Anyone heard of Sherline Metal Lathes

[Sea Jay]

Hi guys,

I am shopping for a lathe and heard of Sherline lathes. But I am unsure if it would be suitable for pipemaking?
They are 3 1/2" X 8", 24" overall length and a shipping weight of 25 lbs.

Here are the specs. I have read a good amount of threads on the subject but specs wise, I am rather on the Daaaah side.
___________________________
Lathe Specifications

1st line of each spec is about the 4000(4100)
2nd line is about the 4400(4410)

Swing over bed
3.50" (90 mm)
3.50" (90 mm)

Swing over carriage
1.75" (45 mm)
1.75" (45 mm)

Distance between centers
8.00" (200 mm)
17.00" (430 mm)

Hole through spindle
.405" (10 mm)
.405" (10 mm)

Spindle nose thread
3/4"-16 T.P.I.
3/4"-16 T.P.I .

Spindle nose taper
#1 Morse
#1 Morse

Travel of crosslide
4.25" (110 mm)
4.25" (110 mm)

Tailstock spindle taper
#0 Morse
#0 Morse.

Protractor graduations
0° to 45° by 5°
0° to 45° by 5°

Handwheel graduations
.001" (.01 mm)
.001" (.01 mm)

Length overall
24" (610 mm)
32.25" (820 mm)

Width overall
7.5" (190 mm)
8.75" (220 mm)

Height overall
6" (150 mm)
8" (200 mm)

Shipping weight
24 lb. (10.9 kg)
30 lb. (13.6 kg)

Motor 90 volt DC with electronic speed control that accepts any incoming current from 100VAC to 240 VAC, 50 Hz or 60 Hz. Click here for motor specifications.
Spindle speed range
70-2800 RPM continuously variable by electronic speed control
_________________________________________________________________
Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you!
http://www.sherline.com/lathes.htm

[Sea Jay]

The 3 main things here, I think, are:

Weight of the lathe: 25 lbs heavy enough?

Distance between dead ctrs: 8" and

Motor: being Voltage vs HP, is 90 Volt strong enough for briar and stems? Or might I just burn out the poor thing within a couple months?

[caskwith]

Well respected lathe by the model making community but for pipe making they would really only suit stem work.

[Sea Jay]

Chris, thanks for your reply!

It is a problem for briar because of the lack of turning space, I suppose?

So the other one would be the Craftex
________________________
Product Description
CX704

7" x 12" Mini Metal Lathe - Craftex CX-Series

This mini metal lathe has the features and precision of the larger lathes and is an awesome machine for hobby machinists. The variable speed switch allows user to select the correct speed required for the job and the forward/reverse switch controls the direction of rotation of the spindle. The lathe features an efficient 1/2 HP motor, MT#3 spindle taper, cast iron bed construction, spindle speed ranges Low 0-1100 and High 0-2500 RPM, threading dial indicator, inch and metric graduation, three jaw chuck, complete set of change gears, steady rest, chip tray and splash guard.

A small beautiful lathe loaded with lots of features.

Like all CX-Series machines, this unit features powder coated paint, sharp looking two tone colours and a full 3 year warranty.

SPECIFICATIONS

Motor: 1/2 HP 110 V, 60 Hz, Single Phase, 3 Amps
Number Of Speeds: Variable
Swing Over Bed: 7"
Swing Over Cross Slide (RD): 2-1/8"
Swing Over Saddle: 5"
Compound Slide Travel: 2-3/4"
Carriage Travel: 10-1/2"
Cross Slide Travel: 2-3/4"
Maximum Tool Bit Size :5/16"
Headstock Construction: Cast Iron
Spindle Bore: 20mm
Spindle Size: 3"
Spindle Taper: MT#3
Range of Spindle Speeds: Low 0 - 1100, High 0 - 2500 RPM
Tailstock Travel: 2-1/2"
Tailstock Taper: MT#2
No. of Inch Threads: 18
Range of Inch Threads: 12 - 52 TPI
No. of Metric Threads: 10
Range of Metric Threads: 0.4 - 2.0mm
Bed Construction: Cast Iron
Overall Dimension of the lathe: 28" x 12" x 12"
Weight: 75 lbs
Warranty: 3-Years
____________________________---

That seems better for power, turning space and motror, right?

[Jos]

It is a problem for briar because of the lack of turning space, I suppose?

Right. If you want to turn stummels, do yourself a favor and look for a 9" x 20" ... or bigger.
More is more, as far as lathes are concerned.

Oh, and what you should be looking for is usually not called "mini".

Jens

[Sea Jay]

It is a problem for briar because of the lack of turning space, I suppose?

Right. If you want to turn stummels, do yourself a favor and look for a 9" x 20" ... or bigger.
More is more, as far as lathes are concerned.

Oh, and what you should be looking for is usually not called "mini".

Jens

Jens, thanks. Why can I hear my wallet going arrggghhh all of a sudden?

[dogcatcher]

I have a Sherline and also a Taig, I think they might work with a set of riser blocks, but I wouldn't recommend either of them. Size wise they are too small, and trying to make a big lathe out of a little lathe will still lead to some disappointments. And you will still have a micro lathe when you really want a bigger lathe.

[Sea Jay]

I have a Sherline and also a Taig, I think they might work with a set of riser blocks, but I wouldn't recommend either of them. Size wise they are too small, and trying to make a big lathe out of a little lathe will still lead to some disappointments. And you will still have a micro lathe when you really want a bigger lathe.

Hmmm, sorry to hear that, Dogcatcher...And thanks for your feedback!

[Jos]

Jens, thanks. Why can I hear my wallet going arrggghhh all of a sudden?

Oh, yes. And a big "arrggghhh" it is ...
But it's better to wait and save money a little longer than spending on a lathe that does'nt do the trick.
You'd want a bigger one later on anyway ...

Jens

[Sea Jay]

Yes, I guess investing $1000 now in a mini lathe + some accessories and having to buy a new one twice the price in 2 or 3 months because it can't cut it - litterally! - would be detrimental to my finances....and morale.
thanks Jos.

[Jos]

Perhaps you should focus on used lathes ... if you're lucky, you can find something like a Jet 9 x 20 on Craigslist, for little more than what you'd have to spend on that "mini" thingie. That'd be a machine that plenty of guys 'round here are happy with.

Jens