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bitza500
19th Oct 2008, 05:15 PM
Well after just under a Month we now have 19 Registered Hercus owners
I am happy to say that 19 heads can supply a lot more knowledge when it comes to rebuilding or Restoring the Old Girls We have a Stray a Hercus 260CTM Owner welcome Jomac6 as most of our 9" parts were used on the later 260 I think it only fitting to welcome him to the SUB FORUM
Well the oldest Lathe is still my Tassie Devil VB316at 1941 and the latest 9" goes to BEETLE Serial Number 15585 must have been one of the last off the production line
And with Jomac6 his Serial Number 17512 makes it around 1981

Just remember any questions items for sale items of interest all come under this SUBFORUM

If any Lathes complete or incomplete can be found let the Forum know as quite a few well 75% are rebuilding or restoring and many parts are wanted so check out the old Technical Schools and see if they have any old parts lying around as Schools are still selling good ones but they may have some not worth selling as a complete lathe with either wear or parts missing may go for scrap

So Welcome Making Stuff and Ralphie to the Hercus SUB FORUM

all the best Derek bitza500

Greg Q
19th Oct 2008, 06:09 PM
You can add my AH 2084 serial number. It was a 9A but became an organ donor machine. all that is left is the bed and leadscrew bushing and one gear (I think 56). Anyway, the bed is free if anyone wants it. Templestowe area.

The bed was the weak link on this machine...it has a lot of wear near the chuck end, but I think could be ground or sraped back into a flat and aligned condition (but I think you'd need to remove almost 1mm from the bed)

Greg

bitza500
19th Oct 2008, 07:57 PM
Hi Greg, Derek or bitza500 I would like to lay claim to the Hercus lathe bed if I can as with what I have around here it may well be rebuilt or whatever
if you want to ring me on 0415291212 to discuss as I was pretty sad I never got all the bits you sold on eBay
all the best Derek bitza500
ring anytime as I am disabled and no longer work a full time job only 4 hours a week so it takes a long time to save money up so anything for free would be gladly accepted

Greg Q
19th Oct 2008, 09:43 PM
Hi Greg, Derek or bitza500 I would like to lay claim to the Hercus lathe bed if I can as with what I have around here it may well be rebuilt or whatever
if you want to ring me on 0415291212 to discuss as I was pretty sad I never got all the bits you sold on eBay
all the best Derek bitza500
ring anytime as I am disabled and no longer work a full time job only 4 hours a week so it takes a long time to save money up so anything for free would be gladly accepted

I'll give you a ring tomorrow if you can PM me your land line number. Thanks...

Buncha
20th Oct 2008, 06:35 PM
Bu&&er! That is just what I needed. I thought you already have several good beds Bitza! My 64 year old bed is worn beyond redemption. Oh well, the early bird gets the worm I suppose.

Buncha

Knotaclue
20th Oct 2008, 08:27 PM
Hi Derek
You can add me to your list of Hercus owners
Lathe number C5752
I picked this one up back in the mid 1980's for a token donation....via the education system. I believe it was originally in a (melbourne) Tech school.
I came with a fair bit of tooling/imperial gear set and a worn 3 jaw chuck.

It was too much of a good deal not to accept. I already had a substantial engineering workshop ( welders, presses, metal bandsaw etc)

Fortunately I knew of, and lived near, an old ( as if I am young!) engineering fella who made parts for, and restored Hercus lathes as a retirement hobby. Unfortunately no longer.
So of course I gave him the lathe and he effectively rebuilt it for me. For example he took all the slack out of the carriage/slides and installed new head bearings and new cast-iron bearings for the drive-pulley idler shafts.
He also supplied (cheaply) new (reversable) 3-jaw, 4-jaw chucks and a faceplate.
The chucks were from eastern europe and quite well made.
I built a 4-way tool holder and Voila! I have a very useable Hercus.
A quick-change box and Metric gears would be ideal..but hey I don't use the lathe all that often ....but when I need to ......I still smile a lot!!

By the way I also do lots of woodwork and have reasonable collection of machinery/handtools.

Never enough time in the day!!

Cheers Bob

bitza500
20th Oct 2008, 10:17 PM
Hi Bob,and welcome to the Hercus SUB FORUM you being Number 21 Is there any chance the school may have more lathes or even parts that are leftover or a incomplete lathe as we are all chasing parts
So anychance you could find out as they may have a pile of old stock under a building somewhere ???

all the best Derek bitza500

Knotaclue
21st Oct 2008, 08:50 AM
Hi Derek
Sorry, no chance. I picked up this lathe over 20 years ago during a school cleanout.

I have a background in Education and, although I did not work in Technical Schools,
I felt it was a retrograde step when the State Govenment closed tech schools and amalgamated them with High Schools ( Secondary Colleges).

Many of the Tech school buildings stood empty until they were sold off or used for other purposes. no equipment was left behind.
Most equipment was either sold off or was transferred to the new Technical wings of High schools.
Other bits drifted around the education system .....and that is where mine came from ...as a one-off in an odd place.

Cheers , Bob

jmk89
21st Oct 2008, 10:13 AM
I just had a thought that may be of interest to you guys concerning where lathes of this kind might still be found.

ISTR that many of the juvenile detention centres (or whatever euphemism your state uses for kids' gaols) try to reform young offenders by the teaching and metalwork (unfortunately they tend just to the use them to make improved firearms).

These are often put up for sale on a fairly regular basis as the equipment has to be fully compliant with OH&S requirements.

A call to the prison administration might at least get you on the mailing list for times when they are auctioning off old equipment, even if they can't give you a preferred purchaser status.

bitza500
25th Oct 2008, 02:13 PM
Thank you greg for the old Lathe Bed as I can now get my toolpost setup to centre height at My Mate Workshop

Greg also gave me the short legs if anybody is chasing a set

And Buncha give me a PM about the lathe or ring

Once again many thanks Greg as you have made me a lot closer to getting my old girl running again

all the best Derek bitza500

jomac6
29th Oct 2008, 11:45 AM
hi, picked up 7 gears for my CTM260, to cut imperial threads.
But I am still desperately needing a 50 and 25 tooth gears.
These two gears are the stud gears, so without them you can't cut any threads, HELP!!!!.
Leave me a message if you can assist.
Thanks John Holloway

Buncha
29th Oct 2008, 01:16 PM
And Buncha give me a PM about the lathe or ring



Thanks Derek, but I have decided that I don't use my Hercus enough to justify mucking around rebuilding it so I will put up with it the way it is.

nexusone
9th Nov 2008, 09:32 PM
Hi - got a pm inviting me to register, however I own a Sheraton conquest, not a hercus. This is similar to hercus 9" but has geared head. So unless u want to expand register to inc Sheraton, can't register. Still keeping my eye on the sub-forum however

Steve

John_Budden60
12th Nov 2008, 12:34 PM
Name John Budden
Model AR
Serial 10333
Email [email protected]
Accessories Most of the common but no vertical slide, no dogs, no dial indicator
Location Ballina NSW

bitza500
12th Nov 2008, 04:09 PM
hi john and welcome to our little subforum and you being our 24th person to register and to make contact as before i started this register there was no hercus club, register, nothing
well with 24 members at least it is becoming to be known which is good
so welcome aboard john and how long have you had your lathe??

also i went back to newmac in bayswater to look at the 2hercus 9" and the sheraton 9"

i checked all 3 lathe beds and all had lumps and clumps from where the chuck has been dropped onto it
they are 10 times better condition than the one i got off greg as his has been cleaned up plenty of times but the amount out damage is still apparent

while wondering with dave i found drills, taps, toolholders, boring bars, a 260 thread guage
a 9"lower crosslide brand new pulley plastic cover
and a mass assortment of chuck keys t handle sockets for the toolholder and cutting tools by the bucket load

i have no affiliation with dave except that he is 7klms from my house and i went snooping also gears no full sets but certain sizes

but if you are chasing all the s/h parts it would be better if you went and saw dave so you can see for yourself as i do not think he will be looking through all the s/h parts new stuff on the shelf
now here is newmac's phone and address 10 stephenson road bayswater north 3153 03 97203922


so he has bits just go and have a look

all the best derek bitza500

John_Budden60
12th Nov 2008, 07:36 PM
Thanks for warm welcome and information.
I will start a list before I go to see Dave.
I previously had a Myford with manual gears which was stolen so I decided to upgrade in both size and facilties with the AR.
Have not yet installed or tested in depth so I do not know what I do not know::) Have found the links here and Yahoo SB and some other sites very helpful with downloads for most of what I want to know now but doubtless I will have lots of questions later.
Thanks again and I will watch for a while.

bitza500
12th Nov 2008, 08:35 PM
Hi John, I do have a few odd parts as well
I tried to buy a lathe for within the forum owners as 75% are restoring and Dave has 1 for $660 less all the end gears and is a model c no gearbox
But it fell flat as even though people want parts they do not want to commit as I was going to get deposits buy the lathe strip it down itemize all the parts then work out value and posting
as half are missing parts and this serial 12,000+ ex school would have been a bonus as it has the factory cabinet a 4 jaw chuck motor and back motor pulley assembly plus the headstock which is worth over $660 if you paid out on eBay
And I do all the dirty work and posted or delivered if close to me

Dave is the only person in Victoria with a suitable donor lathe for stripping
as try and buy a cabinet
last year
cost on eBay went over the $150 mark as that was my limit
I am not in it to make a profit I am in it as I live the closest 7klms away and can get there in 10 minutes

Work out your list and send me a pm email with your list and I can go and see if he has what you want that goes to all owners
I am disabled I need something to do and supplying needed parts was one of my ideas
I have worked out roughly the cabinet is worth $150
The lathe bed $150 the motor $100 the headstock less back gear as it has none $150and they may drop if I get enough owners willing to part with money the tailstock $100
That is $600 already and still have the complete carriage and side apron plus the safety guards I think
I will wait again as I am broke and cannot afford to buy it by myself
if I got no response and found the money i would sell on eBay as the owners bar 1 have not replied

So get up your list send it to me at [email protected]
and I can go and see if either he or me has parts

All the best Derek bitza500

Anorak Bob
23rd Dec 2008, 10:49 PM
Hello Derek,

I have a couple of lathes that you can add to your list, a 1959 dark grey Model A (serial no. 7085) and a 1969 green ARL (serial no. 12507).

The '59 A is a bit of a mongrel. I had bought another A previously, only to discover that the headstock bearings were knackered. The condition of this machine was typical of a number of those used throughout high schools, the ways near the chuck were covered in dents and gouges and the compound slide had been severely bitten a number of times by the chuck. The sort of thing that I would have done in third year metalwork, back in 1967. I have this lathe dismantled and covered in grease. It’s in a tin box buried under too much junk in the back shed. It’s my supply of spare parts. Perth is a long way from anywhere.

I found the ’59 A at another dealer but it had no tailstock. This lathe had come from TAFE and was in pretty good nick. The headstock spindle and bearing surfaces looked nearly as good as new. The bullgear had one tooth missing which I had repaired. The centerline of the tailstock off the first lathe, was a couple of thou lower than the 59’s headstock centerline. I corrected this with brass shim as per Charlie Lear’s technique, the owner of the white AR featured in Tony Griffith’s lathes.co.uk website. Charlie’s dissection of the apron also proved invaluable. I have owned this machine for about 5 years.

Three years ago I purchased the ARL. I bought this from a dealer who acquired it, along with a few other machines from the wife of the original owner who had moved into a nursing home. This bloke was a Queen’s Counsel which didn’t stop him from using the lathe to turn wood. It was covered in a caked on mixture of oil and sawdust. Nothing I tried would remove this until I found some stuff called Goof Off. It’s made by Plasti-Kote and sold by Bunnings. It is extremely nasty (95% Zylene) and would most probably kill you if you were not wearing a suitable respirator, given the amount needed to clean this mess off. Leave it on too long and the paint softens.

The sawdust was even inside the headstock oilers. I dismantled everything (except the gearbox because I’m lazy) and removed all traces of the all invasive sawdust. I removed the spindle bearings only to be told to put them back in by Statewide Bearings because they were OK and that I’d be looking at $600 plus for a new set air bagged from Ohio.

Other than some corrosion on the ways, the machine shows very few signs of wear. There is a fair amount of chipped paint on the saddle and both the swarf tray and base cabinets have patches of rust.

When I picked the lathe up from the dealer, located within the base cabinet, was a brand new, still in the box, Burnerd 6” four jaw chuck, the fixed and traveling steadies, micrometer saddle stop, face and catch plates and… a never used, complete set of metric change gears.

When I’m feeling adventurous enough to brave the redbacks down in the back shed, I’ll fish out the serial number of the other Model A.

Regards Bob

bitza500
24th Dec 2008, 06:28 AM
Hi Bob. Welcome to the Hercus Sub Forum which now boast with your 3 Lathes
( you must be a Fanatical Hercus owner or mad) we have now gotten to the grand total of 32 Lathes ( this includes the your third lathe in bits )
What is your story are you a Backyard Hobby lathe owner or do you use them for work as 3 Hercus lathes

Would you mind giving me and the others owners a insight why 1 man has 3 lathes ??
and what do you do with them as I had 2 but 1 was dismantled which I was going to sell as bits but sold it to my Mate and I still have it in My garage anyway

Are there many place in WA were you can buy Secondhand parts for the Hercus ??

as over this side of OZ it is slim pickings and I tried to buy one to strip and sell so the others could buy parts at a reasonable price as 75% are being restored a few are old junkers wanting parts plus even me I am chasing parts for mine and my mates

So please let us Know if there is a Lathe wrecker in WA and well to now the Hercus Owners Register with Numbers 30, 31, and 32

I am glad that I did not waste my time asking the BIG FELLA UPSTAIRS for a Subforum as with now 32 Registered Hercus lathes in only 3 Months is a quite a achivement
So Bob anytime you need a question answered or have a problem just email and the Grey matter of these Fanatical Hercus Owners will be more and glad to be of assistance

All the best Derek bitza500

Anorak Bob
24th Dec 2008, 10:39 AM
Hello Derek,

Thankyou for your welcome. The lathes are a hobby, an all consuming one at that.

Hercus lathes do appear at a couple of used machinery dealers from time to time and the condition varies considerably. Fiora Machinery had an ex University of WA Science Department 9” lathe for sale a couple of years ago. It was in extremely good condition having been carefully used and maintained. I think they were asking about $2000 for it which I thought was good value. On the other hand they have other Hercus lathes with an asking price as low as $800. I bought my first lathe from them for $1100.

There is no one selling a supply of used parts over here. Given that my ARL was manufactured in 1969, it shares some common parts with the 260. The boring table, the extended cross slide, the milling attachment, taper turning attachment all fit both machines. Some of these parts are still available from Hercus.

I guess no one needs 3 lathes. Excluding my first purchase, having two lathes is real handy. The old bloke who previously owned the ARL had belted both ends of the spindle with a hammer while removing it to replace the bull gear. Having another lathe enabled me to repair the damage.

The A produces work with a taper when working close to the chuck due to the wear in the ways. For a lot of work this is not a great concern. Maybe .002 in an inch of travel. There is no taper in work turned on the ARL. I tend to use the A more than the ARL. I want to preserve the accuracy of the ARL for when it’s required.

Have a Great Christmas
Best Regards
Bob