The Sherline Miniature Machinist's Newsletter
Number 20,
Sherline Workshop Projects
Dime Size Model 14-Cylinder Radial Engine/Augie
Hiscano
This tiny model radial engine is made up of
76 parts and would look really good in a small model DC-3. With the right tools
and fasteners, very small projects are a fun challenge using almost no material.
The late Augie
Hiscano is better known for his award-winning hotrod models, but he claimed he
even amazed himself with this one. He was asked to display his work at a local
You can see many more of Augie's projects in the
model maker's section of the
This and many other projects can
be found on the Sherline
Workshop page.
Shop Tip of the month
A Roller Steady Rest/Rubens
Ramos Fernandes
The brass pads of the Sherline P/N 1074 steady rest are normally softer than the material being steadied and the marks they leave, if any, are easily cleaned off. A lot of pressure is not necessary to center a part while center drilling, so marking should not be a problem. However, for use on materials like wood, plastic or soft metals, a roller steady rest might be something you would want to have in your toolbox as long as the part being steadied is large enough in diameter. Here’s how to turn your brass pads into roller pads. (Note that by turning them around, they can still be used in the conventional manner.)
The
standard P/N 1074 brass steady rest pads can be fitted with small ball bearings
that roll rather than rub on the part.
"Feeling uncomfortable with the steady rest brass pads scratching my metal parts, especially because I normally work with soft materials, I decided to try out this modification. It was accomplished with 8 mm (.315") diameter, 4 mm (.157") wide ball bearings having 3 mm (.118") internal holes. The pad tips were first drilled and then milled on a Sherline mill in such a way as to leave a 0.5 mm (.020") clearance at the bottom of the cavity, the ball bearings protruding just 1 mm from the pad end. The axle (brass) was turned just a bit larger than the holes (0.01 to 0.02 mm), enough to stay firmly attached to the ball bearing and pad walls, otherwise we could use force in excess to insert the axle, probably damaging those tiny ball bearings (believe me, I lost one of them). Then, just mill axle ends until level with the pad surface. I haven't used this arrangement extensively yet, but it seems to work nicely. I can't see a reason for not using the same procedure for the follower rest jig."
—Rubens
Ramos
The finished roller rest in use.
This and more than 50 other helpful tips for Sherline machinists can be found at www.sherline.com/tips.htm.
Product Spotlight
P/N 3004 Knurling Tool Holder ($75.00)
Knurled
surfaces not only add a professional touch to your projects, they also have
several practical applications.
Use of the Knurling Tool Holder…
Straight knurls can be used on the end of a shaft that is to be pressed into a hole in another part. By upsetting the shaft’s surface, a sliding fit becomes a press fit. Straight or diamond knurl patterns are also used to provide better grip on handwheels and thumbscrews as well as adding a “professional touch” to your models.
Knurls are pressed or embossed into the surface of a part rather than cut. Material is moved from one position to another under pressure. Doing so can involve quite a bit of force, which is hard to achieve from a single direction on a small machine using a “bump knurl” type tool. For this reason, Sherline developed a tool holder that squeezes two knurling wheels against the part from opposite sides, relieving stress on the machine itself.
The holder consists of a right and left side that evenly tighten down on your part, creating a knurled pattern. The holder is supplied with one set of spiral knurls that creates a diamond pattern. Other size knurls for diamond or straight patterns are also available as options. (See the Sherline Cutting Tools Price List.) This tool will accommodate stock up to 1" (25 mm) in diameter.
Read INSTRUCTIONS for using the Knurling Tool Holder.
Did you know?
•
The WEME Show (Western Engine Model
Exhibition) was held at the end of July in
•
Model
Engineer magazine has been published in
Upcoming
Shows
•
GEARS (Gas Engine Antique Reproduction Show), September 19-20,
•
22nd Annual Estevan Model
Engineering Show—
•
The Cabin Fever Expo in
Joe Martin Craftsmanship Foundation News
•
On August 29th, the museum will have a special Saturday open house
for the local Alfa Romeo Automobile Club
starting at
•
At the WEME show in