There are a number of circumstances that make extremely close inspection of the cutting of a part on the lathe or mill important. First of all, these mounts can be of use to those whose failing eyesight makes it difficult for them to work on small parts. A microscope is also useful for those with normal eyesight who work on extremely small parts. In addition, those who are tasked with working on very high value parts where a mistake can be costly will want to have the best possible view of what they are doing to assure a perfect cut the first time and every time. Added to the value of the purchase of this accessory is the fact that microscope itself comes as a complete unit with its own base in addition to the lathe or mill mount base, so it can be used apart from the machine for other inspection purposes in the shop or lab.

The microscope itself features solid construction and high quality Russian optics that rival European scopes costing several times more and far superior to the low-cost Asian scopes. Edge-to-edge sharpness and brightness are both very good. Magnification goes from 2.4x to 47x and distance between the stereo eyepieces can be adjusted to your individual eye separation. In addition, Sherline has added a couple of extra features to the already excellent microscope to make it even more suitable for use in a machining environment. One of those features is the addition of a 1.5x Barlow lens and custom machined lens adapter that allows you to obtain a wider field of vision than before while still retaining an optimum working distance between lens and part. Removing the Barlow lens allows you to return to the full operating range and focal distance of the microscope for part inspection purposes, giving you more working distance and a wider field of vision than was available before.

Despite all these improvements, the price has not changed since it was last offered on special in December, 2010. Now is the best time to get this high quality accessory at substantial savings.

Here are some of the features:

• The sturdy cast metal light mount includes spacers for re-adjusting the aiming point when using the Barlow lens

• An O-ring is provided that keeps the light secured in its ring mount.

• A custom machined aluminum lens adapter is included to attach the included 1.5x Barlow lens to reduce lens to part distance to 2.75" for comfortable scope positioning.

• The top lighted metal base that comes with the scope is sturdy and more suitable for part inspection than a bottom-lighted stage.

• A clear vinyl dust cover is included with each microscope.