Thread: Metric Hercus Model A

Hi folks,


Just acquired a Hercus Model A ...


I have just noticed on cleaning it up that it has a Metric thread plate glued to the belt cover.

Additionally, a few other anomalies include the lead screw gearbox with a metric plate, 3mm lead screw, green paint as opposed to the "grey /black" of the rest of the machine with hand engraved serial (as opposed to the normal stamp)...


Tail stock/cross feed, etc are all in metric graduations, the full collet set is also metric...

Machine is 8604 and has some other markings on it which I suspect are ex defence..

There is also a manual with the signature of a well known Hercus tech on it...but not matched to machine..


Thoughts? Opinions??


I just wanted a reliable starter lathe...Hercus was always up there, but never expected metric...

Unusual for the 9 inch models, but they were an option. That's good news, isn't it?
The later model 260 was the other way around - usually metric but available in imperial (leadscrew etc).

Jordan

Judging by your question did you expect this lathe to be Imperial?

If that was the case then either the seller has forgot to mention that or they may of just bought another lathe at some stage and changed parts over to convert from Imperial to Metric or used replacement parts to repair warn parts.

Do the numbers on the Bed, Tail Stock and Gearbox match.

Hey mate, 8604 tells me it was made in 1963, I'm not sure when metric became the standard, at a guess I would say late 60's. I have 2 model A's one a metric,one imperial. Another member told me they thought Hercus would supply to whatever the customer required. If all the numbers match I should imagine it camefrom the factory that way. Tafe's and schools often swapped parts around so I'm told. I don't think it makes any difference to the lathes functions. The hand engraved numbers on the gearbox may be due from a replacement cover plate orgearbox years ago, pre 1975 or so, but I'm only guessing on that. You could check the letter stamped on the back rail under the tail stock before the number to see if it started life as amodel A, AR, B or C, they may have added the gearbox at a later date.


Stephen

Originally Posted by nadroj

Unusual for the 9 inch models, but they were an option. That's good news, isn't it?
The later model 260 was the other way around - usually metric but available in imperial (leadscrew etc).

Jordan

Hi Jordan, I noticed on your post you've pictured an ARM, what does the "M" represent? the other odd letters I've seen on them is the letter "L", I think that meant a long bed. One of my machines is a AR but also carries an F, I have no idea what the "F" stands for.


cheers

Stephen

M = metric
L = long bed
H = hardened
N = instrument version

I don't know what F stands for.

Edit: looks like F signifies Factory options for cross-slide and tool-post. See attached price list for various option codes.

Yeah, dunno..

I wouldn't be surprised with it being retrofitted with metric parts. I have read and heard that Hercus did that quite often as well as reconditioning the machines. All numbers match(tail stock/bed/gearbox), but as already seen, the gearbox serial appears hand engraved and very faint as will as being a different colour to the rest of the machine. Tail stock parts and cross feed are all in metric graduations too.

By all means , I'm not complaining!! Haha! for me a good surprise to have!!


Are there any pro's/cons to changing the headstock to a roller bearing head stock since they are out there? Were they line bored with the matching tail stock and bed?

A = Model A
R = Roller bearing spindle

Jordan

the head stock was indeed matched to the bead; there's no reason you couldn't fit a roller head stock, it would just require some shimming and fiddling around! it was common for Hercus to recondition machines and convert them to metric. however, metric was available as an option on them for quite some time. if it has ARM stamped on the plate on the gearbox i would of been a metric option, when they did retrofits they would not alter this plate. not unusual for serial numbers to be faint/not square, these machines were hand finished and assembled, the gear box serial numbers were stamped by hand.

Hi there, Country Kid

I'm not with you about the head being matched to the bed.
They both have V-ways (a nice feature as it ensures alignment) which rules out shimming for fit I think.
In fact, I don't see why you couldn't mix and match heads and beds from different lathes, and they'd all be good.

Jordan

when i removed the head from mine it had shims under it; im not sure how else they would get it perfectly parallel with the bed? i suppose that determines the accuracy of the machine.... there's no reason you couldn't change heads though.

Originally Posted by country kid

when i removed the head from mine it had shims under it; im not sure how else they would get it perfectly parallel with the bed? i suppose that determines the accuracy of the machine.... there's no reason you couldn't change heads though.

I have changed headstocks on a number of occasions, so far it has not been necessary to shim one to align it with the bed. I suspect someone has tried to get a "best fit" alignment with a worn bed. You quite often find the actual centre height is different but that can be sorted by shimming the tailstock (which is much easier to deal with).
Mal