Sherline 4400 Lathes - Assembly and Instruction Guide
Table Of Contents
- Safety Rules for Power Tools
 - An Introduction to the World of Miniature Machining
 - Machine Terminology
- The Customer's Responsibility
 - Learning More About Machining
 - Visit the Sherline Website for the Latest Updates
 - Lubrication
 - Initial Assembly of a New Machine
 - LATHE—Mounting the Crosslide
 - All MILLS—X-Axis Handwheel Installation
 - Digital Readout Handwheels
 - 5000-Series Mills—Mounting the Column
 - 2000- and 5800-Series Mills—Assembling and Mounting the Multi-Direction Column
 - Mounting the Motor and Speed Control Unit to the Headstock
 - Operation of the Motor and Electronic Speed Control
 - What to Do if the Motor Suddenly Shuts Down
 - Replacing Brushes on a DC Motor
 - Mounting the Lathe or Mill to a Board for Stability
 - Converting Machines from Inch to Metric and Vice Versa
 - ADJUSTMENTS
 - Two-Speed Pulley
 - Spindle Preload Adjustment
 - Gib Adjustment (Lathe and Mill)
 - Backlash Adjustment (Lathe and Mill)
 - Handwheel Adjustment (Lathe and Mill)
 - Saddle Nut Adjustment (Lathe and Mill)
 - Adjustment and Use of the Tailstock Gib
 - Aligning the Headstock and Tailstock on the Lathe
 - Squaring up Your Mill
 - Use of Cutting Oils and Lubricants
 - General Machining Terms
 
 - Lathe Operating Instructions
 - Digital Readouts, P/N 8200
 - Live Center, P/N 1197
 - Steady Rest, P/N 1074
 - Thread Cutting Attachment, P/N 3100
 - 3-Jaw, 4-Jaw and Drill Chucks
 - Accessories for Your Lathe
 - Guide to Approximate Turning Speeds
 - Inserted Tip Carbide Tools
 - Using the Cutoff or Parting Tool
 - Tool Shapes and Grinding Your Own Cutting Tools
 - Taper Turning
 - Faceplate Turning
 - Reaming
 - Headstock Drilling
 - Tailstock Drilling
 - Center Drilling
 - Removing Tools from the Morse Taper Spindles
 - Turning Between Centers
 - Holding the Workpiece
 - Inducing Chatter and Learning How to Overcome It
 - 3-Jaw Chuck Operation and Maintenance
 - Vertical Milling Machine Operation
 - Industrial Applications for Sherline Components
 - Longer Tables and Taller Milling Columns Available
 - Several Reasons to Consider CNC
 - Learning About CNC
 - CNC and CNC-Ready Sherline Lathes and Milling Machines
 - CNC Rotary Indexer (P/N 8700)
 - 4" Rotary Table (P/N 3700)
 - Tilting Angle Table (P/N 3750)
 - Mill Vise Set (P/N 3551)
 - Drill Chucks (P/N 3072) and Center Drills
 - Fly Cutters (P/N 3052 and P/N 7620)
 - Boring Head (P/N 3054/3049)
 - Mill Collet Set
 - Drill Chuck Holder (P/N 3074)
 - 3/8" End Mill Holder (P/N 3079)
 - Accessories for Your Milling Machine
 - Using the Mill Column Saddle Lock
 - End Mills
 - Cutting Speeds for Milling
 - Determining the Depth of Cut
 - Locating the Edge of a Part in Relation to the Spindle
 - Using a Dial Indicator
 - Standard Milling Versus Climb Milling
 - Types of Milling Cutters
 - Three Types of Work
 - Purchasing Materials in Small Quantities
 - Things to Consider Before You Start Cutting
 - Locking the Axes
 - Securing the Workpiece
 - Helpful Tips for Milling
 - General Description
 - DRO Machine Operations
 - Installing Stepper Motors
 - Lead Wire Connection and Color Code
 - Sherline Stepper Motor Specifications—Nmb Motors
 - Using Handwheels on the Stepper Motors
 - Stepper Motor Installation Instructions
 - Sherline CNC Motor-Mounting Instructions
 - Sherline Machine Technical Specifications
 
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TOOL
PART
FIGURE 41—A boring tool in use on the lathe
FIGURE 43—Arrows show direction of tool feed in all diagrams.
SIDE TOOLS
NORMAL TOOL
SLIGHTLY 
ROUNDED
CORNER
LEFT-HAND 
TOOL
RIGHT-HAND 
TOOL
CLEARANCE
CLEARANCE
Form Tool—A custom contour can be 
ground into a tool to produce a special 
shape like a radius in a part. The width of 
the cutting edge must be less than 2-1/2 
times the smallest diameter. Cutting speed 
must be slow to prevent chatter.
The clearances ground behind the cutting 
edges indicate the type of material for which the tool may 
be used and the direction in which it is fed along the work. 
When grinding tool bits, correct clearances are essential or 
“rubbing” can occur.
The shape shown here would be dicult to grind on a home 
bench grinder, however, the same form could be achieved by 
grinding two separate tools with half the needed arc on the 
outside corner of each tool–a “left” and a “right.” By using 
a number of simple shaped tools in sequence, complicated 
forms can be generated.
Turning Tools (Left- and Right-Hand)—Reference to Figure 
43 will illustrate the lateral positioning of this tool. Note the 
clearance behind the point between the end of the tool and 
the work. Insucient clearance will cause the tool to “rub,” 
and excessive clearance will produce a ridged or wavy nish 
due to the small length of tool edge in contact with the work. 
This ridging becomes more pronounced with rapid feed. To 
provide a smooth nish, the sharp cutting point may be slightly 
rounded with an oil stone, taking care to preserve the side 
clearance underneath this corner.
This type of tool should not be advanced directly end-wise 
into the work. The depth of cut is set while the tool is clear of 
the end of the work. The starting procedure is to advance the 
tool until the point just touches the work. Note the reading on 
the crosslide handwheel, withdraw the tool slightly and move 
along until clear of the end of the work. Now advance the 
crosslide to the above reading, add desired depth of cut and 
then feed the tool along the work piece the desired distance. 
Withdraw the tool clear of the work, having noted the reading 
on the crosslide handwheel. Mentally note the reading on the 
leadscrew handwheel, return the tool to starting position and 
advance to the previous reading plus the desired cut.
NOTE: Sherline oers optional adjustable “zero” handwheels 
that allow you to reset the handwheel to zero at any time...a 
handy feature normally found only on larger, more expensive 
machine tools. New tools may be ordered with them already 
installed, and existing tools can be retrotted with them on 
any axis.
The second feed is now commenced, stopping at the same 
reading on the leadscrew handwheel as before. This procedure 
enables turning to accurate length.
Repeat the procedure until the work has been reduced to within 
about .010" (0.25 mm) of desired diameter, noting that each 
.015" (0.4 mm) increase in depth of cut will reduce the work 
diameter by twice this amount; that is, .030" (0.8 mm). For 
the nishing pass, advance the tool by the required amount 
and feed along the work just far enough to gauge the nished 
diameter. Adjust depth of cut if necessary and complete the 
nal pass using a SLOW feed to obtain a smooth nish and 
exact size.
Using the Cutoff or Parting Tool
(See  Figure  44.) After  completing a  part  in the  lathe,  it  is 
frequently necessary to separate the part from the excess 
material used for chucking. This operation is best accomplished 
with the use of a cuto tool or “parting tool” as it is sometimes 
called.  The  Sherline  cuto  tool  and  holder  utilizes  a  very 
slender, high-speed tool steel cutting blade mounted in a 
special tool holder. The thinness of the blade (.040") enables 
it to feed into the part quite easily and at the same time 
minimizes the amount of waste material. A word of caution: 
Never use a parting tool on a part mounted between centers. 
The part may bind on the cutter, resulting in a scrapped part 
or a broken cutting tool.
Always try to lay work out so the cuto tool is used as close 
to the spindle as possible. Set blade height by sliding the blade 
back and forth in the slightly angled slot in the tool holder. It 
should be set so the tip is aligned with the centerline of the 
part being cut. An unusual diameter may require a shim under 
the front or rear of the holder to accomplish this. The tool can 
also be mounted on the back side of the table by using the 
rear mounting block, P/N 3016.
IMPORTANT!
Always use cutting oil when using the cuto tool. The 
cut will be made much smoother, easier and cooler.
The turning speed for parting should be about one-half the 
normal turning speed, and feed rate should be a little heavy 
so the chip will not break up in the slot. If speed and feed are 
correct, there will not be any chatter, and the chip will come 
out as if it were being unrolled. Cutting oil plays a major roll 
in this occurring properly.
FIGURE 42—Form tool and part










