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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Tullamarine
    Posts
    8

    Default Newbie here, need a little help

    I have just taken delivery of my Hercus A.

    There was a bunch of stuff that came along with it, but I havent got a clue what most of it is.

    I have about 25 pics but I will just upload a few at a time

    http://flickr.com/photos/25412003@N04/2494176061/

    http://flickr.com/photos/25412003@N04/2494184203/

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Alexandra Vic
    Age
    69
    Posts
    654

    Default

    14052008110 appears to be carriage stop or similar that clamps accross the bed, maybe to limit manual movement of the carriage, never seen it done like that before though,
    14052008111 is a driveplate/faceplate. Screws onto the spindle nose in place of chuck, the bolt/pin will drive a dog for turning between centres, or items can be bolted to the face for turning if the bolt/pin is removed, Appears reasonably buggered,
    14052008118 is a drive dog for above,
    15052008122 appears to be parts of a taper turning attachment installed on the carriage,
    14052008101 is a dial guage mounted on a mounting base, probably a magnetic base, does it have a knob of one face and on/off labels? Dial if in gwc would be one of the best toys to get if you have an independant chuck as you can get parts set up in the chuck extremely accurately with it. Also good for establishing runout etc on anything with a mag base.
    14052008102 is a vertical milling slide. Fits to cross slide in place of the topslide and used to mount workpiece, while tools such as small mill bits, drill bits, flycutter securred in spindle with collet set work it. Slide in attachment gives up down feed, cross slide gives cross feed and carriage gives depth feed.
    14052008116 is the control arm out of a K&M steel window winder mechanism 1960s, maybe teeth at winder end are worn.
    Lot of the little bits will be made by previous owner as mandrels, mounting fixtures etc, or offcuts and test pieces.
    No ideas about the bike bits.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Katherine ,Northern Territory
    Age
    69
    Posts
    736

    Default

    Vertical slide looks like a Myford item.
    "Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend ,inside a dog it's too dark to read"
    Groucho Marx

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Tullamarine
    Posts
    8

    Default

    Thanks fellas.

    It looks like I have a thread dial indicator as well. What I would really like to do is convert my lathe to a metri model, any idea exactly what needs to be done?

    Also, what is the preferred oil to use?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Heidelberg, Victoria
    Age
    79
    Posts
    2,074

    Default

    raff35,

    Welcome to the Hercus club.

    In my opinion, and for the sake of originality, leave the old girl imperial. Your lathe won't know the difference if it's turning a piece of 2" ms bar, or a piece of 50mm bar.

    The only thing that is really important is you, the operator. I'm suggesting that you won't turn down a diameter by simply using the vernier dials, you will make a cut, then measure, make another cut, re-measure and so on till you reach the metric or imperial diameter you need.

    Metric threads are easy to cut on an imperial lathe, providing you have the correct transposing and back gears. For that you will need 127 & 100 tooth transposing gears together with 48, 44, 40 (supplied with the lathe), 36, & 28 tooth back gears.

    This combination in conjunction with the QC gearbox, will allow you to cut a multitude of metric pitches.

    Your challenge now is to clean the lathe up, and get it running. A full restoration, if necessary, will take many, many months of hard, tedious, rewarding work.

    On this subject, I speak from experience.

    If you download a copy of The Hercus Text Book of Turning from beerbotboffin, you will discover a lot of useful information including which oils to use. While you are about it, also download a copy of The Hercus Owner's manual.

    Hope this helps,

    Ken

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Tullamarine
    Posts
    8

    Default

    Cheers Ken,
    I probably wont be taking it apart and totally restoring it. As far as I can tell she works just fine. The tailstock and bed serial numbers match so hopefully I wont have to buggerise around with it too much to get it accurate.

    I downloaded a copy of the two books you mentioned ages ago as I have been looking for a hercus for ages.

    Unfortunately I didnt get any extra gears with her so I would say I will be trying Mick Moyles in sydney to see if he can help me out.

    You mentioned that some of the gears needed to cut metric come with the lathe, does that mean that they are part of the gearbox alreay in it or that they are normally delivered with the lathe??

    Cheers

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Heidelberg, Victoria
    Age
    79
    Posts
    2,074

    Default

    raf35,

    As mentioned above, to cut metric threads on an imperial Hercus lathe, you will need all of the above, with the exception of a 40 tooth gear. The 40 tooth gear plus a 56 tooth gear, should already be attached to the rear of the QC gearbox.

    If you refer back to Post 12 May entitled Metric transposing gear chart, Hercus?, you will see a chart showing all the pitches obtainable. It's not a good copy, but legible.

    If you won't be needing all the pitches obtainable, it may be possible to eliminate some of the change gears, I haven't had time to work it out.

    Ken

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Tullamarine
    Posts
    8

    Default

    Ken,
    When you say that the gears should be attached to the rear of the quick change gear box, do you mean that they are part of the gear box or are they just attached without actually being part of the gearbox?

    Sorry if I seem unknowledgable but this is my first foray into the world of lathes.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Heidelberg, Victoria
    Age
    79
    Posts
    2,074

    Default

    raff35.

    We all have to start somewhere.

    Swing open the change gear guard, and have a squize at the drive shaft protruding through the end of the QC gearbox. This is where you will see the 40 and 56 tooth gears, one stacked on top of the other, held on by a locknut.

    "I was once a beginner, now I am one".

    Ken

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