Subject: Sherline Capabilities

From: [email-masked](J.A.Harvey)
Date: 25 Sep 1996 00:31:30 GMT

A while ago, someone was asking how heavy a cut the SHERLINE is capable
of taking. I have always answered that as long as you use the machine
the way it was intended, you won't have any trouble with it.

My usual response is that we Normally take cuts of .010 - .020" in
steel.I was confident that the machien would take .030" in steel with
little trouble ( .060 diameter reduction ) And we keep it about the
same for non-ferrous. I got to thinking that I really never tried to
take a really deep cut with our SHERLINE equipment. 
So last night I took a piece of CRS and a Piece of 0-1 tool steel and
did a little experiment.

CRS - .100" cut ( .200" diameter reduction ) HSS tool, No Lubricant -
Satisfactory results. Actually, a pretty nice finish if the truth be
told. Low Speed and Feed, but it cut the metal and maintained dimension
for the le
ngth of the cut ( Approximately .500") The motor never stalled, and the
cutter was probably capable of taking another .030" ( although it is MY
equipment and I didn't think that I needed to prove anything more.)

0-1 tool Steel .050" cut ( .100 diameter reduction ) HSS tool, 1 drop
of Tapmatic Natural on tool . 
Some chatter in the beginning, but adjusting the speed and feed, the
chatter pretty well resolved and the cut was made. Decent finish for a
cut this deep, but a noticeable amount of springback when withdrawing
the tool. A second light  pass cleaned up the piece and held dimension.

I quit there, I don't sacrifice my non ferrous that readily! Anyway,
now I know what the SHERLINE can really do ( although I personally
would not make cuts this deep) For Roughing, have at it, the machine
will do the deed. I may try with the inserted carbide Valenite tooling
and see if the results are significantly diffferent.

Now I can go back to using the machine the way I usually do.

Jim Harvey
[email-masked]
http://hre.com

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From: Michael Latcha <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 1996 08:50:11 -0400

Thanks, Jim, for your experiment and for posting the results.  It should 
help to answer the questions many seem to have about the capabilities of 
the Sherline equipment and it saves me from performing a similar 
experiment of my own!

A word about a project in progress:  a graduate student here needed a
hydrophone (a microphone that works in liquids) but could not find a
commercial one that had the sensitivity she needed.  Another problem is
that good hydrophones with her specs go for $1000-$3000.  She found a
drawing in a paper of one that should do the job.  A little measuring, a
little reverse engineering, a bit of 303 stainless hex stock and 4 hours
on my Sherline lathe and we have the start of a super sensitive 
hydrophone that should cost, when finished, about $200....

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael A. Latcha, PhD                     VOICE: (810) 370-2203
Associate Professor                        FAX:   (810) 370-4261
Department of Mechanical Engineering       Email: [email-masked]
Oakland University
Rochester MI 48309-4401