Sherline, Microlux or the Taig lathe/mill?

[steamer]

I would second the remarks made. If you very new to turning or machining, I would go with a machine you don't have to tweak or "upgrade" to make it function correctly...and although I can appreciate your fascination with "manly" chip making, that shouldn't be attempted on any lathe until the operator can anticipate the ramifications of the speed, feed, setup, material being machined, tool material, cutting lubricant, and machine capability....to name a few. A wise man knows when then "don't know"

I would also point out that with bigger lathes, come more expensive tooling.
A 12" or bigger lathe will have minimum $300-500 chucks, $50 dollar centers, ect....and you can't just pick one up and move it.

These small lathes are very portable and very inexpensive to tool up. The Sherline holds it value very well, so if or when you want to move up, you can sell it for almost what you paid for it.
Additionally, I have never heard anyone complain about the quality of Sherline lathes...though this thread may be a first.....I have heard plenty about the Seig being more or less of a "kit" lathe that needs "massaging". In fairness, I have heard that the Microlux versions have most of this work already done on them.

If I had to live in an appartment, and had to sell my shop, I would buy the Sherline and leave it in a closet....ready to go....just my opinion...worth exactly what you paid for it.

Dave

 

[Tin Falcon]

In a pro shop it is about time and speed. time is money. especially if a job shop that charges flat rate. The machines are big the motors are powerful and one may take .250 hogging cut on a large part. the object is take as few cuts as possible and hit the high side of tolerance on a turning cut and get er done. Quick.!! Or so I have heard while I am experiences in several environments of machine a high pressure job shop was not one of them. I have worked in USAF maintenance/fabrication shop and a precision grinding shop and as a cnc lathe operator doing production work. And of course my home hobby shop.
I will admit successfully taking .250 rough cuts in aluminum on my shaper to see if my tool grinding and the machine were up to it. After a dozen or so strokes of the shaper I backed off. Why stress a 60 year old machine that parts are expensive and hard to find. so I backed of to a .125 doc the machine ran smooth and I finished the job.
Home shop machining is about fun, and learning. Breaking parts of a brand new machine(or a vintage one) is not fun. Getting hurt is not fun. HSM is about learning to cut metal. And a lot to learn there is many metals, many alloys. each has there own need for speed feed and depth of cut.
It is learning about your machine what can it do where are the limits and to some extent how do you go beyond the manufactured limits safely. It is also learning about and teaching yourself how to use the machines and cut metal. If you work within the limits of safety the home shop is like a university lab no mistakes just learning experiences.
Home machining more is about patience finesse, attention to detail planning jobs and working smarter not harder. Also the home shop allows for creativity that time does not allow for in the production or job shop environment.
Tin

 

[bearcar1]

The two major factors in my mind when it comes to comparing machines are the availability and selection of tooling and the overall quality of workmanship on the machine itself. That is to say, sure, you can 'save' : "X" amount of dollars on a given machine. Great. But then if you wind up spending "X+?" of time and additional money getting that same great deal of a machine up to decent standards, then you haven't really 'saved' anything at all and now own something that is held together with duct tape and bailing wire, metaphorically speaking of course. Great 'deals' can be found on many machines but only after the purchase does the buyer find out that available tooling only consists of maybe one or two items, these usually being merely larger sizes of what is already owned and again, of questionable accuracy.

I've never owned or operated any of the Taig machines but have seen some beautiful work that has been produced from them and I believe that those machines do not have any of the major issues that I mentioned associated with them. I do own the line of Sherline machines and can speak quite expertly about the high standard of build quality of these machines AND their tooling line is very extensive. Individual parts for all of their machines is avaliable and in stock so user servicing is a relative breeze. Sherline has obviously done their homework in terms of producing a high quality standard machine and coupled that with the operator/owner in mind.

Selecting a machine that is best suited for the type of work doesn't have to be a hand wringing experience. Just decide on the factors that are most important to you (size, cost, ease of maintenance, size handling capabilities, etc.) and go form there.


BC1
Jim

 

[shred]

My first machines were a Taig lathe and mill. I still have 'em both and they are excellent in their size classes, but they are just that: small, high precision machines. With more shop room and a desire to work on larger things, I've since bought larger machines. I believe the experience I got using the little ones (as I had virtually none beforehand) helped a lot.

 

[Tin Falcon]

Could I put a piece of really hard metal in the US machines and take just as big a cut?

I used to run a commercial production (sort of, manual tool change) CNC lathe IIRC 5HP motor.
We cut IIRC 4150 pre hardened to a Rc of 34 to 38. this was and every day event no big deal . I tried a piece of scrap on my South bend 9" with a 1/4 HP motor. That steel just about laughed at me and the machine , like you what to do what?? I may not have been using the correct feed speed but do not expect to be doing a heavy rough cut on pre hardened steel on any small hobby machine.You just can not do the same thing on a fractional HP machine as a mufti HP machine. Kind of like pulling a twenty gang plow with a lawn tractor.
Tin

 

[steamer]

Tin hit the spot there....my 12" logan will chew on 4150HT if asked to with carbide....NOT HSS. It would smoke that tool right off the holder.
But I'll tell you, you gotta "ask nice"!

I don't think any of these small lathes would do particularly well here.....

However, I think 1144SP would turn OK on the Sherline or the Seig....and is plenty strong for model engine building ( yield strength in the 100K range). I wouldn't let that deter you.

I just read a right up in MEW about the new brushless motor in the Seig...sounds like a step in the right direction.

Dave

 

[davehall]

after much examination, my testosterone surge is subsiding. Funny when us total noobs first start searching the web, all we see is the mini-lathe. Took me a bit to really SEE the Sherline. I really had no idea what precision was until i found this site :bow: and those MIT videos that you have linked on 'getting started' page.

Dave (the Future Sherline Owner)

I think I'm gonna tell my wife it is for making jewelry

 

[Tin Falcon]

Dave do not think you will be disappointed. I started out with a very limited budget for metal lathe. I chose a grizzly seig closeout.
It has worked for me but may not have been the best choice. I am not sure if my experience in machining (USAF Tech school)
helped me see the flaws or helped be get beyond them . Probably both.
Happy machining
Tin

 

[steamer]

"....I think I'm gonna tell my wife it is for making jewelry..."

Yeah Yeah...that's the ticket! ;D

Welcome to the wonderful world!......

Dave

 

[ttrikalin]

I think I'm gonna tell my wife it is for making jewelry

Did not fly with mine... :-\

take care

tom

 

[Tin Falcon]

Wives are more favorable towards a home shop when you make them stuff. I found a set of brass candlestick castings machined them up as a Christmas present one year. IIRc there are plans out there for some nice nut crackers .
Tin