Thread: Need help saving my lathe

I moved my 9" with an engine crane off my trailer and into position in the shed. If you were to break her down I would be very surprised if you couldn't move the whole lot by hand, even the bed, however, not having done it (nor tried to put one back together) I am really speculating.

I'm not far from you in Sunshine, if you are really struggling for an option. I don't really have space for another lathe but be happy to discuss access to mine. Send me a PM if you want to chat about it.

But you are right, if you sell it, you'll surely regret it!!

Cheers,
Matt.

The biggest part is the bed - quite manageable to lift by one person, but make sure you had your cornflakes for breakfast.

Jordan

Originally Posted by raff35

I am just about to move and am being pressured to sell my lathe off. I must admit I havent used her in quite a while but it is just one of those things that I love seeing when I switch on that light out in my garage.

So basically I need some help in compiling some ammunition to save her from evilbay.

I need to know the process of disassembly and the weight of individual pieces once she is broken down. I have a van so moving her isn't really a problem but I want to also have the option of just tearing her down and hiding her amongst all the other gear I have until I rebuild her ready to take some more cuts like she was made to.

I have seen a bloke on the web who has his girl sitting on a trolley so the weight can't be that huge but mine is on a hercus bench anyways.

I haven't really done alot of machining since I finished my pre apprenticeship mechanical engineering course but I just know that if I sell her (which will be for alot less than what I think she is worth) I will one day really regret having done so.

I basically want to have her packed up in such a way that I can put her in the back of my van myself without too much drama and relocate her to our new place.

I imagine the bed is the heaviest piece but it can't be of a weight that a block and tackle wouldn't be able to handle with ease surely.

Oh she is a Model A by the way on a hercus stand.

Now if I simply cannot convince the other half to let me keep her what sort of money should I be asking for her? She comes with a 3 and 4 jaw and a big box of accesories. I will go out there tomorrow and make a list of what I have, it has been a while since she has seen any use and my memory isn't what it used to be.

Also if there is anyone in Melbourne, I might be open to some kind of arrangement with someone where I will pass her on at mates rates in exchange for future access to her if that is possible. I am probably going to ask all my mates if any of them want to have her at their place for nicks in exchange for letting me at her whenever I need.

Cheers folks and thanks for being here.

hey Buddy.
I'm looking for a good lathe . so your might be a ticket .
let me know if you want to sale it . i can be contact at 0410326407
Cheers
Peter

Jordan
Please reconsider, do not sell your lathe.
The time will come when you will want it back.
Keep it.
Bruce

Originally Posted by Abratool

Jordan
Please reconsider, do not sell your lathe.
The time will come when you will want it back.
Keep it.
Bruce

Sorry this message should have gone to raff35

I concur with Abratool,

Do not sell it. It's worth far more as an Australian icon in your shed, than all the tea in China.

You can bet that the day you sell it, you'll need it.

Do what Greg does, if the missus wants it gone, buy her a BMW or some diamonds. That should reduce the barking for a while.

In the mean time, see if you can find some part time paying work for the old girl. Of course, I'm referring to the Hercus.

Ken.

Originally Posted by neksmerj

I concur with Abratool,

Do not sell it. It's worth far more as an Australian icon in your shed, than all the tea in China.

You can bet that the day you sell it, you'll need it.

Do what Greg does, if the missus wants it gone, buy her a BMW or some diamonds. That should reduce the barking for a while.

In the mean time, see if you can find some part time paying work for the old girl. Of course, I'm referring to the Hercus.

Ken.

Thanks Ken you have put the words together & the meassage across, better than I could.
There is absolutely no way, no way whatever that one would part with a Hercus Lathe.
Even as you say if its not used now, it will be needed in the future.
In the meantime ,I would suggest he drool over it, or have a drink near it, & enjoy its company
regards
Bruce

Hi Raff,

if you do not desperately need the cash - KEEP IT.

If I think back almost 60 years... there are only a handful possessions from which I can say these the best investments in my life.

The Tractor comes to mind, bought used 20 years ago. Used and abused it all the time, many jobs I could not think doing otherwise. It I was to sell it tomorrow, I would get more than I paid for.

My Emco lathe comes to mind, bought new 25 years ago, how many things did it make for me... made things for fun and for for money, and even helped to keep that tractor going. It is worth now almost exactly what I paid for it.

The tiny little milling hed left over from the watchmaker lathe I sold 25 years ago, paid for itself a dozen times over and still serves me well as a mini-drill, can mount on the lathe cross slide to mill splines etc.

Almost anything else I bought over time lost much of its value. Buy the newest iPhone or computer or camcorder today, in two years its a 100% write off. Buy a car, in 4 years its only worth half.

No if you can dismantle and store it somewhere, keep it. You will have something to look forward to when you retire. And should for whatever reason circumstances change, you can always sell it for as much as you could now. It is a bit like with the price of gold.

Now to store it, clean every bit real perfectly. Spray it thickly with the best rust protector you can find. I have not tried it long term, but I think the stuff sold by Hare&Forbes made with Lanolin wax sounds good. Buy some oilpaper to wrap smaller items into. Then put the dismantled land sprayed and oil paper wrapped lathe bits into garbage bags. Add a satchel of silica gel that you baked in the oven at 130C until it turns blue (it absorbs moisture). Then use your vacuum cleaner to suck the air out of the garbage bag, and tape shut. Put in a thick walled cardboard box, or make a wooden crate from plywood. Voila, that will last 10 years no problem. If storage space is restricted, let go the steel cabinet. You can always buy one from a cheap chinese lathe, or make your own from steel or wood. If weight is also a problem, toss the motor, chances are you will want variable speed anyway when one day you unpack everything. Chris

Keep it don't let the misses talk you into selling it

A Hercus is only small you shouldn't have to much trouble just take the motor, tailstock, compound off and it should be much easier to move by 2 guys. Put loads of rust preventative and it should all be sweet

Put this proposition to your spouse:

If space is a problem I will sell my Hercus but on condition that you match it with prized posessions to an equal weight/volume.

There will be an awfull lot of shoes, handbags and dresses to make up for a Hercus lathe.

Any self respecting spouse would not put pressure on their partner to sell items they want to keep.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Put this proposition to your spouse:

If space is a problem I will sell my Hercus but on condition that you match it with prized posessions to an equal weight/volume.

There will be an awfull lot of shoes, handbags and dresses to make up for a Hercus lathe.

Any self respecting spouse would not put pressure on their partner to sell items they want to keep.

thats the simple facts mate!

I dropped a bit of a hint yesterday when I said that I might be pulling it down. When she barked back asking why I said that it would be much easier to sell if I made it easier to move. I think I am just going to pull her down and do the storage a previous poster suggested (cheers for that) and take the heat when it comes. As long as I can break it down to a point where I can move it by myself with a bit of sweat she can't really argue, plus if I hide it well enough she won't realise. If I had of been let into some of the ways women torture their men before I wed her I reckon I would've thought long and bloody hard...

Hi Raff35,

I've just recently completely stripped my ATM260 down and it's no big deal to do it. If you like, PM me and I'll take you through it step by step. Once it's broken down, the heaviest pieces are the headstock and the bed. Weights I can't give you, but a bathroom scale would help. Like everyone else, I strongly recommend you keep it - they are an excellent hobby lathe. If you sell it, you'll being crying about it within a week .... blokes just need stuff.

David

hi raff35

mate I would not sell it, see if you can at least park it at a friends place. Breaking it down to move and stacking somewhere is always risky as Ive found, its amazing what gets lost with time. So crate/box up all the small bits. If you have a local friendly engineering/oils/bolts/odds and sods store go visit them and see if they will give you some of the disposable pine pallets that oils and lubes and parts are delivered on.

And if you need to store it then give it a good coating of Lanotec UP, this stuff dries forming like a waxy layer. I've tried the other lanotec products but long term they tend to drain away to nothing leaving giving the rust a free run.

Personally I put the missus up for sale!