Thread: Hercus 9a standard accessories

Hi Zodiak,

One of our members, Allterrain50, carries a large range of used and re manufactured Hercus parts including complete machines.
If the lathe you buy is short of any parts, chances are that Mal will have them.

His web site is here http://www.australianmetalworkinghobbyist.com/store/

Good luck with your acquisition.

Ken

I am not sure what would of come as standard, but I would of thought may be both a 3&4 jaw chuck,a face plate,a drive plate for turning between centres,a lantern style tool post,a thread chasing dial,maybe a drill chuck,a dead centre for both headstock and tailstock,I doubt that it would of come with any additional change gears or the fixed and travelling steady.

A good Hercus 9A or 260A is a great option for a small lathe, even today.
Most 9s are imperial, most 260s metric, but can be the other way around, and this affects the needed change gears.
For a 260ATM metric lathe, you'll want 18, 45, 60 & 80T gears, which are all probably under the left cover.
Basic equipment would be a 3 & 4 jaw chucks. Anything extra would be good, and varies a lot in price and usefulness.
It'd be nice to have also steadies, threading dial, faceplate and metric transposing gears. Other stuff like centres and toolposts isn't Hercus specific, but you'll want them anyway.
A well kitted lathe is probably twice as valuable as one with no extras.

Jordan

thanks a lot for the replies! gives me a better idea of what to look for, since my first post this arvo I found the Hercus book online and had a bit of a read (not the whole thing) and got a better feel for which parts were optional extras, it doesn't always say specifically but it helps, I also had a good look through Mal's website and found another one that I have forgotten the name of, based in Summer Hill in Sydney, amazing how many parts are still aound for them.

I'd also like to be able to cut both metric & imperial threads, is an imperial machine preferable to a metric one? or doesn't make any differance? as long as you have the correct transposing gear?

Doesn't matter as long as you have the correct gears.

A good thing about Hercus is the availability of parts and accessories, well certain of them anyway.
For example, need a backing plate for a new chuck? They're made new in Sydney and elsewhere.
Note that Hercus are license made South Bends, as are Boxford lathes that were made in the UK, and there is quite a lot that will interchange.
Being such a good design, they were all popular, and there are aftermarket accessories still in production.
I think this is a real benefit of going Hercus in Oz.
Note that some parts fit 9 inch and 260, whereas other things are specific to model.

By the way, if you do end up with a Model A, I suggest you dismantle the apron and clean out the oil bath behind the clutch wheel.
I've seen more than one that was clogged with fine swarf.

Jordan

Hi Jordan, One of my main reasons for wanting a hercus/south bend clone is parts, spare parts and after sales service for the Chinese ones seems a bit hit and miss, I saw one thread online where a guy bought a hafco lathe and needed a replacement belt, went back to H&F and they said they don't stock them and can't get them, he ended up converting it to take something else, good to know about the apron thing.

Hi Kodiak,

About 6 months ago now I purchased my Hercus Model A 9" lathe. And im REALLLLLY glad that I did, because I was also like you and looking around at things like Chinese lathes and whatnot, and generally not having a clue other than I wanted a lathe. I was lucky in that I got a very lightly used lathe with a truckload of accessories for a good price, but regardless of that, I was prepared to pay the same money for a Chinese lathe which I now know would have been far less of a good thing. I have been learning and playing and teaching myself all the operations of the lathe including thread cutting and milling, and cant bear the thought now that I might have bought a Chinese unit. I am sure they can be good, but the Hercus is a genuine good old fashioned lump of steel that is in NO way flimsy or cheap or found wanting. I don't have much experience with other lathes but I can't speak highly enough of the Hercus 9". The great bonus with the Hercus is that all the southbend 9" parts are the same as the Hercus is a very true copy and there are thousands of parts and accessories on the US eBay. Even though I have my lathe now I still watch eBay and Gumtree like a hawk because you just never know what may come up

hi Ratters, sounds like I am where you were at 6 months ago, I have a lot to learn too, haven't really used a lathe since I was at school, so it's just a foggy memory, I have a couple of old yamaha 70s era bikes I am doing up and am sick of farming out to get stuff done, so decided I need my own.

I have actually really surprised myself with what I have learned simply by watching youtube videos and reading lathe books, including 'The textbook of turning'. I refer to that a lot and it seems to have a lot of answers for a novice like me. Hope you can find a nice unit! I had an 8hr return trip to collect mine but it was worth it!