Herters turret

[abunaitoo]

Interesting Herters turret press.
First one I've ever seen.
Anyone know anything about it????
Looks like a good one.

[salpal48]

Yes, I have one and Use it often. Built like a Tank. heavy. a real man's machine. .. herter shell holder. I don't Like it On the slant
. . Not good with a Mounted Powder measure, Powder rides to the rear.
If your into herters this is a good prize

[Steve Steven]

I have one, its a good press. I found I had to tighten down on the nut when doing hard process's like sizing rifle brass or the plate would rock. I kept 30-06 and 45 dies on it a long time, last used it for 9mm loading.

Steve

[Green Frog]

A good machinist can add 6 more holes between the holes. In this way you can have 12 dies mounted and adjusted at once, and depending on your configuration be able to load up to 4 or even more calibers by simply turning the turret and perhaps changing the shell holder. It was one of the most useful presses that Herter ever made, IMHO.

Froggie

[Pressman]

While Mr. Frog Person is correct, few people ever added the extra holes, I do find that odd as the press is very much designed for twelve stations. Hollywood had 12 and why did Ol'e George not come at them like he did others? 12 holes would have been a natural.

There are some 12 station turrets out there, how many, very few. In 1961 Ultra was making them from your turret or you could by a press from them already converted. They did not seem to be around long so few exist.

Ken

[Green Frog]

Ken, my late friend Charlie Dell, who for many years was was a bright light in the American Single Shot Rifle Association, altered one for a mutual friend many years ago. Apparently for a master machinist of Charlie's caliber this was a pretty simple task, which would reinforce your observation that it's a natural job to do. I always thought I would find a Herter's turret press and have Charlie "do" one for me, but alas it was not to be. :sad:

Froggie

[abunaitoo]

I put the minimum bid on it, not expecting to win, and I won it.
Seems no one else put in a bid.
Don't know if I paid to much or not, but I'm kind of excited to see it.
Now I have to sell stuff to refill the piggy bank.

[Pressman]

You did OK, price wise. They are heavy so shipping is costly. I am wondering just how costly from Muskogee to Kaneohe?

That one has the ball bearing to "hold" the handle up, but not the ears making it about 1963/64 production.

It is a good press.
Ken

[abunaitoo]

Really didn't expect to get it.
Thought it should have gone for way more.
Thanks

[danomano]

i did this with mine....174698

[kmw1954]

i did this with mine....174698

Very nicely done!!!!

[Green Frog]

I've seen several ways of putting a "wedge" under the press in order to get the dies and ram vertical. But yours is one of the more elegant I've seen. I have never seen a good explanation as to why presses of that day were built with the rearward tilt... I guess it was to see the cartridge in progress without bending over???

Froggie

[abunaitoo]

That is a nice wedge set up.
I need to make one of a C&H single stage I have.
Get around to it someday.

[abunaitoo]

Post man just dropped off the press.
It's kind of heavy.
I'll reassemble it, clean it up, and see how it is.

[kmw1954]

Post man just dropped off the press.
It's kind of heavy.
I'll reassemble it, clean it up, and see how it is.

Now you'll have to post some pictures for us to ponder. Myself, can't wait to see it.

[abunaitoo]

Didn't take much to clean it up.
Took it all apart. Lubed what needed to be lubed.
Works well.
I thought I needed a shell holder adapter. Jumped the gun and ordered one.
It already had one on the ram.
I really need to do better with things like this. Not the first time I've done it.
Opening for the ram is 4". Should be good for what I load.
174970174971174972

[OS OK]

That's a cool looking press, I love the turrets...are you going to paint her up real nice for us to admire...or what?
Oh yeah...do the incline mount like danomano did...that's the best example I've seen and it wouldn't take much to do it...are you?

charlie

Don't you just love how all of us 'should' on you?

[Reg]

Would anyone have an idea where to buy the rubber handles that fit over the studs sticking out of the top sides of the turret? I think they should measure about 1/2" on the inside.

[kmw1954]

Didn't take much to clean it up.
Took it all apart. Lubed what needed to be lubed.
Works well.
I thought I needed a shell holder adapter. Jumped the gun and ordered one.
It already had one on the ram.
I really need to do better with things like this. Not the first time I've done it.
Opening for the ram is 4". Should be good for what I load.
174970174971174972

That thing looks like a beast!! Nice purchase.

[abunaitoo]

It looks like it has original paint, so I'm just going to let it be.
If I do use it, I'm going to make something to angle it straight.

[abunaitoo]

Might want to try a bike shop or hardware store.
They look like hand grips for a kids tricycle or some kind of garden tool.


Would anyone have an idea where to buy the rubber handles that fit over the studs sticking out of the top sides of the turret? I think they should measure about 1/2" on the inside.

[Reg]

Thank you, will check it out.

[salpal48]

Those Grips are Called Coke Bottle Grips. . There are Guys making Them To restore Kids Tricycles. . . Ebay has them sometimes But Originals are expensive.

[Pressman]

Would anyone have an idea where to buy the rubber handles that fit over the studs sticking out of the top sides of the turret? I think they should measure about 1/2" on the inside.

Contact Ed Sager at HERTERSPECIALST@aol.com. He had a run made. While there ask him about getting a copy of his new book on the history of the Herter's presses.

Ken

[Reg]

Contact Ed Sager at HERTERSPECIALST@aol.com. He had a run made. While there ask him about getting a copy of his new book on the history of the Herter's presses.

Ken


Will do and thank you. I remember talking with him a number of years ago, we even traded a few press parts we each had . He mentioned at the time he was going to write a book on Herters reloading equipment. Have been looking for it but yours is the first mention of it.

Also, the Herters turret press shown, the Model 234, is not the only turret that Herters came out
with. They also had what they called the 4 station turn-o-matic head that attached to most of their other press's such as the Model 3.
Ed had a spare one at the time and I bought it. Sorry to say it really isn't very impressive, it develops too much flex to full length size most normal cases and if you tighten up the back support so that it does, it is very difficult to rotate it into the next position.
Interesting experiment but the 234 is far superior.
Thanks again, will send him a e-mail.

[Reg]

Contact Ed Sager at HERTERSPECIALST@aol.com. He had a run made. While there ask him about getting a copy of his new book on the history of the Herter's presses.

Ken


And contact him I did. He had exactly the replacement grips for the steel handles, went right on and fit perfectly and from what I can see the match the shape and size of the originals.

Also ordered the book and can only highly recommend it. Well laid out for quick reference and with a good time line so you can get a idea of when your press was made. Am still learning from it.

Ed is a great guy to deal with. Knowledgeable and gets back with you quickly. I just wish ( hope !! ) he continues on with a volume 2 going into the other Herter's reloading products and if he has enough information perhaps a volume 3 concerning the company itself. If they would be as well written and referenced as the book on press's, they would be a valuable read.

[seagiant]

Hi,
I had one, but sold it to a friend of a friend, just getting into reloading!

I sold it for $75 FTF! (what I had payed for it!)

Go figure!

[perotter]

Ed always comes to the gun shows here and always make time to talk to him. He had just picked up his book from the publisher a couple of days before the August show here in town. In his book he does mention the club that puts this show on.

Only thing I bought from him at that show was his book. I did talk to him for about 1.5 hours. About an hour into talking to him I decided to have him sign the book I bought.

[gtermini]

I hate to bump an old thread as my first post, but figured I had a little to show with a couple Herter's turrets I recent set up.

I had never really heard of Herter's equipment (being a young guy) until I found a 234 turret locally on craigslist. It looked interesting and a nice addition to my rockchucker. I spent some time time reading of their stuff and saw there's a little bit of interest still. Shortly after I bought the first one, I grabbed another off ebay for a reasonable amount including shipping the big chunk of iron.

I did not care for how they sat back on the bench. I am a larger guy (6'2") and like to load sitting on a tall chair or standing. I have built press risers before, so I whipped up a matched pair for these to get them up to a height I liked and leveled out like a normal press. The stands are built mostly from 10ga sheet with a 3/8 plate to mount the press. They add about 10" from the bench in height.

It was very apparent there was plenty of room on the turret plate for 12 holes vs the 6 from the factory. I pulled them off and added the extra hole. I used my cnc mill to thread mill the 7/8-NF instead of cursing trying to crank a tap through. The additional indents are just flat bottomed milled pockets about .500 in diameter. I do not have the bolt circle diameters on hand right now, but could get them from my records later.

6 vs 12 stations
https://i.imgur.com/d81OuBUl.jpg

Close up of a loaded tool head. Close quarters, but not unreasonable to work with.
https://i.imgur.com/FbYLMg1l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/es1Vx9ml.jpg

Close up of a new hole
https://i.imgur.com/xGrjwH1l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8QA3gbtl.jpg

Riser. Ignore the bonus mounting holes, I zeroed on the wrong edge. The angle is very close to 14.5 deg.
https://i.imgur.com/00c9r6Fl.jpg

Shellholders are mostly available on ebay, with a few exceptions. The first press come with the rcbs shellholder adapter, but I didn't like how it reduced the stroke and the press can't cam over with it in place. I ordered a holder custom made from the guy on ebay. It was fine for the price, but I figured I'd take a swing at my own. I needed one for 7.62X39 for 6.5 Grendel. Mine are turned and milled from O1 and heat treated. I put 6 thou clearance in the slots over published case head size.

Ebay on the left (my markings added) and my version.
https://i.imgur.com/FpGjstcl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pWDiO5pl.jpg

Overall, I'm impressed with the massiveness of the press. I like older stuff over new imported junk, so these make me proud to have on the bench. If anybody that reads this has the chance to get one, I don't believe you'll be disappointed, even without the modifications I did.

.

[kmw1954]

gtermini, Welcome to the forum and I for one am extremely impressed with your work! You should fit in very well with this crowd.

[Pressman]

gtermini, that is impressive work. No problem with the showing off, we do a lot of that around here. I found it interesting that both your presses are pre-1961 models. I have 2 of the Model 243's and 1 234, I need to add a second 234 to round out the model variations.

Your observations on aftermarket shellholder adapters is correct, they don't work well. Herter's also made an adapter that works very well, if you can find one. Most folks don't recognize them for what they are. I have just one and can supply pictures and dimensions if you desire them.

Your work looks good, I expect you will be getting requests to do theirs.

Ken

[gtermini]

Thanks for the kind words. I am a research support engineer and prototype machinist, so this kind of stuff just feels like normal work to me.

How did you date the presses, if you don't mind me asking?

I checked this morning and my drawing for the turret modifications to 12 holes shows:
Indent BC Ø2.900" x Ø.500" and I think .200" deep
Die Hole BC Ø5.750"

Here are some rough drawings of the riser pieces for anybody who may want to build one. The dimensions may not be nat's rear end perfect, as I tend to fit as I go.

https://i.imgur.com/V2FbGkc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ho8gMBu.jpg

[Pressman]

To date the presses you need to read every Herter's catalog they printed. Beginning in 1953 and 1954 the press was the Model 243 and the color was more reddish brown.
1955 to 1961 the presses looked like yours, after 1961 through 1963 there are several changes to the handle, lower frame leg, adding then wings and set screw to hold the ram down/handle up.
These were the last changes till the end about 1978.

[oger]

A 234 is what started me down the road of way too much cast iron and alum in the pole barn.

[fast ronnie]

i did this with mine....174698

That looks like a real nice job. It's amazing what someone with a grasp of things metal can do.