Cameron

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    near Warragul, Victoria
    Posts
    3,718

    Default stop

    CAmeron You can buy the original South Bend ( Hercus 9 lathes are a clone ) micrometer stops from Jeff Beck at tools4cheap

    He has them made to the original pattern .

    Tools4cheap LLC Online Machine Shop Tooling Store: Reproduction Micrometer Carriage Stop to fit South Bend 9"/10K / Logan Lathe,Other Lathe Tooling - Thread Dials, Metric Gears , Micrometer Stop, Cross Slide Nuts, Tail Stock Turrets

    Mike The oil trick ..you apply a very thin layer of oil , thats all

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Mt Crosby, Brisbane
    Posts
    177

    Default

    I know green/grey is a bit of a religeous war but shoudn't a 51 be grey still ? My 48 should be grey.

    Hercus are fine for that size of lathe. I don't recall ever seeing anything that size that was demonstrably better, apart from one or two one off home made machines. Obviously it's not a DS&G but provided you don't try to take 1/2" cuts it will do anything you want with good accuracy and reliability.
    I'm just a startled bunny in the headlights of life. L.J. Young.
    We live in a free country. We have freedom of choice. You can choose to agree with me, or you can choose to be wrong. Me.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    8

    Default

    Hi,
    My 51 should be grey yes but I like green BUT grey is growing on me......

    But tomorrow I will go to the paint shop and see what he has I can buy.

    Spent today blasting the fixed steady back to bare metal and cleaning all the parts. The 3 jaws on it are stuffed and I couldn’t see it from the rust but the steady had a hard life. Looks like it snapped in half once on the frame and the teeth. BUT was oxy weld back together square. Also 2 teeth had been snapped and weld back together and also had some brass by the look of it melted onto the tips. The teeth of the steady are cast metal.

    So I will buy some roller bearing teeth to upgrade and rejuvenate the steady a little.

    But I set up the base of the steady in the surface grinder just before I finished work hoping to grind the base ever so little on Thursday.

    So far I have set it up on an angle plate and dialled the grinding wheel up to the bottom face with a dial gauge and got it "flat" to the wear marks, hope you understand that. My plan is to grind it at the same direction it was new just take off the wear ONLY. So just a skim. For a fixed steady this won’t cause any alignment issues as the teeth can be adjusted.

    But can anyone suggest possibly a better way or any other ideas would be appreciated?

    Also after cleaning all the steady I blasted the 3 adjustment bolts with square heads chased their threads (bit worn) and then gun blacked them to prevent future rust and looks good. I also purchased some new high tensile bolts and washers for the fingers. Old nuts the tool had were rusted, odd, worn, bent, someone had used the wrong spanner on them and rounded. So it should clean up really well. And look a million dollars when finished.

    I have attached a picture of the top of the steady how it blasted up. You can see the milled slot where the top tooth will go I will get a block wrapped in 1200 paper and polish up this area again also.

    Attachment 179244

    Cheers
    Cameron

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    near Warragul, Victoria
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    3,718

    Default Knuckle wrap

    I've just had a wrap over the knuckles from the site admin for using a large font size

    Been a naughty boy sorry .

    Nice work Cameron . Is that normal for a steady rest to be in two halves like that

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    8

    Default

    Hi,
    I dismantled it. The steady piviot point was a bolt and other side is the lock that can be removed. So yes it is in 2 parts not normal for that only normal when rebuilding..lol

    Cameron

  13. #13
    Yonnee's Avatar
    Yonnee is offline Trailer Bloke & Mild Mannered Moderator
    Join Date
    May 2007
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    Tooradin, Vic.
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    1,318

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by morrisman View Post
    Hi Cameron

    A really good trick engine rebuilders use is: instead of using masking tape .. a awkward and messy operation . Before you apply the paint , apply a thin film of oil onto anything you don't want paint to adhere to.. it works great ..after the paint has gone off , you just wipe off the oiled areas and presto

    MIKE
    We do a similar thing at work painting rebuilt Earthmoving components, but we use grease rather than oil. The grease doesn't drip off while you're hanging the part you're painting, and won't run onto the surfaces you need paint to stick to.
    Too many projects, so little time, even less money!
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