My Hercus 9 Restoration.

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

Hi Mark

Re 9" Hercus lathe.

When I was 18 as Humphrey Bogart said this was "the stuff that dreams were made of".

It has taken a while to find it but here is a link to a scan of the 9 inch Hercus brochure.
24 pages!

This link will take you to a cloud folder you can download the pages from there.

**LINK**

Regards
John

[Mark EisenParticipant @markeisen61287]

 

Thank you very much John,

I appreciate this very much.

Edited By Mark Eisen on 23/02/2019 23:44:30

[Mark EisenParticipant @markeisen61287]

I back didn't realize it is over a year, got side tracked put a new roof on the house, spent a far bit of the time up and down the track to quacks and hospitals, 1000 km and 500 km south.

My new year revolution is to get stuck in to restoring the old girl.

I am looking for the following bearings, can any one give me a heads up where I can get them from?

FRONT HEADSTOCK TAPER ROLLER BEARING

Timken 18685 with 18620 cone, complete assy

REAR HEADSTOCK TAPER ROLLER BEARING

Timken 14138A with 14276 cone, complete assy

[Robin KingParticipant @robinking15611]

Mark,

Good to see you back and hopefully now fit .

There been a lot of recent discussion on the Boxford Lathe User Group – https://groups.io/g/BoxfordLathe-UserGroup – about alternative suppliers for headstock bearings which is worth reading as original Timken bearings are now very costly. Why do you need to replace them?

[Robin KingParticipant @robinking15611]

Btw I've just been notified that a new file has been added to the Boxford group archives on headstock bearing replacement

[Mark EisenParticipant @markeisen61287]

Posted by Robin King on 06/02/2020 10:08:17:

Why do you need to replace them?

G'Day Robin,

Main reason is the lathe is

When I pulled the counter shaft assembly apart both bushed appeared tight until I pulled it apart.

I soaked the parts in degreaser then blasted it with a 3500 psi gurni, I found this , makes me think the bearings will be just as bad.

There are some parts the repeated soaking in degreaser and the gurni would not remove the baked on dirt and grease.

Sorry about the rust, I had it stored on the veranda, last weekend we had our first rain in over two years.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Mark Eisen on 08/02/2020 03:23:37:

Posted by Robin King on 06/02/2020 10:08:17:

Why do you need to replace them?

….i, I found this , makes me think the bearings will be just as bad….

Pretty massive assumption that may well not be the case. If the headstock bearings were kept oiled they may be like new. Those countershaft bushes tend to get neglected and being a solid bushing are more lube-sensitive than rollers.

Inspect your old headstock bearings before spending any serious money on new ones.

Have you tried this website for Hercus parts? **LINK**

[Mark EisenParticipant @markeisen61287]

G'Day Hopper

I am just assuming they will be stuffed going by the condition of the rest of the lathe.

Am waiting for an order to arrive from Mal.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Ah yes. Good luck with the hunt. You will have a great little lathe for your troubles. Far superior to Myfords and cheap later model stuff.

[Mark EisenParticipant @markeisen61287]

Posted by Hopper on 11/02/2020 07:42:53:

Ah yes. Good luck with the hunt. You will have a great little lathe for your troubles. Far superior to Myfords and cheap later model stuff.

Thanks.

[Jon HolmesParticipant @jonholmes92873]

Mark, that is a "standard" set of old Hercus countershaft bearings. The one near the V pulley is the most worn one. It is possible to bore it out most of the way and insert a new bronze (or whatever) bearing – possibly swap it around with the other bearing? Because these countershaft bearings are plain (and largely forgotten about) they should be frequently oiled. In contrast the spindle roller bearings do not need as frequent oiling. They could be still in very good condition

[Mark EisenParticipant @markeisen61287]

Jon, I found new counter shaft and bearing, ordered on 02/02/2020 still waiting joys of Aust post.

Been removing the rust using electrosis, this pulley was in the electrosis bath for over 24 hrs , the brown is baked on dirt and grease, tried cleaning up the parts using degreaser, it would touch it.

Finally remembered I had some very strong detergent cleaner call vantage, put the parts in a tub of water left it 24hrs, gave them a scrub with a green scouerer the crud came pretty easy.

[Robin KingParticipant @robinking15611]

Mark, I've only just caught up with this thread but looks like you're making good progress. +1 for Hopper's remarks on the headstock bearings.

[Mark EisenParticipant @markeisen61287]

On an Aussie forum, I ask a couple questions about electrolysis, a couple of the bloke recommended citric acid.

As I had run out of washing soda, and non available in Tennant CK, I thought I would give citric acid ago, ordered some on epay, 5 days later it was here, unbelievably fast in this part of the world.

I have an old vice I want to restore, that I had put in the electrolysis a couple of days before, the difference is unbelievable 150 percent better, Now on the second lot of Hercus parts.

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

Mark if it is the powder form that needs water to mix then get it dry as soon as possible and primed. I have used citric acid in the past and did forget to prime afterwards

[Mark EisenParticipant @markeisen61287]

I have been blowing them off with my air compressor, then let them sit in the sun. 15 or 20 miniutes in the mid afternoon sun picked up on part of the vice and burnt my hands, the other bit I left till after dark.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Tenant Creek. Bloody hell that's out there. Lucky you can get anything delivered. Last time i was there — long time ago — the only metal supplies were fencing wire and beer cans. And the wire was put of stock.

I worked up the Track a bit at Katherine at a little one-horse outfit called DJ Engineering for a  while. Was not much better in those days. But we did have the only crankshaft grinding machine for about a thousand miles around so got plenty of work. Living in a caravan out front of the workshop and spending my entire pay packet at the pub up the street. Ah those were the days!

Edited By Hopper on 26/02/2020 06:42:23

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

Posted by Mark Eisen on 26/02/2020 05:33:58:

I have been blowing them off with my air compressor, then let them sit in the sun. 15 or 20 miniutes in the mid afternoon sun picked up on part of the vice and burnt my hands, the other bit I left till after dark.

You should know better with it being nearly 50deg on the veranda when you cleaned the workshop the other day.

[Mark EisenParticipant @markeisen61287]

I Know but I was trying to make the most of the cooler weather.

[LainchyParticipant @lainchy]

Following this thread, can't wait to see this one restored Many thanks

[Mark EisenParticipant @markeisen61287]

Posted by Hopper on 26/02/2020 06:24:26:

Tenant Creek. Bloody hell that's out there. Lucky you can get anything delivered. Last time i was there — long time ago — the only metal supplies were fencing wire and beer cans. And the wire was put of stock.

I worked up the Track a bit at Katherine at a little one-horse outfit called DJ Engineering for a while. Was not much better in those days. But we did have the only crankshaft grinding machine for about a thousand miles around so got plenty of work. Living in a caravan out front of the workshop and spending my entire pay packet at the pub up the street. Ah those were the days!

Edited By Hopper on 26/02/2020 06:42:23

The place has gone down hill, when we got here in the 80s there was 2 meat works operating, at lest 5 big gold mines, Warrego mine had its own township there, including a copshop. More people there than in Tennant.

A lot of interesting characters, in the mid 80s federal copper turned up and took 22 blokes away, never came back again.

DJ Engineering, my mate in Katherine talked about them, think they are still going.

[Mark EisenParticipant @markeisen61287]

The joys of Aust postal system the counter shaft and bearings ordered on 02/02/2020 arrived in the P.O. on the 03/03/2020, lucky it wasn't urgent medical supplies.

[Mark EisenParticipant @markeisen61287]

Now that I have the big parts of the bead and head stock cleaned up with citric acid, what would you do with cracks and holes in the bog?

I have a can if spray bog the will cover the small crazing cracks in the third photo, should I get a can of car panel bog to fix the damage?

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

A tube of automtive spot putty would fill those cracks. Same here in Cairns on PO delivery from Sydney. Quicker from the UK.

[Mark EisenParticipant @markeisen61287]

Before I had to go down south we had our first rain in two years, which made every thing go a funny colour.Had to buy a trap to cover the patient.

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