Subject: ??micro-lathe capabilities

From: [email-masked] (Guy Stackhouse)
Date: 13 May 1995 17:12:13 -0500

Hello Folks,
	
	I am very interested in a micro-lathe but I have a couple of
questions to ask, especially since I haven't seen one up close
and personal.

	For a Sherline size lathe, how much of a cut can you prudently
make on CRS and on aluminum?

	Could someone comment on the Sherline's screw cutting accessory?
Does it work well?

	Any quirks with the Sherline a person should know before buying?
Would you still buy one if you had it to do over again?

	Any recommendations for other brands of this size lathe?

Thanks 

Guy

-- 
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Guy Stackhouse              [email-masked]
Marion, Iowa                Mt. Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, IA
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From: [email-masked] (Mark Fraser)
Date: 13 May 1995 23:50:39 GMT

I can't comment on the Sherline screwcutting, because I just picked
up an old Atlas/Craftsman 6x24 to give me that capability and JUST
a Little more length and diameter.  There are things I like 
BETTER about the Sherline, I guess just vbecause it is compact and it
does nice work on everything I've given it, including drillrod.

Haven't looked at the other micros, Sherline has more available 
options, including the vertical milling column, which I have,
and now use with an XY table from the same source.

What the Atlas also has, indexing of a sort, (lockable in 6 degree
increments) is another option with the Sherline.  Since I wanted
this as well, prudence dictated that I move up to the Atlas, which
still weighs in in the 1-hand-carry-if-necessary category.

I was quite happy with the lower-torque AC motor (variable speed) on 
my older model Sherline, the new DC motors are even better.

I got great service from the factory, and would do it again, if I didn't
need the screw/indexing options/Mark

Guy Stackhouse ([email-masked]) wrote:

: Hello Folks,
: 	
: 	I am very interested in a micro-lathe but I have a couple of
: questions to ask, especially since I haven't seen one up close
: and personal.

: 	For a Sherline size lathe, how much of a cut can you prudently
: make on CRS and on aluminum?

: 	Could someone comment on the Sherline's screw cutting accessory?
: Does it work well?

: 	Any quirks with the Sherline a person should know before buying?
: Would you still buy one if you had it to do over again?

: 	Any recommendations for other brands of this size lathe?

: Thanks 

: Guy

: -- 
: -------------------------------------------------------------------
: Guy Stackhouse              [email-masked]
: Marion, Iowa                Mt. Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, IA
: -------------------------------------------------------------------

---

From: [email-masked] (Nigel Cliffe)
Date: 30 May 1995 13:00:38 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] wrote:

> >   [email-masked] (Guy Stackhouse) writes:
> >  
> >  Hello Folks,
> >       
> If I recall, I can take appx. 1/64 cut in steel and much more in
aluminum with an old Unimat machine.
> Others have had somewhat negative comments about the Sherline screw
cutting in this Newsgroup.
> About the only other brands (in the Sherline size range) that I am aware
of are the Unimat PC/Basic, the 
> Taig and the Cowells (made in England).  

I'd recommend a Cowell to anyone who can get one. They are still being
made, I can supply the address on request. 

My Cowell has the newer high speed conversion to the main spindle (mine is
retro-fitted, but now a factory option), giving 6 driven and 6 back-gears
speeds, (though only 3 back-gear are of any use). Speed ranges from about
45rpm to 2000rpm.
Its about 200mm centres, 85(ish)mm diameter over bed, 45(ish)mm over
saddle. It has a gap bed, which will take about 15mm of thickness on the
standard faceplate. There is also a matching milling machine, and
watchmaking variants of the lathe.
Its an ideal machine for small model making - I use mine for 1:152
standard gauge and 1:19 narrow gauge railways, the latter live steam.
There are a few jobs where a bigger machine would come in handy, but I
manage with the Cowell. 

Its a much more rigid than the old Unimat-3, and the motor is a lot more
powerful. There is no comparison to the Unimat PC, which looks like a toy
alongside the Cowell.

The only down sides of a Cowell is the cost and I suspect no US
distributors. The last price I saw in the UK for a Cowell with motor,
stand, 3-jaw etc was circa 750 uk pounds. Exported versions would save the
17.5% VAT (sales tax) to off-set the postage!

- Nigel.

-- 
Nigel Cliffe, Human Factors, BT Labs, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, UK
[email-masked]