sherline lathe

[ihsfab]

Is the Sherline lathes something that would make a good lathe for clock parts or would a jewelers lathe be just as good? Are there things that the Sherline can do that the other can’t?

Kenton

[Bob Tascione]

Hi Kenton,
Yes Sherline is very good for most clock work. The real plus for Sherline is the relatively low cost for tooling. Additional tooling for the Sherline is far less costly than watch lathe tooling.
I used to go to the Sherline plant in San Diego when I lived there. I was very impressed with their quality control. Their products are machined to fairly close tolerances. If purchased with a collet closer and set of collets and a T-Rest it’s good enough for most pocket watch work. These machines cost only a fraction of the price of a new Jewelers/Watchmakers lathe and are hard to beat at that price for general clock repair work. I believe they still come standard with a 3 jaw chuck, tailstock chuck and cross slide. You would most likely need to buy these separately or pay alot extra if you purchase a used watchmakers lathe. A watchmakers/jewelers lathe can do all that a Sherline can do and much more when it comes to more precise watch work.
I personally wouldn’t hesitate purchasing a Sherline lathe for general clock repair.

Hope this helps Kenton,
ENJOY!
Bob

[ihsfab]

Bob, the only thing that really shied me away from the Sherline was that it did not have a foot controller. I ended up buying a complete Marshall that came with about 30 different collets for around $450. I don’t think that was to bad for a complete lathe and those collets. I will look maybe at getting a Sherline as I continue with the clock stuff.

Kenton

[Bob Tascione]

You’ve purchased a good lathe Kenton and I’m sure you will be happy with it.
A foot pedal is nice to have once you get used to it. One good feature about the newer Sherline is that the control/motor is constant torque. It doesn’t tend to bog down when a load is applied. This feature was added a few years ago…I don’t remember when…and is a real plus. If you decide to purchase a used Sherline you may wish to check that it has a constant torque motor.

Have Fun with your lathe Kenton!
Bob

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