User Guide

The main purpose of using lubricants is to keep the chips from sticking to the cutting
tool. When used properly, modern high speed tool bits are not likely to be affected by
heat on the type of work usually done on Sherline tools.
General machining terms
Two terms frequently used in machining are "Feed" and "Cut". Reference to the diagrams
below will show what is meant by these terms. Normal turning on a lathe, when used to
reduce the diameter of a work piece, involves advancing the cutting tool perpendicular
to the lathe bed by an appropriate amount (depth of cut) and feeding the tool along
parallel to the lathe bed to remove material over the desired length. (See Figure 13A
below.)
FIGURE 13-Directions of Feed and Cut showing (A) Turning work between centers and
(B) Facing off a work piece.
In normal machining, the depth of cut is set by the crosslide handwheel, and the feed is
provided by the handwheel on the end of the bed. When facing off the end of a work
piece held in a chuck or faceplate, the depth of cut is set by the handwheel on the end of
the bed, and the feed is provided by the crosslide handwheel. (See Figure 13B above.)
When using a mill, cut is determined by the amount of depth the cutter is set to by the
"Z" axis handwheel. Feed is supplied by either or both the "X" or "Y" axis handwheels
depending on the desired direction of the cut.
General rules for feed rates and cutting speeds
Before attempting to machine any metal, please try to remember this simple rule about
machining: "If the tool chatters, decrease speed and increase feed."
Understanding this simple rule can save you many hours of grief. When the tool
"chatters", it is not cutting in a continuous fashion. Metal likes to be machined in a way
that allows the material to come off in a continuous strip while the tool is in contact with
the metal. If the tool is not fed at a rate that is fast enough, the tool skips along the