Thread: The Chinese experience

Originally Posted by .RC.

For new money yes.... At the end of the production run a Hercus was over $10 000 new, and what did you get? Milled cross slide ways, not even ground, a single leadscrew that did double duty as a feed screw as well... A threaded spindle nose rather then a camlock.. A tailstock that locks the quill by tightening up a split in the bore

They are good machines, but fairly antiquated in design...

compared to say this

SM-1340A. Centre Lathe. Steelmaster. 1000mm Centres, 330mm Swing, 38mm Bore.. 2 Axis DRO. - Buy Workshop Equipment & Machinery Online | Asset Plant & Machinery

Yes, what's more important to the buyer, something with the latest "features", or something that cuts accurately straight out of the box ... and will likely do so as long as the person owns it

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

The thing is Phil, the little Hercus works well enough for me. If I didn't have the Hercus I probably would have an even piddlier Myford.

I had ventured out to Fiora Machinery 11 years ago just to look at their range of cheap Taiwanese (could have been Chinese?) lathes. Back then I was basically a woodie, no, more a weekend pretend builder's labourer. I hadn't used a lathe since my student days at WAIT. Came home with my first Hercus. I guess it was a romantic attraction, I'd used the same lathe in high school. Strangely I had no fondness for metalwork back then but the lathe I bought had a substantiality that I felt was absent on the cheap new lathes. It possessed a curvaceousness akin to some of my wood working tools which added to the appeal. That lathe turned out to be quite worn ( a gentle description ). It was an ex school machine and bore the scars of school boy abuse. The green lathe is my third Hercus.

Detractors abound. I'm beyond caring.

BT

I fully understand what you are saying Bob,
I have more than a soft spot for the nicely rounded New Visby lathe purely because it was the first lathe I ever used, and likewise the Cincinatti No 1 Horizontal mill. Then I went to trade school and everything was square and business like. No romance in those machines.
I worked in a place once where the (very) old Macson was running a taper of 0.012" over (if I remember correctly) about 18 " I still loved using that old clunker though and what a challenge to turn a parallel shaft.
I am sure people would look at me rather strange if they saw me crawling over broken glass just to 'use' one of them again.
The reason I love my AL 340D is purely because it's mine, noone elses. It's the first lathe I have ever owned from new

Phil

Originally Posted by .RC.

Ten weeks wages in Australia on the median wage is $11 000...

The old adage "We have never had it so good" really rings true for metal work hobbyists today....

My CVA cost me around $1400 (not including shipping - that was more than the lathe). If the median wage is really $57k (I thought the average wage was more like $35k). I've spent 1 1/4 week's wages for my solid and substantial lathe. (admittedly with extra wear at no extra cost)

Michael

Michael, according to this link average weekly earnings as of Nov 2012 were $1393, historically SA earnings are somewhat below that.

It is interesting to note that public sector earnings are above those of the private sector, yet most public sector workers will tell you they are underpaid and would earn more in the private sector.

Originally Posted by Michael G

If the median wage is really $57k (I thought the average wage was more like $35k).
Michael

Median. Average. Same, same ... but different

Originally Posted by Michael G

My CVA cost me around $1400 (not including shipping - that was more than the lathe). If the median wage is really $57k (I thought the average wage was more like $35k). I've spent 1 1/4 week's wages for my solid and substantial lathe. (admittedly with extra wear at no extra cost)

Michael

I was talking about new machines...

Second hand machines are a bit of a Turkey shoot... You may get a good one, you may get a worn out one... If you live in a machine tool desert like myself your choices get even less... Do you take a big risk buying second hand freshly painted sight unseen?

My experience on the second hand market, there is more worn out crap out there then really good machines.. If you want a big machine of which there is a greater range, then you run into problems of moving it, tooling it up and powering it...

Also generally you only hear about the new machines that were not like they should have been.... Those with good ones, rarely praise them up, as they are too busy using them...

I have fluked a few good second hand machines for a good price, I have also bought a few complete clapped out machines.. That is why I bought new my big lathe..

Originally Posted by Pete F

Median. Average. Same, same ... but different

Median is middle.... The middle of the group of numbers you are using...

Average is mean...

The average AU wage is higher then the median wage as those on big multimillion dollar wages like airline pilots make the average higher...

Median is only the same as average for a normal distribution Pete. For most things in real life they aren't the same. You were possibly thinking of the mean.

It's funny Bob. I reckon the curvaceous-ness is the worst part of my Hercus lathe. I like flat areas to mount magnetic bases on.

Chris

Edit: RC beat me to it. I should type faster.

Originally Posted by jack620

Median is only the same as average for a normal distribution Pete. For most things in real life they aren't the same. You were possibly thinking of the mean.

It's funny Bob. I reckon the curvaceous-ness is the worst part of my Hercus lathe. I like flat areas to mount magnetic bases on.

Chris

Edit: RC beat me to it. I should type faster.

Here's the answer Chris. Procure an extended cross slide.

Edit: My sincerest apologies Chris for leaving the r out of your name.


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Originally Posted by jack620

Median is only the same as average for a normal distribution Pete. For most things in real life they aren't the same. You were possibly thinking of the mean.

facetious |fəˈsēSHəs|
adjective
treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.

same same but different

Used a lot in Thailand, especially in an attempts to sell something but can mean just about anything depending on what the user is trying to achieve.
Q "Is this a real rolex?"
A " Yes Sir, same same but different"

Poking Fun
A remark of sarcaism/witty expression as to make a joke about the other person/object.

ie it wasn't me who was suggesting mean, average, and median were the same.

Edit: Ok maybe I was the only one who understood the joke, but a semester of studying statistics will do anyone's head in

Stop teasing me Bob. I've scoured the four corners of the earth for an extended cross slide. Mal Conomy has one but isn't letting it go. If you're reading this Mal, I'm still waiting!
Chris

Originally Posted by jack620

Median is only the same as average for a normal distribution Pete. For most things in real life they aren't the same. You were possibly thinking of the mean.

It's funny Bob. I reckon the curvaceous-ness is the worst part of my Hercus lathe. I like flat areas to mount magnetic bases on.

Chris

Edit: RC beat me to it. I should type faster.

Not to mention somewhere to put all sorts of other things like coffee cups, hammers, spanners, files, last weeks unfinished jobs and the detritous from the motor bike you were just dismantling but got tired of mucking about with.

Dean

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

Here's the answer Chis. Procure an extended cross slide.


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Now I have to get my CY lathe setup because the extended dovetail extension on the rear of its cross slide makes that look tiny. I could fit 10 times that on it. I cannot wait. Sorry Chris.

Dean

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

At the time RC, it would have been the antiquated design that sucked me in. I wasn't having any of that squared off stuff. My, doesn't taste change?

A old teaser for Ray.

Ahhh... thanks BT, "micron precision with a touch of class" a breath of pure elegance in a sea of wannabee's I know of a guy in Vic who has two ... and won't sell either of em (dammit), I'd put out a contract with Greg's mate Guido, but I doubt he sell even then...

Such is the beauty of swiss precision.... I have to suffer with my noisy CQ6230.....

Regards
Ray