Sherline Power Feed

[wagnmkr]

"Santa" brought me a Sherline lathe for Xmas and I have played with it for a bit and I am enjoying it. I can sit at the table, reach all of the controls and have no back or leg pain.

My question ... Is the power feed attachment ( http://www.sherline.com/3001inst.pdf ) a useful thing? I want this lathe to make all the fiddly bits for a 3 1/2" Britannia I am working on. There is nothing that I need to make really, that is longer than an inch or so. All the big stuff for the engine is already done, and I have a 9 x 20 lathe as well. I have an opportunity to go to the local supplier tomorrow with a friend that also has a Sherline lathe and he says I can't live without the power feed.

I have the threading adapter, a quick change toolpost,  and the compound so I don't think there is really much more I need for it.

Ideas on the power feed would be appreciated.

Cheers

Tom

[b.lindsey]

Tom, I have one for my Sherline lathe and rarely use it. Keep in mind it only has one forward speed and will not reverse. The only benefit is that it keeps you from turning the longitudinal feed wheel and is most of your work is 1" or less that isn't that much of a benefit. I also have the threading attachment though I haven't used it yet (but do plan to), and if memory serves the engagement mechanism is the same for both the threading attachment and the power feed. This will make changing back and forth a bit of a pain if you do it often. Just my 2 cents. If I were doing it again I would not get the power feed unless I had a specific need for it.

Bill

[wagnmkr]

Hi Bill,

Thank You for your insight. I thought that it might be the case of "sounds good but ...".

I have also heard that if you do use one, and mess up and not shut it off in time, it can be very difficult to unlock it all.

I am just putting on a linear measuring device that connects the carriage and not the dial. So far it works fine.

Thanks Again Bill, I think I will save my money.

Cheers

Tom

[b.lindsey]

Tom, for close to the same amount, you might consider some additional tooling. While I have no affiliation with the company, I have found the tooling from these folks to be excellent and the inserts are HSS rather than carbide. I have the turning set, a boring bar and the grooving tool and use them extensively on my Sherline lathe.  http://www.arwarnerco.com/p-5-kit-1-14-inch-turning-t.aspx

Edit: they do also carry carbide inserts for those times when they are needed such as for cast iron castings, etc.

Bill

[mklotz]

Before you buy a power feed you might want to play a bit with my approach...

Like the Sherline, my Unimat has the annoying tiny handwheels that make moving any distance an exercise in tedium.  I put a 1/4" socket adapter in my electric screwdriver, fit the metric socket to match the securing nut on the handwheel and away we go.

Since my Unimat is now permanently set up in milling machine configuration, I've never tried this in lathe mode but see no reason for it not to work as well there.

[kellswaterri]

Hi folks ......please don't waste your cash on a power feed...get yourself a reasonably priced battery drill with forwards and reverse and speed control...hook it up to the feed screw and away you go...
                                                                               John.

[jerry kieffer]

"Santa" brought me a Sherline lathe for Xmas and I have played with it for a bit and I am enjoying it. I can sit at the table, reach all of the controls and have no back or leg pain.

My question ... Is the power feed attachment ( http://www.sherline.com/3001inst.pdf ) a useful thing? I want this lathe to make all the fiddly bits for a 3 1/2" Britannia I am working on. There is nothing that I need to make really, that is longer than an inch or so. All the big stuff for the engine is already done, and I have a 9 x 20 lathe as well. I have an opportunity to go to the local supplier tomorrow with a friend that also has a Sherline lathe and he says I can't live without the power feed.

I have the threading adapter, a quick change toolpost,  and the compound so I don't think there is really much more I need for it.

Ideas on the power feed would be appreciated.

Cheers

Tom

Tom
       Assuming that your Sherline lathe is of current production, It is capable of doing what can be done on this size Lathe regardless of brand or price.      That is assuming general use and UNLESS it is utilized like a large Lathe.     While power feed is used on a regular basis on my large machine`s  I have found no use for it (even though there may be one) on the Sherline`s in the last 35 years of use.       An example would be the Photo of the 1/8th scale tractor in exact scale requiring 8 years and 9000 hours.   At no time was a power feed desired during its construction.

  Another item I have seldom ever used is the compound slide since the headstock rotates.

  One item of the that is undesirable on this size lathe is the quick change tool post if skill development is desired beyond larger size basic cuts.      Repeatability is not accurate enough for micro machining and the large size blocks critical setups while blocking a clear view of the machining process critical to quality work.
   My personal solution to this is to use multiple double sided standard tool posts with cutting tools setup under optics and left in place for the life of the tool.      They are quick and simple to change with absolute repeatability and minimal obstruction to the machining process.
    The photo of the .230" functional gauge has parts half the size of the smallest watch and would not exist utilizing quick change tooling, power feeds and other large lathe procedures/tooling methods.        But more critical would have been the lack of developed skill from the exercise.

  Some of the key`s to successful micro machining have been  the highest quality 1/4" brazed carbide lathe tools, WW collet system, tailstock centering options and standard tool posts.

Also Bills suggestion of the warner company tooling is excellent.

Jerry Kieffer

[wagnmkr]

Wow ... excellent suggestions everyone.

Bill, Thank You for that link ... I will look there for some of things I need and put in an order.

I will get me an electric screwdriver (I actually need one anyway) and that should work just fine.

Jerry, you are right ... the one thing I found is that with the compound attached, and the quick change attached, there is very little room to work. I will be acquiring some double tool posts as you suggested. I had actually thought of that and was going to make a couple.

Thanks Again everyone ... Happy Hollidays to Yo All

Tom