Sherline Lathe User Guide and Specifications

A slow rate of feed should be used as the turnings are not able to escape freely from the
hole. Frequent withdrawal of the tool to allow turnings to escape may be necessary. Care
should be taken not to feed the tool beyond the depth required or to feed so deeply as to
damage the chuck or faceplate.
Where a hole must be bored right through the work, it should be shimmed out from the
faceplate to provide clearance for the tool to feed through. The lead screw handwheel
graduations can be used to indicate the correct depth at which to stop the feed. Notice that
with boring, the depth of cut is increased by moving the tool and crosslide towards the
operator and not away as with normal turning.
The boring of holes often necessitates greater than normal overhang of the tool from the
tool post, so the depth of cut and rate of feed should be reduced from normal.
Inserted Tip Carbide Tools
Sherline brings the home shop machinist into the space age with cutting tools that add a
new dimension to small lathes. When working with tough metals, high speed steel tools
need constant sharpening and have a relatively short life. Brazed carbide tools cut great
but chip easily. Inserted carbide cutting tools are the answer and have replaced those
other tools in the modern machine shop. Carbide inserts have the ability to consistently
give good finishes and long tool life at a much higher cutting speed. This is especially
important with small lathes because they do not have excessive power at low RPM. With
inserted carbide tools you can cut stainless steel at the same RPM you were formerly
using to cut aluminum with high speed steel tools without any sacrifice in quality in
surface finish.
FIGURE 17--A Carbide Inserted Tip Cutter installed on the tip of a special tool designed
to hold them.
These tools are more expensive than high speed steel; however, they are worth every
penny if you have problems grinding your own steel tools or are cutting exotic materials
like stainless steel. Sherline offers a tool post ( P/N 7600) which holds the larger 3/8"
diameter tool shanks used to hold carbide or diamond inserted tips. It also has a 3/8"
round hole for boring tools. A good starting point for a tool is the P/N 7615 right hand