Thread: Hercus bits & Pieces

Originally Posted by fraserbluff

One is a vice and adjustable angle slide that fits to the cross slide.

Compound slide-it will come with protractor degree markings.

What model HERCUS is it. A 260 ? the green color seems to indicate that, while, I think? the older ones were grey.

The rest of it no idea as the photos are not showing any detail. Try individual photos of each part.

Anzac Day,Probably not a good day to get questions answered as they are all down at the RSL AND GOOD ON THEM TOO!

Google up lathes UK they have Hercus info.

Grahame

Hi,

I agree with Grahame, really need some larger photo's. Also agree that they are probably from the 260, rather than 9" precision.

I have a 9" Model C, and have been collecting as much info as possible on these lathes.

The item on the left appears to be a milling attachment (which is normally used in the vertical position), and agree that the one on the right is an indexing head.

Really do need a close up of the grey item, though it could possibly be a taper turning attachment (or part thereof).

Hope this helps.

Hi Donald
I dont own a hercus but I do know what 2 of the items are, they are both
in the right tumbnail pic.

The 1st one is to convert the lathe to a milling machine, this is done by fastening the round post of the attachement to the lathes cross slide plate. Then clamping a metal peice to be milled in the vice of the attachment and using carriage and slide controls of the lathe to adjust depth of cut etc. Obviously the lathe spindle has a mill cutting tool attached to it.

The other is some form of indexing head for cutting gears etc. Once attached to the lathe, a chuck is screwed onto the thread, shown in the pic, a round peice of metal is placed in the jaws. Again using the lathe setup with cutting attachment & carraige controls a groove can be cut in the work peice and then rotate again a determined amount via the radial arm & locked into the next position for the next cut.

Hope this helps
Mike.

More photos of the bits & pieces.

The first photos are of the indexing head. The end opposite the indexing wheel has a 3 MT. The only thread on it is where the indexing wheel goes, and there is not enough clearance to fit a chuck there, and to what purpose.

I am sure the device fits on the slide when the vice is removed. Again I cannot see what it would be used for.

The items came from a school that did have still have a Hercus 260 lathe.

They were turfing the two 9" lathes as the kids didnt like them. However I discovered that the lathes were also supplied with metric conversion kits for the cross slides and gear threads. I also discovered why the kids didnt like them. Somebody had had done a partial conversion, put the metric screws on but left the imperial collars on!

If that didn't put students off metal work I don't know what would. Can you imagine the frustration and black looks as the students determined the appropriate nos of turns to get to a diam and found it bore (?) no resemblance to the real world!

The last item is sort of the same colour as the Hercus 9" lathe. But what is it.

Donald

Hi Fraserbluff,
Just wondering if any of your hercus gear is up for sale.
In particular the milling attachment and indexing head.
If not do you know of any for sale.
Thx.
Marc.

All your questions have an answer using the Hercus Book once again referred by many people lately by Grahame Collins. It is about the 14th item on the Metal work page.

All Hercus owners should print it out,trying to read it on your screen is hopeless so print it out.Go back in old posts re Hercus and there are many references of Hercus,access and a wonderful series of restoring,Ken in particular has been active now with his full restoration of another model from yours.I have sent him a clear photocopy of accessories and other documents,ask him for particular references etc.He will help you.

One really handy use I put my lathe to is modifying plastic plumbing fittings for dust extraction on a number of machines,recently a pull saw or radial arm and a drop saw I use for aluminium and timber.

Regards Peter

Thanks for that. I have been able to get a copy of the Hercus Textbook of Turning, and have identified the thing with the indexing head. It is missing the draw bolt and collet chuck. The unit ataches to the milling vice and is used to support objects to be milled. The book describes the process of milling a hexagon bolt head using the device. I wonder where one would find the draw bolt and collet to suit or are they a standard article?

Cheers

Donald (On the Rock)

Hi Donald
I would say that this probably device takes Morse taper collets - MT2 or MT3. Easy enough to check if you have a taper drill bit or dead centre handy. Cheap and cheerful ones can be had on *bay or from firms stocking Chinese inports such as Hare & Forbes or McJings (Sydney).

As to the draw bar this coudl be easily fabricated on your lathe - only critical part is matching the thread in the collet. You could probably modify a suitably sized bolt.

Cheers
John