Ahhhh.... So nice to find a video for a job I will be getting into after Christmas. Being a free lathe I had no time to look at it really but it felt tight in my inexperienced quick look. I had to dismantle it to get it home so I'll be looking for repairs needed whilst putting it all together. Thanks for the pointers and places to look. Mine is rather older without the thread cutting box. Just a heap of gears thrown in an old banana box that amazingly all look in good condition. Soooo very much appreciated I say with another Aussie accent. old-bonez
G'day Robert, glad you found all this helpful! Just because it's free doesn't mean 'no good'... My lathe was a grand cost of 5-bucks around 35 years ago and still well-worth the repair efforts. I hear you on the box of gears... mine is pretty much in the same condition and it's one more job on the list to sort out. I've been quiet on the lathe repair schedule for a while trying to keep up with work commitments and home repairs, but I'll get back to all this again soon(ish)! Thanks for your comments :)
The wear on these old lathes is nearer to the chuck, as I found. On a Premo lathe with "v" ways, not possible. Best to put shims under hold downs to remove play. Did that, .03 mm. Worked, but permanent/temporary. Only used for fun. Live in Qld, glad to see another Aussie.
The main wear on mine was also near the chuck. The main physical damage (Dings, dents and chunks) were tailstock end of the bed... a convenient tool storage rack!
@@grumpyhacks3945 The wear properties of Brass to cast iron aren't great, like you said bronze would be preferable but if you're in QLD I can cut you some strips of Turcite if you want to build it up properly. Its like butter to scrape and a pleasure to use. where there isn't provisions for a powerfeed to the cross slide I'll usually just scrape the saddle to apron interface to bring the apron alignment up to its original height so I can avoid machining the saddle to accept Turcite which I think would be ideal in your case
@@marcuschristensen4183 Thanks Marcus, I appreciate the offer :) I pondered the idea of using a nylon type material (I think it was/is called Pactine, or something like that) because I have it on the shelf, but I like the idea of the Turcite, as is being discussed on the Hercus forums. I'm in Vic so it's a ways from you, but it's definitely a good idea to consider (If I ever get off my proverbial and continue the restore!) Thanks for the suggestion! :)
@@grumpyhacks3945 there's quite a few scrapers down that way that would have some offcuts/could probably give your cross slide a quick tickle(Just watched your video on it). being a flat bed its incredibly easy to scrape it in should you ever go that route
I enjoyed your battle with the old Hercus. one thing you probably know already is that Hercus lathes should never be run in reverse under load because of the possibility of the chuck unscrewing. I worry that your electronic instant stop may have the same effect
G'day Andrew, you've correctly brought up a good point. The problem has already tested and with the chuck and faceplate mounted loosely, I found that a quick stop, at the maximum speed doesn't have enough inertia to unscrew. The only plan I have to run in reverse is when I'm eventually doing screw cutting, I'll use it to keep the tool aligned with the thread. I have no plans to do any reverse machining... A good safety consideration, so thanks, it's a good one to be aware of :)
Ahhhh.... So nice to find a video for a job I will be getting into after Christmas. Being a free lathe I had no time to look at it really but it felt tight in my inexperienced quick look. I had to dismantle it to get it home so I'll be looking for repairs needed whilst putting it all together. Thanks for the pointers and places to look. Mine is rather older without the thread cutting box. Just a heap of gears thrown in an old banana box that amazingly all look in good condition.
Soooo very much appreciated I say with another Aussie accent.
old-bonez
G'day Robert, glad you found all this helpful! Just because it's free doesn't mean 'no good'... My lathe was a grand cost of 5-bucks around 35 years ago and still well-worth the repair efforts.
I hear you on the box of gears... mine is pretty much in the same condition and it's one more job on the list to sort out.
I've been quiet on the lathe repair schedule for a while trying to keep up with work commitments and home repairs, but I'll get back to all this again soon(ish)!
Thanks for your comments :)
Nice work! I'm looking forward to the finished product and your thoughts on the upgrades.
The wear on these old lathes is nearer to the chuck, as I found. On a Premo lathe with "v" ways, not possible. Best to put shims under hold downs to remove play.
Did that, .03 mm. Worked, but permanent/temporary. Only used for fun. Live in Qld, glad to see another Aussie.
The main wear on mine was also near the chuck. The main physical damage (Dings, dents and chunks) were tailstock end of the bed... a convenient tool storage rack!
@@grumpyhacks3945 The wear properties of Brass to cast iron aren't great, like you said bronze would be preferable but if you're in QLD I can cut you some strips of Turcite if you want to build it up properly. Its like butter to scrape and a pleasure to use. where there isn't provisions for a powerfeed to the cross slide I'll usually just scrape the saddle to apron interface to bring the apron alignment up to its original height so I can avoid machining the saddle to accept Turcite which I think would be ideal in your case
@@marcuschristensen4183 Thanks Marcus, I appreciate the offer :)
I pondered the idea of using a nylon type material (I think it was/is called Pactine, or something like that) because I have it on the shelf, but I like the idea of the Turcite, as is being discussed on the Hercus forums. I'm in Vic so it's a ways from you, but it's definitely a good idea to consider (If I ever get off my proverbial and continue the restore!)
Thanks for the suggestion! :)
@@grumpyhacks3945 there's quite a few scrapers down that way that would have some offcuts/could probably give your cross slide a quick tickle(Just watched your video on it). being a flat bed its incredibly easy to scrape it in should you ever go that route
I enjoyed your battle with the old Hercus. one thing you probably know already is that Hercus lathes should never be run in reverse under load because of the possibility of the chuck unscrewing. I worry that your electronic instant stop may have the same effect
G'day Andrew, you've correctly brought up a good point. The problem has already tested and with the chuck and faceplate mounted loosely, I found that a quick stop, at the maximum speed doesn't have enough inertia to unscrew. The only plan I have to run in reverse is when I'm eventually doing screw cutting, I'll use it to keep the tool aligned with the thread. I have no plans to do any reverse machining...
A good safety consideration, so thanks, it's a good one to be aware of :)