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errr....48 hercus lathe

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 12:17 pm
by robk
Well,

I've been looking for a lathe for home for a while. So do I go and buy
a nice new, clean chinese hafco (like yer hyundia)?

Nope - I buy a 1948 Hercus 9 inch model A flat belt with norton quickchange box needing
restoration. The back gear and spindle gears look like someone has been
at them with a hammer (that's thread cutting stuff it will do basic turning).

Filthiest thing I've ever seen - ended covered in black sludge every time
I went within a meter of it.

Pretty excited though (probably shows I need to get a life)......if only
I could get it off the trailer!

Pics after an afternoon's cleaning (it's still filthy....).

RobK

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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 12:34 pm
by wohoo
Nice one Rob, you cant beat the quality and workmanship of the older machines, built to last!

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 12:40 pm
by Rawdyn
Rob I totally get the going for old machinery (as I would expect most people on here would :) ).

There is a beautiful old (what looks like a) steele press out the front of a building in North Road near Rick's place that I would love to hijack. Just cant squeeze the damn thing in the mini (its bloody huge - the steel press not the mini)

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 1:27 pm
by beerdoc
beauty :) here comes my reco,d steering box amongst other things Rob ,mate,buddy,cobber,and did I mention how fit and young you have been looking lately

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 1:42 pm
by lobus
I wonder if anyone will be restoring the "hyundai" lathes in 59 years.
Makes sense to use the old gear though as it was what our cars were made with in the first place.
(mine was a little later model but)

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 1:43 pm
by robk
There's some potential for me getting sidetracked and resto'ing the
the lathe doc.........

I wonder if I should paint it and have it at stock working height or
leave it ratty and dump it?

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 1:45 pm
by byronbus
haha, dump it forsure...

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 1:46 pm
by lobus
You know the answer to that one, ratty paint and dumped is always going to be better.
All you need is a wee trench beside it so you don't hurt your back

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 2:23 pm
by warb
robk wrote: I wonder if I should paint it and have it at stock working height or
leave it ratty and dump it?
careful, what classifies a rat lathe??..

nice bit of kit, saw an old drill press once, was sposed to be 3phase, some old mate put 3 washing machine motors on it, made it 240 x 3?.. he also liked the idea of speed change, so attached a 4 speed box off some small car, it was a sight to be seen!...

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 6:03 pm
by Shaven
dump it... leave it orig...
im with beerdoc, i can see some good work coming out of the shed for your fellow mexicans ;o))

Herky lives!

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 1:35 pm
by robk
Decided to call him herky.....I thought about something like 'daryl' but that
seemed a bit gay.......

Anyway, got the headstock rebuilt. Also included a pic of the old bull,
spindle and backgears so you could see what sort of life herky had
lived up to this point....

I'm painting him too - dunno....just don't seem to have a rat in me!

RobK

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Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 4:58 pm
by Shaven
mmm nice teeth on the spindle and backgears.
so rob when can we place our orders? ;o))
matty

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 7:25 pm
by beerdoc
I agree Rob the name "daryl" is a bit gay :lol:

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 9:23 pm
by tombi (aka type2tommy)
Now you're just plain showing off Rob.
Hmm and by the way if I could see inside my little ZF steering box, I reckon there might be more teeth missing than on your Hercky!

And tell the boys how did you move the old lathe? Let me guess, you've also got fully restored (and dumped) 1950's Diamond T mobile crane at home.

The bloke's a legend.

Tombi

We all have secrets doc!

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 6:27 pm
by robk
We all have secrets doc....

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