Thread: 24 Hercus Owners and still looking

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

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

Originally Posted by bitza500

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...

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Originally Posted by bitza500

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.

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

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

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