Thread: Hercus 9" restoration, a few Questions

There shouldnt be any felts in the headstock bearing areas,its just an oil bath.Make sure that before you start the lathe that the oil pots are full.When the spindle is running the oil level should drop as the bearings will retain some whilst turning.When turned off the level should almost be the same in the pots as before you started,a little loss is to be exspected.
Your Idler gear appears to be a standard gear and not a factory Idler.The gear appears to have a key in it,the factory Idler is a smooth bore,the factory Idler is 13/16" thick,it has a boss on it.
If what you have is working ok no reason to change but if you didnt wont all the spacers and key you could get the standard type.
the 2 gears on your screw shaft dont appear to be standard,normal configuration would be a 20th gear on the Stud and a 45 and 50 th on the screw.

Michael,

Post as much as you want! Pictures and techniques. You've done a great job. I am sure many people would like to know how you did it.

Thanks Ben.

Originally Posted by pipeclay

.....
the 2 gears on your screw shaft dont appear to be standard,normal configuration would be a 20th gear on the Stud and a 45 and 50 th on the screw.

If I have recognised the machine correctly as an AR (i.e. imperial), I think Peter meant to type

• 20 tooth gear on the stud (the one that drives the idler gear)
• 40 and 56 on Gearbox input -- the 40 is a spare stud gear for the top row of gearbox settings (allows 4tpi, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6,5, 7tpi),
• The 56 is the one normally on the gearbox input to allow the machine to turn the lead screw according to the table on the gearbox.

The idler I have is an 80 tooth gear on a thick bush as described by Peter. The one on there is a 100tooth gear -- If I'm not mistaken part of the 100/127 pair that allows metric thread cutting (hence the bush with key onto the bush that fits on the same bolt to banjo.

Impressive restoration.

In wiring up the machine think about where to place the forward reverse control. I chose under the tray on the left so I did not have to reach over the chuck. Others talk about variable speed control.

The machine should give many years of excellent service.
More pictures always

enjoy

Thankyou for that,I get the gears confused sometimes for Metric and Imperial without looking at my charts.

Thanks for the great replies and information

Looks like I will have to look at what gears I have got and what I should get.

As for the missing gear spacer, for now I have got some better fitting washers and filed the keyway out, will look at getting another gear or spacer once I know what gears I should have

Thanks for the coments on the restoration, considering the lathe had been sitting on a dump out in the weather for many years it has cleaned up well, lots of oil in its past helped make it east to pull apart.
Think it was a ex education lathe, possibly from a Tafe, Guessing it got scrapped due to a damaged FWD REV gear, had at least 3 teeth shorter than the rest, electrics where a bit avarage as well, but that may be due to time out in the weather

Its a shame there was no tooling or accessories

I cleaned most bits with a bench grinder mounted wire brush, took everything back to bare metal, used masking tape to mask the unpainted bits then painted them with Killrust gloss enamel, colourbond Wilderness, Wilderness was the closest match I could find that was avaliable localy, have attached a picture of a test patch showing the original colour and the paint I used, alowing for faiding it is very close, not sure if I should have used gloss, satin may have been better, but that was all I had avaliable

Have replaced the countershaft bearings, gearbox bearings, and motor bearings, test ran the motor at work, runs nice now the wasp nests has been cleaned out.

Have wired up a new control board which i hope to finish installing this week, then I can add some electrons to get things spinning

Is it worth having the motor capable of going forward and backward?

I can add a switch on the front panel easy.

Have also attached a before and after pic of the FWD/REV gears
Am happy to post more info and images, took lots, just let me know what bits
May take me a few days as work 12 h shifts 4 on 4 off

Thanks

Michael
Karratha NWWA

It would be good to be able to have reverse.

When threading in particular.

Thanks,
Looks like I will be wiring in a switch today, in the process of installing the electrics so ideal time

Attached a couple more before and after pics as well, I keep looking to check it is the same lathe

Michael

So how do you get dull rusty metal that is in intricate shapes (gear teeth etc) bright looking like new?
David

Originally Posted by YarrD

So how do you get dull rusty metal that is in intricate shapes (gear teeth etc) bright looking like new?
David

This is hard to beat.

Originally Posted by VK6BHY

I cleaned most bits with a bench grinder mounted wire brush, took everything back to bare metal

Originally Posted by VK6BHY

Attached a couple more before and after pics as well, I keep looking to check it is the same lathe

Michael,

I can't believe how good it came up. Its fantastic! Beats my Portass any day. Not sure if you know but Mal at AMHW has plenty of Hercus spares and advice. You can also download the Hercus Text Book of Turning (if you look around this site you'll find the link). Keep the pics coming.

Ben

Originally Posted by bwal74

Michael,

I can't believe how good it came up. Its fantastic! Beats my Portass any day. Not sure if you know but Mal at AMHW has plenty of Hercus spares and advice. You can also download the Hercus Text Book of Turning (if you look around this site you'll find the link). Keep the pics coming.

Ben

Ben
Thanks, got a new FWD REV gear set and the Restoration book with felt kit from Mal Will have to work out what gears I need then see what Mal has avaliable

I have printed the Hercus Text Book of Turning, managed to print it so each page was A4 not 2 pages per page, been reading it whe quiet at work, taken a few weeks to read through.

The idler gear needs to be sorted, the washers do not keep it running smooth, oh powered the Lathe up this avo, runs nice and smooth, except for the idler gear, still have to find a switch for the fdw rev or a couuple of contactors

The wire brush on the grinder got into most bits, the hard bits I used a small brass brush in a drill or in the Dremil, most of the hard to get to bits where just dirty and needed a good clean

Michael

A few more pics of the restoration,
FWD/REV after cleanup before painting, the 2 main gears not original
Head showing befoer and after, the wire brush could not get right into the pullies, so used some scotchbrite to clean
and a before and ready to paint image of the idler gear

Where the parts had spray putty I tried to lightly sand the good bits then painted a number of times to smoth out the bumps

Did try to spray putty one of the gaurds, only stuff I could get reacted with the paint

Michael

VK6BHY de VK3CZ

That's a fantastic job. You are lucky that the rust on it seems to have been surface only. Over here in moist wet Victoria , once the rust sets in, it only takes a few months and before you know it, it's deep pitting . I couldn't keep anything that shiny for very long , the damp air here attacks bare metal , and quickly

73's de Mike dah dit dah dit dit dit dah