Sherline Lathe I got for Christmas

[Len Woodruff]

I got a Sherline Lathe for Christmas. Anybody have a lathe? If so can you give me an easy part to turn for some practice?

[walt francis]

Why not try some shocks.

[Harry P.]

Breather caps... drive shaft... exhaust tips (megaphones)... starter motor... coil... distributor... fire extinguisher (add scratchbuilt handle and nozzle)... gas cap... drive pulleys...

Need any more suggestions?

[Len Woodruff]

Actually Harry I was hoping to get some how to's to get me started.

[Roadkill2525]

Ask Jerry Cardinal (dontgobrassit)

[rv1963]

I have an old Unimat lathe from the 1960's, i have made many parts with it like pulleys and ignition coils. First tip i would start with Aluminum over metal or brass it's easier to use second choose your stock a little thicker and at least 40% longer than the part you want to create, the reason for the stock being thicker is you want to turn the stock down to size so you can reduce and get it as perfectly round as possible, put some stock in the machine and you will see what i mean by how out of round or wabble it has you will want to remove that wabble. After this it's a lot of practice but you will be amazed at how quick you will pick it up, i hope this helps, later i will post a pick of some of the parts i made if you like. you can also check a great site called mini-lathe .com awsome site for the beginner. The parts below were made for a 1/16 scale Mustang engine but the same can be done for 1/24 scale sorry for the bad pic first day with the new camera.

Edited December 28, 2008 by rv1963

[Karmodeler2]

Hey Len,

I got mine about 6 yrs ago and had the same problem...where do I start and what do I make? I asked friends with lathes and not too many were helpful. What I would encourage you to do is just do it. I know that this is not what you want to hear, but hear me out. If you take a piece of aluminum, chuck it up, put on your safety glasses and just start turning, you will learn the ins and outs of your machine. (kind of like the first time you used your airbrush....intimidating, but now you have mastered it by using it and playing with different settings). Always remember that sometimes, the part you made is not for the model you are working on...meaning, you will make mistakes and this is normal. I still do after 6 years of doing it. Get you a altoids box or something similar and keep your "mistakes". You will find use for them on models you have not made yet.

Play with different speeds while you are turning parts to see what effect this has on the part. Don't try to take too much off at one time. I have a weird habit of holding a vacuum cleaner hose in one hand while turning parts. This keeps my work area clean, but causes you to be called a "geek" by your friends. Also, don't be afraid to machine resin. If you cast, you can make molds of different rods, and your excess resin can be poured into these molds, so later you have different sizes of resin rods you can make parts out of.

I suggested the glasses earlier mainly for your safety and for one other reason. If you do brass, and it gets in you eye and you can't get it out, it will start to corrode from the fluids in your eye and it is very painful and expensive. It's cheaper just to get in the habit of putting glasses on each time. I have had several parts hit me in the eye area, but I had glasses on.

Each metal acts differently. Brass comes of in little pieces where aluminum comes off in spiral strings.

You can email me and we can talk on the phone if you have questions. I have gained alot of knowledge from people like Mark Jones and Dirk Joseph, whom I consider to be some of the best machinist I know. They are always willing to help me in anyway they can. Also, if you don't have it, Joe Martins book is well worth the paper it's printed on. It will give you a TON of knowledge on the equipment and how to use it. One of his sayings has always stuck with me too. "They don't make a 'put on' tool". You can always take off the material you don't need, but you can never put it back on. Keep this in mind when turning a part...sneek up on the actual measurement needed....don't try to turn your part to final tolerances the first time.

Augie got me started down this path. His words were,"just try it and experiment with it...you'll get it". He also recommended Joe's book to me and he was right. I just started machining and someday I hope to have the hang of it. I cut my thumb open the first day by not respecting the speed of the machine. Just remember, when it's us against the machine...most of the time we lose...unless we are turning it off or unpluging it.

On final bit of advice if you're still here, .......get in the habit of tuning the speed to zero AND cutting the switch off every time. This will save you down the road when you are tightening a piece in the chuck with the bars and you accidently hit the on switch...if the speed is zero, no problem.....if not, look out, the machine will win.

Good luck and I am serious about helping you. I learned alot from others who were willing to do the same for me, so I will pass along as much as I can. Also, Dirk told me to get a set of files, and I thought he was crazy, since I was machining parts and what good could a set of files possibly do for me? He was right...and I use them frequently. Most machinist do as well.

David Morton

[Terry Sumner]

One of his sayings has always stuck with me too. "They don't make a 'put on' tool". You can always take off the material you don't need, but you can never put it back on. Keep this in mind when turning a part...sneek up on the actual measurement needed....don't try to turn your part to final tolerances the first time.

David Morton

Actually Dave...there is a way to put metal back on...but it would be WAAAAAAAAAYYYY over the top in expense for anything to do with modeling. It's called plasma spraying and it's done all the time refurbishing jet engine parts and many other metal parts subject to wear. But it's only used when the cost of plasma spraying and re-machining is less expensive than manufacturing a whole new part.

Terry Sumner

(owner of a 1968 Unimat lathe)

[Karmodeler2]

Actually Dave...there is a way to put metal back on...but it would be WAAAAAAAAAYYYY over the top in expense for anything to do with modeling. It's called plasma spraying and it's done all the time refurbishing jet engine parts and many other metal parts subject to wear. But it's only used when the cost of plasma spraying and re-machining is less expensive than manufacturing a whole new part.

Terry Sumner

(owner of a 1968 Unimat lathe)

You're right Terry, sorry for forgetting about that!! I'm not sure if Len's machine came with the plasma machine....he can borrow mine if he needs too!!

[Len Woodruff]

Thanks David for the info. I did buy Joe's book about 6 mos ago before I got the lathe to make sure this is what I wanted to do. I will chuck some aluminum rod and take a few passes to see what happens.

[Karmodeler2]

Thanks David for the info. I did buy Joe's book about 6 mos ago before I got the lathe to make sure this is what I wanted to do. I will chuck some aluminum rod and take a few passes to see what happens.

That's the quickest way to learn what to do (and what not to do!!) Good luck with it...and welcome to another dark path in your modeling career.

David

[Bobdude]

Len,I find one way to learn is hands on,sure books are good sources for info on machining also.As Dave Morton said about people who do turning on a lathe,it's good to be able to ask them questions.I have never met Mark Jones,but Dirk Joseph and Bob Bentley are two of my machining heroes. Bob

[BigGary]

In the Aug/Sept issue of MCM, (you do read MCM don't you?) there is an article on a '58 Buick with tons of chrome. In it Randy Derr turned down some '65 Riviera wheels to fit the late 50's style wsw tires. That's just one of the things you can do with a lathe. I'm keeping my eyes open for a good deal on a Unimat.

Gary

[Len Woodruff]

Thanks for everyone's input. I did what Dave said and went out and turned a radiator overflow tank for my Cobra Daytona. Went pretty good since I was clueless. Took about an hour. I will post some pick tomorrow.

[Pete J.]

Len - Congratulations, you are in for a really good time. Step # 1 is to order Joe Martin's(owner of Sherline) book, Table Top Machining. http://www.sherline.com/bookplug.htm I got my lathe about 8 months ago and this book goes into a lot of detail that is very helpful, like feed rates and speeds and how the lathe works. He also covers how to sharpen and make your own tools. It is written as a reference manual not a how to book, so as you have questions, you look up that topic and go to that section of the book and read all about it. He covers a lot of topics and it is an invaluable resource.

Second look up the type of metals on the internet. There are hundreds of different types of aluminum and getting the right type makes a huge difference in ease of machining and how the final result looks when you get done. I buy mine from a local metal dealer and can specify the type of aluminum I am getting. Unfortunately I can only buy it in 12 foot pieces. Luckily they cost less than $15 per piece, so I have a great instant supply. Don't use the ###### you get at hobby stores. It is tough to machine and is really hard to get a good finish on.

You might also wish to join the Sherline users forum http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/sherline/ There is a lot going on there that you will never use but a lot of it is good information.

Good luck. Oh, incidentally, I feel sorry for you. This thing is addictive and you can quickly quickly acquire more in accessories than the cost of the lathe.( I already have). I love the radius tool. Here is a photo of the fire bottles I made for my 935. The original plastic part is on the left. This is 1:12 scale. My Christmas present was several of the two sided tool holders. They make the use of the machine much easier. My problem is that I live about 6 miles from Sherline. It is too easy to run over and pickup a couple of pieces.

Edited December 30, 2008 by Pete J.

[Karmodeler2]

There are hundreds of different types of aluminum and getting the right type makes a huge difference in ease of machining and how the final result looks when you get done. Unfortunately I can only buy it in 12 foot pieces. Don't use the ###### you get at hobby stores. It is tough to machine and is really hard to get a good finish on.

I could not agree more with Pete, and the one I found to be a good one is 6061 Aluminum. I know Bob Dudek uses the 70 series and has great results with it...I just haven't tried it yet. You can go to smallparts.com and order ANY size, ANY qty and they don't care. They also have a great catalog, you pay for it, but it has ALL metals broken down by the metal's numbers, what they mean, and why you would use a particular metal...well worth it and I look up metals all the time in their book. Understanding these numbers will help you when you go to order your metals. The great thing is it's at the beginning of each section of a particular metal. So if you need brass, it will tell you which one is best based on whether you are chroming, machining, soldering or whatever. It's very helpful to me. This is also available on their website. I would also recommend against the hobby store stuff as this tends to gum up your cutting tools and makes a mess. Spend the money for good metals, the results are worth it.

You probably know this, but part off your pieces using a low rpm and cutting fluid. It will prolong the life of your tools/equipment. I got a very small can (like an orange juice concentrate can or V8 or something like that)put a little 3-1 oil or aluminum tap fluid in it with a small brush and brush the fluid on while you part off your piece. Fill the can only with enough to cover the bottom of the can, that way when you tip it over the many times to come, you won't spill any cause you can tip it back up before the small amount runs out. I filled mine up the first time and made a mess.....learned the hard way!!!

Congrats on just chucking up a piece and turning. Thats the best teacher. "Experience is the best teacher. After all, it should be. It's the most expensive"

David

[bobss396]

I should pick up one of those myself. I have a Clausing that I have to set up at home soon. I'm well set up for it with various tool holder and other accessories.

With the small lathes, you have to be able to change tools quickly so I'd suggest a small turret or something that allows you to take pre-set tools in and out quickly. Micro Mark has some good small lathe tooling, I'd start there.

Then you have to have a means of sharpening tools. Carbide is great put requires a special grinding wheel, high speed steel is pretty good and sharpens well on a regular bench grinder. You'll want a coarse and fine wheel with some sort of dresser, or buddy up to someone who works in a machine shop.

Think of using tools that you can combine uses. Like a tool that can do facing and part off. Knowing how wide the tool is essential, so you can face the part, dial off to a specific number and do the part off. Try to do as much as possible in one operation.

I like to use a water soluble oil for cutting fluid. The mix ration is something like 50:1 so a little goes a long way, again a buddy in the business is good to have. PM me if you want some, I'd be glad to send you some to get you going.

I get most of my stock from McMaster-Carr or MSC Direct. I have work and personal accounts with both. I also grab any scrap cut off lengths of anything round 1" in diameter and under. For aluminum, 6061 is pretty good, so is 2024. 7075 is a true aircraft grade, a little harder to machine and not as easy to get as the others.

You should have a set of collets that will take dimensional stock, like 1/8", 3/16" and so on. Bigger stock you can turn in the chuck, even turning a "handle" on a bigger piece and finishing it in a collet and cutting off the handle later is good to do. You can make up "blanks" that can be worked on in stages, if you want to make multiple parts or the same thing.

Best of luck with your new asset!

Bob

Edited December 30, 2008 by bobss396

[iBorg]

I have found some stock at home stores like Lowes and Home Depot. K and S makes brass but it gets pricey. I'd look at Harbor Freight (if one is nearby). They often have things that can be useful like decent (not great) carbide cutting tools.

Get a good light source. Make a splash guard. These things have a way of throwing mewtal chips here and there. I find a good wide brush as a nice way to clean the item whilke the lathe is spinning. Bad habit......but.....

Safety glasses are a must. ALWAYS spin your item by hand to be sure it is mounted correctly. Use end support if possible. Remember these are safe tools only if the operator is safe.

Take it slow and make small cuts. The bigger the cut, the bigger the risk for bad results.

Have fun.

Mike

[Karmodeler2]

Okay Len,

It's been a few days, Lets see what you have made (and a shot of your hands to ensure you still have all your fingers!

I'm anxious to see what you have turned out!

David