Thread: A Hercus owners register??

Hi David, I have to take back all I wrote in my email
This machine is a classic and I woud hire a dismantleing type engine lifter and make some slings and pick it up that way

If you can lift the whole bench and lathe together and put it on your trailer but still take tha Tailstock before you move as yes many a owner has lost theirs because they left it on

It maybe be a big awkward and time consuming but if you can get a sling arond the chuck and another through the last red base support and have the lifter as low as possible you may get it on but you may have to adjust where your slings go so as to pick it up square
Try and hire the larger size enginge lifter with the lift up legs which I have and yo will lift that with no problem as My lifter lifted a complete front of a car once I had the slings /ropes in the right place

But you are a very lucky to have gotten such a gem just do not use chains either rope or slings and you will have no problem but make sure you have as many hands as possibble with you when you start

Also empty the cupboard before lifting

all the best Derek

Well here we go again with some more new members to the ongoing register

65. Mark Horridge

66.Engineer Steve

67.Wild Westy

68.BEE55

69 Minniritchi

Wellcome gentleman to the brains trust on Hercus machines and problems or questions just ask this is what I wanted

When I started this register with 4 people I started a group of people with one thing in common A Hercus Machine and as we now have 69 owners and 70+ machines It has come a long way and I believe this should have been done years ago

But It took me as a shock that Hercus has no History or anything to help so I asked the big Fella upstairs if we could start a Hercus Forum which I thank him for as I am happy to say that even though When I started this register did I think it would be so time consuming ,but also meeting a lot of the owners as well as helping out in looking for parts

So welcome to the HERCUS FORUM

all the best Derek bitza500

Derek,

Thanks so much for your emails, the two manuals and the advice in your post.

I am based in Brisbane and my uncle (and the lathe) is in Toowoomba. It will be a few weeks until I can pick it up, but now I know what sort of expedition I need to mount.

With the manuals I have something to keep me occupied until I can get my sticky fingers on it.

I appreciate your comments re the pulley covers and I’ll have a go at being careful (an essential with lathes anyway). My typing is sufficiently slow that I can’t afford to loose any fingers!!

I really appreciate your offer of support and as time goes on I’m sure I’ll need to take you up on it.

Best wishes
David

Hi all: Newbi here to this forum but have lurked mainly on the wood forum for a while. I too have a Hercus Craftsman. It's a 9 X 30 Model AU. There is BS stamped on the bed at the tailstock end. At the Headstock is stamped Machine No. 13972.V. I got this from a school in Tahsis. Look it up and see if there are any Hercus lathes further away from Aust. By the way, I also have a Hercus 9 X 30 at my school here in Gold River; but it's 68 km closer to you. Of note maybe to you out there, here in Nootks Sound is where Capt. Bligh overwintered many years ago. Wayne.

Hi Wayne, you're the second guy I know of on the island with a Hercus. I have a couple of them myself here in Prince George, one is a long bed and the other is just the 30". The 30" machine has the factory stand and is 10-11 yrs older and has seen some abuse too, typical of a school machine I think.
I work in the trades area at the College here and get to see the abuse the machines take on a regular basis. Tooling doesn't get dull here it gets broken! lol
Welcome to the club Wayne.
al

Hi there, I was looking at the photos you posted of your machine and noticed that the tailstock appears to be off a Southbend. I could be mistaken but I haven't seen any Hercus tailstocks that have that style of lock, mine are a camlock affair on the back side.

al

The earlier models had that type of Tail Stock clamp.

Hi Wayne Congratulations on adding you Craftsman to the Register can you also give us the details of the other Hercus as well as any Hercus will be gladly added to our ever increasing Brains trust or if you know of any others let them know about the Forum as I would like to see this baby of mine make the 100 Members 1 day
So who is closer you or AL to Australia ???
all the best and Welcome Derek bitza500

Hi there: I'm closer but maybe just a little in relation to the globe. I'll get the school Hercus info on monday to add to your collection. As an aside I also have an old SB that will swing 21 inches that is parked beside the Hercus. At the school I also have 2 Lantaines. Anyone familiar? From what I know, in the late 70's, early 80's about a 100 were sold in BC because they were recommended by the BC govt. for school shops. The "soft" part about the lathes is the brass "screw" behind the apron that cracks over the years because the feed screw is maybe driving too strong (hard). Anyway, if anyone knows of this, I had an extra made that cost $400.00 Can. Wayne.

That stuff breaks when they run the toolpost into the vice and wait for everything to stop by itself Wayne! At least that's what I've seen here. School machines see some pretty extreme users!
al

Missed your post on Saturday. The lathe was bought new and is all original. As pipeclay commented, the early 50's models had this style tailstock supplied standard.

Minniritchi

Well I guess I learned something new errr old....... lol
Sounds like a gem Minni!

In my earlier post I meant to say ...when they run the toolpost into the chuck... the same crash occurs frequently on the milling machines as well with the feeds engaged and when they mistakenly hit the rapid traverse the crashes are even more spectacular!!

Mine is serial number C7852, colour originally grey, but now green. Very recently purchased from a school which claims to have had it for 10 years. Basically sound but suffering gross neglect. Restoration started. ID is Rebo.