17″ Benchtop Lathe

Our benchtop lathe offers 17″ between centers, more than double the 8″ available on the tabletop model, giving you significantly more clearance. This extra space becomes especially useful when a part is held in a chuck and the tailstock also holds a larger drill chuck with a long bit, where a shorter bed might fall short.

With the additional 9″ of center-to-center distance, along with adjustable “zero” handwheels and a rocker-style tool post, this lathe brings more flexibility and capability – a worthwhile upgrade over the shorter version.

Although compact in size, our 17″ benchtop lathe still delivers the precision and accuracy expected from a full-size machine. It’s capable of turning wood and plastic, but is also rigid enough to handle aluminum and steel parts – making it suitable not just for hobby use, but for precision metalwork too.

Designed as a desktop-friendly machine, it packs full-size performance into a smaller footprint, offering a practical balance of convenience and capability for small shops or home workshops.

Features:

• Adjustable resettable “zero” handwheels: 2.5″ (63 mm) on the leadscrew, 2″ (51 mm) on both the crosslide feed screw and the tailstock – each handwheel has laser-engraved aluminum handwheel collars
• Turns parts up to 3.5″ (90 mm) diameter over the bed and 1.75″ (45 mm) over the carriage without riser blocks; with riser blocks, up to 6″ over the bed
• 17″ (430 mm) bed provides extended travel for longer workpieces
• 8″ (200 mm) crosslide for increased tool reach
• Precision-machined dovetail slides with adjustable gibs and backlash
• High-accuracy spindle and headstock used across all Sherline lathes
• Spindle speed: continuously variable from 70 to 2,800 RPM via electronic control (no belt changes required). A second pulley position offers more torque at low RPM if needed
• Rocker-style tool post (replacing the standard post used on shorter lathes)
• Comes with pulleys, drive belt, faceplate, lathe dog, two dead centers, three hex keys, rocker tool post, a sharpened high-speed steel cutting tool, a grounded 3-wire power cord (8 ft), and instruction manual
• Compatible with Sherline’s full line of accessories
• Made in the USA

This 17″ benchtop lathe gives you the precision and robustness of a larger machine in a compact, desktop-sized package. The extended center distance, adjustable zero handwheels, rocker tool post, and variable-speed electronic motor make it a versatile choice for turning plastics, wood, aluminum, or steel. It’s ideal for small shops, hobbyists, or anyone needing a reliable lathe for detailed or small-batch work — with the convenience of a machine that doesn’t take up an entire shop floor.