sherline lathe

[MedWoodWorx]

hello everybody, i came across this little lathe that comes with a thread cutting attachement, has anyone used it?is it worth buying for penturning?cheers

 

[Oliver X]

I bought my little Sherline 3" x 17" lathe a bit over twenty years ago. That's partially what led me into a career as a machinist. It's what I use for making pens. I also have a 6x18 Craftsman, but it's pretty much clapped out and is mostly a project unto itself.

I have mixed feelings about recommending them. For a hobbyist who lacks space, makes small parts and wants the versatility, they're pretty decent machines. They're pretty accurate and made well, and there are tons of accessories, but they're still very small. I think all up they weigh less than 16kg. On the other hand, making anything on them is a very slow process compared to a full size machine. They're not rigid or powerful. They have no rack for traversing the cross slide, instead using the leadscrew, which is slow. The compound top slide that's available is an interesting compromise. I don't have one, as none of the tools I own will even fit it without all sorts of workarounds. Threading requires removing the motor from the headstock, installing the threading parts, and hand cranking the spindle. It actually works surprisingly well, but it's quite slow, and the process absolutely sucks compared to having a gearbox, thread dial, proper compound, and the ability to thread under power. On the other hand, it can cut a really good range of metric and inch threads and with a small modification, can cut multi start threads with ease.

If you look at the couple pens I've posted pictures of here, they were made entirely on a Sherline lathe and mill. If you have any specific questions, I'd be glad to answer them.

 

[leehljp]

I began making pens with a Taig in 2004, which is a stripped down Sherline. The parts between the two back then were totally interchangeable. I was living overseas (Japan) and needed something I could put in my suitcase and take back to Japan from the USA. It worked for about a year and then I realized that I needed more options that only came with an MT2 lathe. I was able to do my basics with the Taig, and I could have done somewhat more if I had pushed it. The Sherline should give plenty of options and do well in a very limited space.

 

[mredburn]

I made a lot pens and parts on a Sherline, If its the short bed its good for making small and turning one blank at a time. The 24 inch bed is better than the 17 inch bed. You run our of room fast when you go to drill on it on the shorter lathe bed.
If you do decide to buy it also consider a Beal Tools er32 collet chuck for it. Get the collets off evay or elsewhere in larger sets than Beal sells them in. THe collet chuck is great for holding your pen body while drilling. The threading option on that lathe is ok for limited production but it will work. Mostly we use tap and dies when threading because the accuracy is good enough.

 

[dogcatcher]

Search Curt Van Filipowski Taig lathe. He uses a Taig to make "stuff".
I have both Taig and Sherline, I prefer the Taig. I do not cut threads with either. I use taps and dies.

 

[MedWoodWorx]

Thank you all for your input, Taig lathes are very nice indeed; they are marketed as Paetol in UK and their prices are similar to the Sherline. You guys mentioned that you use taps and dies to cut threads. I suppose you work with polyester, ebonite etc. while i intend to use it with wood; i remember a conversation in which @Pierre--- mentioned that cutting threads on wood with taps and dies is basically not feasible (please correct me if i am wrong). Thats why the sherline setup looks promising to me: i don't know however if wood can be threaded in such a lathe or if it is intented for threading metals, synthetics etc. and that's why i am asking.
Anyway both lathes look beautiful, i hope to be able to buy one in the future, cheers

 

[mredburn]

Thank you all for your input, Taig lathes are very nice indeed; they are marketed as Paetol in UK and their prices are similar to the Sherline. You guys mentioned that you use taps and dies to cut threads. I suppose you work with polyester, ebonite etc. while i intend to use it with wood; i remember a conversation in which @Pierre--- mentioned that cutting threads on wood with taps and dies is basically not feasible (please correct me if i am wrong). Thats why the sherline setup looks promising to me: i don't know however if wood can be threaded in such a lathe or if it is intented for threading metals, synthetics etc. and that's why i am asking.
Anyway both lathes look beautiful, i hope to be able to buy one in the future, cheers

You can definitely thread wood with it. I have a thread somewhere here we're i threaded ebony, inside 10 x .75 and outside m12 x .75.

 

[Oliver X]

Thank you all for your input, Taig lathes are very nice indeed; they are marketed as Paetol in UK and their prices are similar to the Sherline. You guys mentioned that you use taps and dies to cut threads. I suppose you work with polyester, ebonite etc. while i intend to use it with wood; i remember a conversation in which @Pierre--- mentioned that cutting threads on wood with taps and dies is basically not feasible (please correct me if i am wrong). Thats why the sherline setup looks promising to me: i don't know however if wood can be threaded in such a lathe or if it is intented for threading metals, synthetics etc. and that's why i am asking.
Anyway both lathes look beautiful, i hope to be able to buy one in the future, cheers

I don't work much with wood. My understanding is that it may be easiest to cut threads in wood with a rotating tool. This can be done easily enough by mounting a spindle to the cross slide, in which case the hand cranked nature of a small lathe isn't an issue at all. I've been contemplating such a setup myself and will likely adapt a cheap, off the shelf ER-11 or ER-16 tool holder extension as a spindle and take the power from the headstock motor via a jack shaft or adapt a spare sewing machine motor that I have laying around.

 

[MedWoodWorx]

You can definitely thread wood with it. I have a thread somewhere here we're i threaded ebony, inside 10 x .75 and outside m12 x .75.

Did you use the engine powered setup or you used the hand threading setup?

 

[dogcatcher]

I cut threads in wood, I turn to the diameter then soak the wood with thin CA glue. Wait until the glue dries then cut the threads. Then another CA treatment. Wait until it dries then clean the threads up.

The threads are NEVER the quality of metal or plastic.

I also tried using a thread cutter system. Like this https://bestwoodtools.stores.yahoo.net/bathma.html

None on wood are what I would call high quality penmaking threads.

 

[mredburn]

I used the hand crank.,
ebony
A picture of threaded ebony.
The thread,