Thread: I'm claiming membership (finally)

Onya Bill, any snaps?

Tooling, accessories, colour, history etc?

Ken

Originally Posted by billrule

I've finally convinced myself that my lathe is in fact one of the (fairly rare, apparently) 8" models between the bar-beds and the 9" Southbend clones. I had gathered quite a lot of circumstantial evidence, but when I saw (on a BEAUTIFUL 9"metric research A-model, perfect original condition I think) the genuine HERCUS decal, I was finally able to confirm that the remnant of the decal on mine was identical, and no longer have any hesitation in calling her one of the pack.
She is number B314, so is pretty long in the tooth, and being a leather belt-drive, a bit on the gutless side, but I must say she is very easy to get on with, as she is only for my amateur enjoyment. So Bitzer, you can now count me in as an associate member at least. It's been a long but interesting process discovering her heritage, but it must be a real challenge tracking down something from a really obscure maker.
Happy turning all.

Bill

Hi Bill and finally you volunteered your details ,apologies for previous emails well I have VB316 in my garage and you are BS 314 if only we could find some way of identifying these letters
Well Bill you roll up as the 49 registered owners
I am glad so many people have joined together to kep the old Hercus 9" name alive and kicking
Can you please tell us a bit more about the old girl any history as were you got it from and any pictures would be the icing on the cake for me

It has been a long road from starting with 4 people arond Christmas and now we have 49 plus we do have a few owners who have not added to the list as it is not compulsory it is my way of finding a background on Hercus 9" lathes as I found out that at the end of production of the 9" all patterns drawings jigs and moulds everything was scrapped
So I thought I might as well try and get some heads and well 49 is very good
So Finally Congratulations Bill on getting a hercus

all the best Derek

Derek, I wonder if that means mine is the last or 2nd last 8", and yours the first (or 2nd) 9" model. I suppose we'll never know for sure if the models were switched completely at one point in time, or if the two sizes were made in parallel for a while. Still, I find that almost a spooky co-incidence, as Dame Edna would say.

OK, I'll see if I can upload some pics of the "other woman" as SWMBO regards her. Give me a coupla daze

Bill

Some stats on this model, as it is a stranger to most here, I suspect.
BTW Derek, the number has no S, it's just B314. Maybe at that early atage, as they were moving from flat-bed models to V-bed, the numbers had a V. Alternatively, if it's a V-belt drive, that could be the reason?

Bill


20" b/w centres
4" over ways
6" in gap
2 1/2" over cross-slide
3/4" bore in headstock
MT3 in headstock, MT2 in tailstock
10TPI x 1 1/4"diam spindle nose
Plain bronze bushes
3x flat belt speeds x2 backgeared = 6 speed
8TPI leadscrew.
Flat bed, with front edge of front way dovetail.

Hi Bill I cannot print what the Mother of My Children (Centrelink correct if seperated and living in Bungalow in back yard )has called my old girls and being in the Hermit hole as it has be worded by her many times
But I walk 3 steps into my garage so it has its goods points plus I due to pain may stay up all night and between the computer and trying to find Hercus lathes either good for the register or DUD for stripping as My spare parts bin is empty and only have the Hippy"s new gears left
But I have to have a photo of the old girl as the specifications are very different

But the VB316 is also a flat belt which throws that theory out the window as I would love to know how they worked out the original letter series as Number 30 is a BS as well as VBA is another but as all History via Hercus was tossed out when Production finished we may never know

But it is good when someone can come up with a differrent Hercus Machine as we now have 8" lathe 9" Lathe Plus Milling machines and even a Hercus Hacksaw so we are slowly getting there as you being the 49th on the Register plus a few who have declined and the Capitalists who own more than one and have registered only 1 lathe but have more

I Hope you have worked out how to get a picture on the Forum as it took me ages before someone advised me of a resizer website as who ever said Computers make our life easier never got their hands dirty doing good old manual labour

Now I am sure there is another 8" lathe but whether or not they registered ???

But I had a owner from Geelong drive up to Croydon to buy parts for his old flat belt and I will try and ring him tonight to see what number his is as his is a Flat belt with a vertical mounted top pulley assembly and will get some dimensions of his lathe too

As Far as I know (Please prove me wrong ) South Bend made only the 9" the 9" junoir which is 1 12/" wider in the bed and ran 8" chucks the 10" light which is a 9" lifted up 1/2" and the Heavy 10" which is a lot bigger machine again

See what happens when you live to close to your workshop and have to much time on your hands

But if anybody has anything on paper regarding the production the types and what all these letter prefixes are please let me know as since their are now no official Hercus Dealers except the Company itself

So please any Hercus History please email me a copy at
[email protected]

all the best Derek
bitza500

Bitza, if you're interested, this
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....ayphotohosting
shows the 8" Hercus with the overhead countershaft with the mounting arrangement found on the 9" models. This is a more modern innovation than mine has, and is probably one of the very last of this model.
This particular unit is missing the oilers, cog-guards (which are designed to but up neatly to the body-casting, held by a countersunk screw, the holes for which you can see in these pics) I'd guess the original Gib-screws from the topslide, original toolholder. The little bit showing under the right-hand end of the carriage is new to me too. Perhaps the mount for a threading indicator gauge? There isn't any on my model.
I know this is a cheap ploy to avoid putting my own pictures up, but I will soon, I promise. This unit is B322, (mine B314) I wonder how many they actually made? Did the Bar-beds have the same numbering system? Who knows? I'll keep chipping away at whatever clues i can find.
Bill

Hi Bill, well on looking at the lathe Hercus went backward with the handle design as I am converting my hercus to round handles as the l shaped punny size handles hercus put on the 9" are a joke
But I must say that it is totaly different to what I had expected and now have another little task and find out were Fred Hercus came up with this design as it looks much sturdier and ample cross slide movements and cannot wait to see the pictures of your lathe so Hurry up
all the best Derek
bitza500
[email protected]

OK, all the proof you ever needed that I don't know what I'm talking about.

While the measurements I've given for the 8" (above) are correct, I've discovered that the taper in the headstock is NOT MT3, but some size in between MT2 and MT3, but not Brown & whoever, and also not the Jarl (or whatever) system. While on the topic, I can fit an MT2 drill in the tailstock OK, but it isn't a perfect fit either. The taper is OK (obviously, or it wouldn't work) but the tailstock only seems to engage the smaller 2/3 of the taper of the drill, so maybe it isn't kosher either.
I've got to admit, the detective-work involved in finding out all about these old girls can be considerable!

Apologies to anyone I mislead with the earlier posts.

Bill