The entire collection of Sherline tips is presented here as one continuous document for those who want to scroll through them or print the entire collection as one document. To see a page that lists the tips with links to each one at a time see TIPS. Each of the tips below is also linked to a single page in case you want to print out just that single tip.
This simple extension makes it easier to hit the On/Off switch on your speed controller. By simply cutting a 7/8" length of 3/8" rubber tubing which has a 1/8" inside diameter and slipping it over the ball end of the on/off switch, it just takes the flick of one finger to operate the switch instead of having to search for it. A short length of 3/16" diameter brass or other material pressed into the open top end gives the switch extension a professional, finished look.
If you purchase a second mill vise, either as a separate unit or along with the new rotating vise base, the two vises can be used in tandem to hold long work between them. With both vises mounted to the mill table, long stock can be held between the vises so that both the top and edges can be worked.
(NOTE: Sherline vises are not sold in matched sets, and maintaining an exact height is not a tolerance that Sherline considers critical in production. If both vises are purchased at the same time and are from the same batch it is likely that they will be the same height, but you don't have to worry about differences in height if you support your long stock between the vises by using parallels underneath the stock. This will assure that the stock is parallel to the mill table even if the vises are not the same height.--a setup tip from Wm. Dubin)
Here is a message from Mr. Henry Scherer about a handy tool he has found:
"I have found that an extremely sharp tool results in a finer finish with less motor work. It also allows for much deeper cuts. The problem comes in dressing a tool in while in the tool holder so that tool alignment and position is not lost. The 3M company makes a line of inexpensive plastic handled diamond dressers. These come in four grits with the finest being about the equivalent of 600 sandpaper and the coarsest being about 220 grit. The working end of these files is about 1/2" by 1-1/2"; just right for dressing all of the edges of a tool. I have found that a couple of licks with the fine tool maintains a very keen edge that cuts very nicely. The coarse tool is excellent for finishing off a tool after it has been roughed on the grinder. All of these diamond dressers are excellent for dressing up carbide tools as well. The are very reasonably priced at $7.50 each. The last use I put them to is to put a final finishing touch on a turned piece. These dressers provide very controlled metal removal with an extremely fine finish, allowing for 0.0001" cuts."
Henry W. Scherer
The diamond dressers are no doubt available from a number of sources. Mr. Scherer got his from the Trend Lines Catalog, which is now called Woodworker's Warehouse. (www.woodworkerswarehouse.com) They can be reached at 1-800-645-9292. When Mr. Scherer purchased them they were listed under the following part numbers, although that may have changed with the company reorganization:
|
PART NO. |
DESCRIPTION |
|
TM 833 |
125 micron flat |
|
TM 834 |
74 micron flat |
|
TM 835 |
40 micron flat |
|
TM 836 |
20 micron flat |
|
TM 837 |
125 micron half-round |
|
TM 838 |
74 micron half-round |
|
TM 839 |
40 micron half-round |
|
TM 840 |
20 micron half-round |
Mr. Scherer notes that the files are $7.95 each or $19.95 for a set of four. Including attached handle they are about 7" or 8" long.
"I spent a couple of hours using 1 micron diamond lapping compound to lap all of the moving parts on my Sherline 3-jaw chuck and got a remarkable improvement in performance. The effort was well worth the trouble. The chuck now spins to tighten. Parts are chucked repeatably within 0.002". The excellence of your design and machining are demonstrated by the fact that only a small investment in time and materials are required to make it a very high precision instrument and that abrasive of such a small size is effective. Should you wish to lap in a chuck, it is not necessary to pay high prices for diamond lapping compound charged by the large tool supply outfits. One micron (and much larger) diamond lapping compound is available through lapidary and jeweler's supply houses in five-gram tubes for $5.00*. One tube will do about ten chucks."
*This price is pretty old, and diamond products have gone up quite a bit. As of January, 2007 the price is about $18.00 for one tube.
Steven Lang obtained the following information from the J&L catalog regarding grits:
| Micron | Grit | Color |
| 250 | 060 | Green |
| 125 | 120 | Black |
| 074 | 200 | Red |
| 040 | 400 | Yellow |
| 020 | 800 | White |
| 010 | 1800 | Blue |
NOTE: Mr. Scherer also sent us a tip on a special synthetic grease that worked very well on his Sherline lathe. We tried it and immediately replaced our normal grease in the production line. He used a Mobil 1 synthetic grease that is available in grease gun type canisters at auto parts stores. We are now using a similar grease on all our machines and it does offer superior performance. Our thanks to him for the tip. See www.super-lube.com for the web page of the brand of lube we use. It is also available from Sherline in a 3 oz. tube (P/N 7550) or a spray can of dri-film lubricant (P/N 7555).
At the 1998 P.R.I.M.E. (Pacific Rim International Model Engineering) Show in Eugene, Oregon a young man stopped by Sherline's booth with a neat little project he had made. He was kind enough to give me four of the clamps to display in our showroom and gave permission to share his project with you. It would make a simple little "rainy day" mill project and you would end up with some very handy table clamps when you are done. David often holds oddly shaped parts and sometimes needs to mill the entire top surface. These clamps are attached to the mill table and secured with T-nuts. The part is then set on the lower clamp surface and held in place from the sides with the horizontal screws. You will need at least three clamps and perhaps as many as four or five for some parts. The more the better. Shown below are the size clamps David made, but once you see how they work, you could adjust the size to suit your particular needs.
The view above shows the completed clamp and a cross-section at the centerline. The angled hole for the securing screw helps pull the part downward onto the clamp surface. Note that it is drilled perpendicular to the angled surface.
This suggestion was contributed by Sherline machinist David Gibson of Fall Creek, Oregon. Since providing me with the prototype clamps from which I took the above dimensions, Mr. Gibson has sent in some revised drawings with more common dimensions. He now makes the overall length of the clamp 1.50" and the width .50" in steel or .625 in hard aluminum. He specifies the angle of the tilted face and drilled hole to be 5°. The dimension from the bottom of the part to the centerline of the drilled hole should be .562 at the back of the part. The angled face extends all the way to the bottom rather than only half way down as I showed it.
Here's a simple and good looking way to keep a drawbolt and washer together.
When you lift a drawbolt out of the mill spindle, the washer can easily slide down the bolt and fall off if you are not careful. The bolt and washer can also become separated while rolling around in your toolbox. If you don't like spending time looking under your workbench or in toolbox drawers for small parts, here is a tip from Steven Smith that solves the problem. He took a short length of heat-shrink tubing and slipped it over the 1/4" shaft of the drawbolt. If the fit is tight enough, you don't even need to heat it to keep it in place. If it fits loosely, just heat it with a match until it shrinks into place to act as a retainer for the washer. On a larger bolt, he also found that the rubber grip from a ball point pen worked to accomplish the same thing. In fact, any piece of tubing of the proper size will do the job. A few wraps of electrical tape will also work, but heat-shrink tubing is the neatest and most professional looking solution we've seen yet.
Our thanks go to Steven Smith of San Mateo, CA for this suggestion.
"Instead of heat-shrink tubing, which I didn't have in the size required, I
obtained a small O-ring and found that it works nicely. This also makes it easy
to either shift the amount of retainer play or disassemble the drawbolt and
washer if desired."
—Alan Haisley, Lancaster, New York
This steel clamp plate with brass nuts will hold a variety of size and shape parts without having to change screw lengths.
Alex Green of Victoria, British Columbia wanted to be able to clamp odd-shaped parts to his mill table but didn't like having to search for the proper length 10-32 bolts when changing thickness. His solution was to design a clamp that uses a deep brass nut that threads onto a threaded brass shaft. Only the top 1/4" of the nut is threaded so it quickly fits down over thinner pieces. For thicker parts, the nut can be threaded on from the other direction. His original nut was 1/2" long, but he said if he made it again, he would make it 1 inch long instead. A brass pad is brazed to the tip of the clamp to keep it from marring the surface of the part being held. A brass pad is also brazed to the bottom of the adjustable threaded standoff bolt to keep from scratching the mill table's surface.
Here are the finished components of Alex Green's clamp system.
Steve Smith (see Tip 4) has a simple way of making his own 10-32 studs of various lengths quickly. Here's what he says:
"In on one case I used a 10-32 x 1-1/2" cap head screw and screwed a (Sherline) T-nut with the bottom first until it was jammed against the unthreaded shank. I then cut off the head and ground it flush with the bottom of the T-nut. This gave me a 1-1/4" stud that, when used with a washer and nut with the hold-down, would work with up to 1/2" stock.
In another case I used a 2" flat head screw and again jammed the T-nut against the tapered back of the head and ground off the head flush with the bottom of the T-nut. This gave me a 1-7/8" stud. The flat head screws are not as strong as cap head screws because they are not tempered, but they should work fine for lighter work. Longer flat head screws can also be used for longer studs."
(NOTE: A set of 10 Sherline T-nuts is Part Number 3056 and sells for $7.50.)
"Here is a nice tip. If you have the 3/8" insert tool holder (P/N 7600), the 3/8" hole in this holder will hold the one-inch travel dial indicator nicely. I use this to center my work in the 4-jaw chuck. After centering, I remove the dial indicator and install the cutting tool, and position the holder for the cutting process. I make camera repair parts and the accuracy I need is only obtained with the 4-jaw chuck. I also modified the normal 1/4" tool holder by drilling a 3/8" hole in it as well." --Edward C. Ewell, Klamath Falls, OR (Received via e-mail)
Mr. Ewell sent this photo to show the dial indicator being held in the 3/8" hole of the P/N 7600 toolpost. The part is adjusted in the 4-jaw chuck until the gage doesn't move as the spindle is rotated. The part is then perfectly centered. (A custom spacer block is under the toolpost because a riser block is being used under the headstock.)
Many components on Sherline lathes and mills are aluminum which is non-magnetic. In order to be able to use indicators with magnetic bases, Mr. Ewell offers the following advice: "Mount your Sherline lathe or milling machine on a 1/8" steel plate to allow the use of magnetic dial indictor stands. This goes on top of the normal mounting board. You can indicate your work from either side of the machine."
Sherline's owner Joe Martin notes that this is an excellent tip. He adds that if you don't have a single plate large enough to cover your entire base, you can just screw down a couple of smaller plates in the appropriate areas on your base where you will be using your magnetic indicators.
"I have read many tips on tapping holes-some good, some not. Five years ago I dreamed up a tapping method for small holes. I tap a lot of holes with 0-80 and 2-56 threads, and since I have been using this method, I have not broken a tap in five years.
Bob Shores' tapping aid is easy to make.
After drilling the hole in your part to the proper size for tapping, the drill bit is removed from the chuck without disturbing the work. A 2" aluminum disk, knurled on the outside and drilled and tapped for a 4-40 hex bolt grips the tap just above the flutes. The end of the tap is gripped in the drill chuck and lowered until it just touches the work. The chuck is then loosened to allow the tap to turn freely. The disk holding the tap is turned with your thumb and forefinger. The drill chuck acts as a guide to keep the tap running true, and your fingers are very sensitive to the amount of torque being applied. To break a tap you would have to apply aa lot of force." --Bob Shores, Ruskin, FL
The tap is held in perfect alignment by the chuck. When the chuck is loosened slightly, the tap can be rotated using the disk and your fingers which provides an excellent "feel" for the process. The tap goes in straight and is unlikely to break.
NOTE: Bob's tip has been reprinted from Joe Martin's book, Tabletop Machining.
At work, Ross Heitt runs 30" manual and CNC machines for a Canadian gear manufacturer, but at home he works on Sherline tools. One of his first projects when he got his new Sherline lathe was to make a center drill holder to see how well the lathe could turn a Morse taper. It worked fine, and he finds his center drill holder a very convenient fixture. This one is sized to hold a #1 center drill. The drawing and plan below describe the part. For your own information, a Morse taper is 0.05205" of taper in one inch or about 5/8" per foot. (Note that in reality, each Morse taper is slightly different. A list of the exact tapers for each size can be found in the Sherline Shop Accessories Guide and Machinery's Handbook.
(Above) Perspective view. (Below) Dimensioned plan.
DRAWING NOTES:
1. Material-12L14 steel, 5/8" diameter
2. Break all sharp edges
3. Case harden .030 deep
4. Check Morse taper with #0 taper gage and bluing.
5. Locking screw: 10-32 cone point set screw or 10-32 socket head cap screw with point ground on end.
(Note: If you would like a full page, high quality version of the above plan, it can be downloaded as a PDF (portable document format) file. This will allow you to see a clear 8-1/2" x 11" plan. To do so you will need a small program called Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not already have it, it can be downloaded for free from Adobe's home page at www.adobe.com. It will allow you to view any PDF file on any site. Sherline and other sites will be making more and more documents available in this format in the future. Click on the "Download Adobe Acrobat" logo near the bottom of their page and follow their directions. It downloads quickly. You will be asked to register and to select the type of platform (usually Windows or Mac) you are using.
To view the plan file for "Tip #8" in PDF format click here: 0MTplan.pdf. after you have installed Adobe Acrobat Reader. When viewing it, you can also print it out as you would normally print a page. Remember to set your printer to "landscape" mode when printing this drawing.
CORRECTION TO PDF DRAWING:
Please note that the outside diameter of the body is not indicated on the drawing. It should be 5/8" diameter. Incorrectly listed in the title block is 1/2" diameter stock, although the overall dimension of the outside of the body is not critical to its function.This is a different approach to Machinist Tip #8 above. If you ever had to triple drill multiple parts in the lathe for example, center drill, tap drill, and then chamfer or clearance drill part of the hole, then you know the time lost and the frustration of finding the right drill and changing out the drill chuck for each operation. Or the same sized hole is drilled repetitively, on each project, such as an 8-32 tap drill. An easy but expensive solution is to simply purchase a number of #0 Morse taper drill chuck tailstock adapters (part #11890) and mount an equal number of drill chucks (part #11900). However, a more practical solution is to just purchase the #0 Morse taper adapters and make your own tooling.
Cut a piece of 5/8” round, hex, or square bar stock 1-1/2” long. Clean up both ends in the lathe. Then drill and tap one end for 3/8-24 threads a 1/2” deep. Part must seat against the collar of the adapter.
Mount the tooling blank and a tailstock adapter together in the tailstock. Machine a hole to fit the drill or tool and to a depth as required. Finish machining by drilling a hole with a #25 drill 0.375” back from the front completely through the part, perpendicular to the centerline. If the drill or tool to be mounted has a flat, adjust the position of this hole accordingly. Tap this hole with a 10-32 tap for the set-screws.
The final operation is to mark and identify the finished tooling as to thread or drill size, and if it is either a tap or body drill. A flat can be milled down the outside of round stock to hold this identification, or flat shallow holes drilled and a dab of paint added to color code - or both.
Notes:
If working in tight spaces where clearances are a problem, a step or taper can be machined on the working end of the part. [Try doing this to a drill chuck.] However, do this operation last after all the holes have been drilled and tapped.
Drill a small undersized hole along the part’s centerline in the lathe through the rear mounting hole [not through the Morse adapter] into the front hole cavity to aid in the removal of broken bits, tooling, etc. [This can be a real lifesaver.]
DO NOT Loctite the two parts together! If parts need to be separated often, use some Teflon tape on the threads. [The kind found in the plumbing department.]
Make each tool holder on its own separate adapter for accuracy and efficiency.
Keep each tool holder and its adapter together as a unit to avoid potential run-out problems.
This type of tooling can also be used to hold small taps. A square hole can be either filed, broached, or EDM’d inside to fit the wrench end of the tap, or a second set of set-screws added.
This same tooling can also be used with the #1 Morse taper adapter (part #11880) in the mill. Depending upon the spindle speed, balancing may be required.
David M. Grause
P/N 3051
If you want to make your own tool holders as shown above, now you have a third option to turning your own taper or threading a hole to fit the #0 Morse drill arbor. Sherline has introduced a #0 Morse Blank for just this purpose as P/N 3051. Just drill/bore it to fit your particular tools, cross-drill and tap for a set screw and you have a quick-change tailstock tool set without have to turn a taper or drill and tap a piece of stock. The blank billet is 3/4" in diameter and 1" long.
John Cannon of Alexandria, VA sent in a nicely finished brass sample of this project. It mounts on the outside of the spindle shaft and the depth rod goes through the spindle. It is adjusted for length using set screws and acts as a "stop" for parts held in a chuck. This way a number of pieces can be placed in the chuck at exactly the same depth should your setup require it. John has turned down the final 3/4" of the end of the stop rod on the sample to a smaller diameter to fit through the chuck to hold a piece smaller than the 1/4" rod diameter. Mr. Cannon uses brass because he likes the way it looks and works, but you could also use aluminum or steel. Basic dimensions are shown in the drawing below. The bottom of the longer set screw that tightens against the brass rod should be ground flat to keep from leaving deep marks in the brass. You should also file a slight flat on the end of the lathe spindle to provide a seat for the shorter set screw. A regular cup-point set screw will leave a mark on the spindle and can distort the surface, making the stop body hard to remove. Filing a flat on the spindle will make the body easy to remove and also allow it to be attached in the same place each time.
In the photo above (left) you can just see then end of the brass rod inside the chuck. The right-hand photo shows how the depth rod is attached to the lathe spindle. Loosening the outer set screw allows you to adjust the rod for depth.
CAUTION: The rod should not stick out more than 3" past the end of the spindle. If it is out of balance, a long, thin rod can suddenly bend and whip around. If you need a stop for parts that extend deep into the spindle, use a shorter stop rod so it doesn't leave a lot of rod length rotating outside the spindle.
A 1/4" diameter rod 8" long is used for the stop. The end can be turned down as needed so that parts smaller than 1/4" in diameter can be held in the chuck. The body is turned from 3/4" diameter stock. A cross-section of the body is shown above.
Michael A. Gipe of Saratoga, California e-mailed the digital photo below along with the following tip:
"The digital readout option for the Sherline mill is a terrific addition. To make it even more convenient, I mounted the display on top of the motor control housing with a 2" x 4" piece of Velcro®. The Velcro strips are available from any hardware store, and they come in two halves that stick together. Separate the pieces and glue one to the bottom of the DRO display box. Glue the other piece to the top of the motor control housing. To mount the DRO, just press it in place on the motor housing at any convenient angle for viewing. The sensor wires can be bundled together with a tie-wrap and attached to the motor power cord to keep them out of the way.
Mounting the DRO display this way puts it right at eye level for easy viewing while you turn the cranks, and it keeps it out of the way of metal chips. It is also easy to remove if you need to change the pulley position."
NOTE: Velcro is also available in rolls or strips with a peel-off adhesive backing. Just cut it to length, stick one half to the DRO and the other to the motor housing (or any desired location) and you're done.
This eye-level mounting system makes the display easy to read and keeps it out of the way of flying chips. Be sure to bundle the wires to keep them away from the pulley.
Ronald Melvin has one of the neatest small shops around. In fact, a photo of his shop will be included in the upcoming Sherline television commercial on the Discovery Channel. The recent addition of a DRO to his mill caused him to look for a mounting system that allowed the box to be repositioned to several heights and orientations depending on whether he was standing up to do milling operations or sitting down with his face near the part when using tiny drills. This elegant solution could make a fun rainy day project, and allows the box to be positioned with the loosening and tightening of just one 5/32" hex bolt. Ron used materials that he had on hand in his scrap box, and sizes are not particularly important. In this case the support rod is made from 3/8" drill rod 12" long and the base is from 1.25" dia. 303 stainless. It is held to the baseboard with 8-32 screws going into T-nuts with points pushed into the bottom of the board. (Ron also mounts his machines to the board using these T-nuts, as it makes removal for cleanup quick and easy.)
Ron goes on to say, "The flatstock portion of the bracket for the DRO is 1" aluminum, with a corresponding 1" tapped aluminum flatstock piece fixed with mounting tape to the inside of the DRO case. This allows for easy removal of the bracket. The round portion is 1.5" aluminum, about 0.5" thick with a 0.1" nipple to stand off the adjustable link. The adjustable link is 303 stainless steel with a 0.050 slit. Obviously, materials used can vary, although I would recommend aluminum for the bracket itself just to keep down the hanging weight. I used the 303 because I happen to like it (even though I seem to have some allergic skin reaction to the nickel content) and I had the right sizes in my scrap bin. Actual dimensions are not critical in most cases and construction is obvious from the photos. The socket screws are 10-32, which is the same as most other adjusting screws on Sherline machines, so the same hex key will be readily available when adjusting the position of the DRO. The flathead screws are 8-32."
Click on any photo in the left hand column to view a larger image.
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Photo 1: Side view of the adjustment mechanism shows the flat stock pieces. The mounting plate for the two attachment screws is fixed inside the box using double-sided tape to keep it in place, and it is tapped to accept the mounting screws. The rectangular part is slit, allowing the single adjustment screw to control both rotation of the box and position of the bracket on the rod. The round part is held to the back plate with two 8-32 screws. |
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Photo 2: An overall view of the mill shows the neat use of spiral plastic wire bundling material to control the clutter of wires from the box to the individual axes and the RPM sensor. |
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Photo 3: A closer view of just the box and stand. |
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Photo 4: A closeup of the base shows the stainless steel mount that is attached to the board. Spiked T-nuts are mounted to the bottom of the board to accept the 8-32 countersunk screws. |
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Photo 5: Another side view of the mounting system. |
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Photo 6: A top view of the adjustment system shows the slit in the piece that slides on the shaft. The vertical shaft is 12" long because Ron has a 15" tall Z-axis on his mill in place of the standard 11" column. For normal height mills the rod could be shorter than 12". |
Ron Lederer of Clearwater, Florida came up with a simple way to extend the range of the thread cutting attachment so it could be used to cut inch threads when the riser block is in place. (Because of the larger diameter of the 127-tooth gear, metric threads can already be cut with the riser block in place.) Just use two optional 150-tooth gears in place of the 100-tooth gears (A and B). These larger gears do not come with the thread cutting attachment, but can be purchased as P/N 31510 at a price of $25 each. With this arrangement you will be able to cut threads from 40 TPI to 20 TPI, right or left hand. You can also cut right hand threads down to 10 TPI.
Douglas Swink of Arkansas says he was able to use his threading attachment with the riser blocks in place by purchasing a single extra 127 tooth gear. By using two 127 tooth gears in the A and B positions to drive the geartrain instead of 100 and 100, the larger size gears accommodate the additional height of the riser block. The cost of a single extra 127-tooth gear is just $15.40, which is much less than the cost of two 150-tooth gears.
Scotty Hewitt, a three-time winner of Sherline's Machinist's Challenge, has constructed a simple shield of countertop material which goes behind his mill to keep flying chips contained. To take further advantage of it, he mounted an inexpensive high intensity light with a flexible shaft to the shield that throws good light where he wants it while not getting in the way when he works.
For a really quick and easy way to contain chips, find a corrugated cardboard box about 2' x 2' x 2'. Cut off the flaps on top and remove one of the sides. Using a box-cutter knife, cut away the flaps on the bottom, but leave some near the front of the side pieces that are to be bent back. Place a weight on these flaps to keep the shield where you want it. If it becomes stained with coolant, just throw it away and find another box.
Craig's
simple cardboard shield
Another idea—For trade shows we have a chip shield that is made from clear Plexiglas so that spectators can watch a machinist at work from outside the enclosure. Clear plastic piano hinges were glued at the joints allowing the three clear sides to be placed at angles during milling but folded flat for transport to and from the show.
Keith wanted to make himself a quick fly cutter for his Sherline mill. Before turning the Morse #1 taper, he realized he already had an arbor with a Morse #1 taper on it...the one that came with his lathe to hold the drill chuck in the headstock. He just made a fly cutter body, drilled and tapped it for a 3/8-24 hole and threaded in his Morse #1 adapter. Put it in the lathe to true it up and you've got yourself a quick cutter holder without having to cut a taper. He is also making a gear cutter holder and end mill holder to thread onto the same adapter. Similarly, tailstock tools can be made that will thread onto the #0 Morse adapter. If you don't have an adapter or need more of them, the part numbers are: #1 Morse arbor adapter, P/N 11880 ($9.30), #0 Morse arbor adapter, P/N 11890 ($8.46). (Prices as of 6/09)
An e-mail from Nhut Le says he was looking for a way to remove #1 Morse tapered tools from the headstock without having to whack the drawbolt head with a mallet to break the taper loose. He took a 3/4-16 NF nut and milled it down so that he could thread it onto the external thread of the headstock. When it comes time to remove a fly cutter or other tool with a #1 Morse taper, he just loosens the drawbolt and then threads the nut down against the body of the tool. As he unscrews the nut, it pulls the tapered tool out of the hole rather than driving it out from the other end. It is not only easier on the threads of your tool and drawbolt, it also keeps from knocking the tool out of alignment by banging away on a stuck taper.
Note: This does require that you install the remover before you install the tool. Unless this nut is pre-installed, it will not work on an already stuck taper. For that see Tip 15.
Larry Simon took this tip one step further by providing a spacer ring so the nut will also work when removing 1/4" and 3/8" Jacobs drill chucks from the spindle. Larry also added three Tommy bar holes in the nut to provide an easy way to turn it without using a wrench. He was kind enough to provide a sample of his finished product for photography as well as a dimensioned plan. Larry used to work as a draftsman and plan checker at the Manitowoc Crane Company in Wisconsin and is the builder of a large model of a construction crane that now resides in the Craftsmanship Museum.
Photo 1 (Left) shows the thinned nut with Tommy bar holes. Photo 2 (Middle) shows the nut being used to remove a fly cutter using the Tommy Bars. A wrench can also be used on the nut's flats for more leverage. Photo 3 (Right) shows the brass spacer ring in place to remove a 1/4" Jacobs drill chuck. (Click on any photo to view a larger image.)
CLICK HERE to view a dimensioned plan.
Instructions for use:
1. Before installing your #1 Morse taper accessory, thread the nut up onto the spindle snug against the shoulder.
2. Install the accessory, tightening the drawbolt as you normally would.
3. To remove a typical #1 Morse taper accessory like a fly cutter, mill arbor or boring tool without banging on the drawbolt and possibly altering your machine's alignment (or damaging the bearing races), first loosen the drawbolt 2 or 3 turns. Then use Tommy bars or a wrench to back the nut off until it presses down on top of the tool, freeing the taper from the spindle.
4. To remove a 1/4" or 3/8" Jacobs drill chuck, install the spacer ring before installing the chuck. Removal is done the same way.
Note that the spacer ring is not intended for the smaller 5/32" Jacobs drill chuck. The chuck arbor on that chuck has a double taper and you are equally likely to press the chuck out of its arbor as you are to press the arbor out of the spindle.
--Larry Simon, Carlsbad, CA
NOTE: Joe Martin adds that if a tapered tool is drawn very tightly into the spindle, the only way to remove it may still be to support the headstock with a block of scrap wood between the headstock and the table and give the head of the drawbolt a sharp rap with a hammer. Using too much force on a threaded release nut to press the tool out could possibly cause damage to the spindle nose threads.
This handy little device makes it easy to gently remove tapers from your lathe or mill spindle without tapping on the drawbolt and possibly knocking the headstock out of alignment. The drawbolt is backed off slightly, and then this fixture is clamped onto the end of the spindle. Tightening the 10-32 center bolt pushes down on the drawbolt, which pushes the taper out of the spindle. It also works on collets where the threaded remover in the previous tip won’t have a surface to push against.
The drawing below gives you all the dimensions you need, but most of them are non-critical. The only one that needs to be pretty accurate is the 9/16" bore that fits the spindle shaft itself so that tightening the two screws causes it to grip the spindle shaft tightly. The countersunk holes for the heads of the tightening screws are a nice touch, but it would work just as well without countersinking the bolt heads.
One final note: If you are going to use this with the stock hex head drawbolts, the 1/4" bolts will work fine, but the 5/16" bolts used for mill collets will require that the points of the hex head be filed or ground off slightly so that they don’t stick out past the spindle shaft so that this fixture can fit over the bolt head. What Norman did was to substitute a socket head bolt for the 5/16" hex bolt, which solved the problem, but if you don’t have a socket head bolt of the proper size, just take a little off the points and you can use the stock bolt. Also, you might want to harden the point of your center screw, or it will become flattened when pushing on the hard bolts.
Guiseppe's nicely finished brass taper remover offers yet another way to push #1 Morse tapered tools out of the Sherline spindle. This one requires no screws to lock it to the spindle and could be installed, used and removed very quickly. It also gives you a chance to try out your thread cutting skills. (Click on photo for larger image.)
Here is a photo of the collet remover I've just machined using solid round brass and 3 mm piano wire. The thread pitch is 1 mm. The pushing crank (rod) is 10 mm diameter and the capsule to be put around the spindle is 25 mm diameter, 40 mm long and internally threaded for 10 mm.
The short steel key ( engagement pin) has been machined in order to perfectly fit the hole available in the spindle. (The one used to fit the first gear of the threading attachment.) The handle is 3 mm piano wire.
Guiseppe Sturiale
Rome, Italy
VIEW AND PRINT TIP 15 ONLY
An e-mail from Gene King says, "I got a large baking pan from Smart and Final. It's 18" by 26" and 1' deep. My 4400 lathe is mounted on a 10" x 48" board with 1-1/2" legs. The pan slides under the lathe and makes clean up a breeze. The cost of the pan is $8.00."
We use a similar idea for our mill demo at trade shows. A cookie sheet or baking tray goes under the machine. A 3-piece hinged plexiglass back shield contains most of the flying chips. When the show is over, we just fold up the backing board, remove the mill from the tray and dump the chips in the trash. (We use plexi for the back shield so the mill can be seen from all sides. For shop use, plywood would work better.)
Leadscrews on just about all axes of Sherline lathes and mills are under tables or behind columns, which pretty much keeps them safe from flying chips. However, the Y-axis leadscrew on the mill is exposed. Rather than come up with complicated accordian way covers to keep chips off the leadscrew, Larry Mortimer came up with a simple and inexpensive item that wipes chips off the leadscrew before they can enter the nut.
NOTE: Wipers and plate are shown oversize in relation to the mill.
Larry bought a card of adhesive-backed felt chair leg pads at the supermarket. He cut one in half and made a notch for the leadscrew. On the back side of the mill table, he stuck the protector right to the table, locating it so that the notch wipes the leadscrew. On the front, he made a simple half-round aluminum plate that attaches to the table locking screw. The other half of the felt wiper is stuck to the aluminum plate. The plate and wiper can easily be removed if a backlash adjustment is needed.
An added bonus of this system: Put a little oil on the felt and the wiper not only keeps chips from entering the nut, it also lubricates the leadscrew every time it moves. When the felt wiper gets dirty or worn, just cut and stick another felt wiper.
After trying the above method for a while, Larry and others noticed that oil eventually breaks down the adhesive backing on the felt pad and it no longer sticks to the saddle or mounting plate. For those who use the felt pad for lubrication as well as wiping action, Larry has come up with the design shown below. He cut the shapes from .032" soft aluminum and bent them on the dotted lines. He then stuck the felt pads to the holders and screwed the holders to the machine. The pads are then contained between the holder and the saddle, so they can't fall out if the glue on the pad gives up.
For a full size view of this plan, CLICK HERE.
Tim Schroeder's manual mill features simple flexing leadscrew covers made from rubber tire innertubes. (Click on photo for larger image.)
Tim Schroeder was looking for a neat way to keep chips off his Y-axis leadscrew and came up with this professional looking solution. As you can see from the photo, he combined some bent brass plates with rubber material. It would appear that this solution has eliminated the function of the X-axis locking barrel, so you will have to consider the importance of that feature if you select this solution to the chip problem. (In some positions it may still be possible to get to the locking screw under the rubber, but it looks like it would be difficult.) It also appears that a small amount of potential Y-axis travel may be lost due to the addition of the plates, but the way he has cleverly overlapped the front and rear mounting plates so they don't align with each other probably takes care of most of this. In any case, it is certainly a functional and good looking solution to keeping the only exposed leadscrew on a Sherline mill clean
It is very easy to leave the Sherline mill or lathe ON with the speed control setting at low thinking it is off. I found myself thinking the lathe or mill was OFF only to realize days later that it was, in fact, ON. I also found myself changing tools with the equipment ON, again thinking it was OFF!
Adding an indicator light is very easy. Just buy a 110 volt indicator light from your local Radio Shack store. They come in a number of colors but I chose red to get my attention and indicate a warning. Drill a hole in the plastic case and connect the wires directly to L1 and L2 on the PC board. That's it. Now when the lathe or mill is ON you will have a light to let you know. Quick, cheap, and most importantly, SAFE.
Connect the indicator lamp wires to terminals L1 and L2 on the Sherline speed control circuit board.
A cone mandrel is a very effective device for holding a part that has a hole drilled through it. It could be used to hold an R/C car wheel, a flywheel, a gear blank, etc. The part is secured between the tapers of the mandrel, which allows access to both sides and the outer circumference without having to change the setup. For the Sherline lathe a good size would be a shaft of about 1/4" to 5/16" in diameter. The cones are about 5/8" to 3/4" diameter with a 60° cone. Use a fine thread on the shaft and try to get a good, snug thread fit between the shaft and the collar. Center drill a 60° hole in one end for the live center point. The driven end is is held in a collet or chuck. Both cones can be threaded or one can be fixed to the shaft with a set screw or pin.
A cone mandrel is a quick way to hold parts with a hole through the center.
Broaches are used when you need to make holes that are shapes other than round. A round pilot hole is first drilled, and then a broach of the desired shape is pressed through the hole to remove additional metal, leaving the desired shape. Square, hex, "D" and other shaped holes can be achieved in this manner. Broaches with multiple steps like the ones shown below take less force to use because only a portion of the shape is removed by each step as the broach goes through the hole. The first step is the size of the pilot hole and the last step is the size of the desired finished hole.
The broaches shown above are plain lathe turned, propane torch hardened and tempered in oil. You will have to decide the overall size, shank and dimensions to use for your particular project. Use W1, O1 or whatever drill rod (tool steel). No reason to be fussy.
MAKING THE BROACH--Turn or machine the profile required to full dimensions, full length. On one end, turn a pilot tip to fit the hole to be broached. If a full form cut is required, this will be the minimum diameter. Otherwise, make the hole oversize to broach only the corners out. That makes it easy on the broach. Next, cut chip slots which form the cutting edges a little smaller in diameter than the pilot diameter. The more edges you have, the less the chip load as the broach is cutting. Now set the lathe topslide (compound slide) to about a 3-5 degree angle to form the clearance angle behind each edge. The amount taken off of each edge is greatest at the pilot end and gets progressively less as you go toward the shank end. Divide 1/2 the diameter difference by the number of edges (minus 1) to find the amount of clearance to cut per edge. Leave the last edge for a full cut.
HARDENING--Using a propane torch, heat the working end to a cherry red in dim light and then dunk the heated part in oil. (An open gallon of motor oil is fine.) Polish a few spots to reveal clean metal and reheat slowly until you see the bright steel areas turn to a light straw color.
USING THE BROACH--To use, support the stock being broached close up to the hole, drop in the broach and push thru with an arbor press. Do Not hammer or jam thru by hand. Any misalignment will snap it off. Always, even with brass, lube generously with oil. Also, on full cutting broaches, chip accumulation may jam it, so extract, clean out and push thru for the final cut.
Happy trails,
A mill creates more of a mess than a lathe, because the spinning tool throws chips in all directions. It's one thing to mess up your shop, but it can really get you in trouble if you work in a den or on a kitchen table. Picking curly chips out of the carpet is no fun. Ron Headding came up with a simple shield that can be easily removed during setup. It keeps the hot chips from being thrown toward you, the operator, but it still allows good visibility. He took a piece of 1/8" clear Lexan and cut it to 4" x 5-1/4". He then took a square of adhesive backed Velcro® and attached half to the headstock and half to the shield. One look at the photo will explain everything. Ron also has a second piece which he formed into a slight arc by heating the Lexan with a hair dryer. When the setup allows, this shield will contain chips over a slightly larger arc, reducing cleanup a little further. A three-piece hinged shield of wood or cardboard standing on the workbench behind the mill will catch the chips thrown to the sides and behind the machine. (See tip 12.) (Photo: Ron Headding)
Tired of your parallels falling over while you are trying to clamp a part in your mill vise? Steve Houtchen of Dayton, Ohio came up with a solution. He purchased four rare earth magnets at Radio Shack (P/N 64-1895, $1.59 for 2). They have a specified size of .197" diameter by .059" thick. Steve bored two holes in each vise jaw directly under the existing screw mounting holes. He placed the bottom of the magnet hole 1/16" from the bottom of the jaw so they would be about centered on the parallel. He bored the holes to exact size and .0625 deep and pressed in the magnets. He now recommends using a little glue to make sure the magnets stay in the jaw. Now his parallels stay tight against the vise jaws during setup.
John Ecker of West Bend, WI explains that at age 79, his fingers are smooth slippery, especially when steel parts are oily. He had trouble tightening up his 3-jaw chuck with the Tommy bars without his fingers slipping off. He solved the problem by turning up some easy-to-grip knurled brass sleeves that are pressed onto the end of the 5/32" diameter Tommy bars. The new brass handle is about 1.75" long and is pressed on leaving about 2" of Tommy bar remaining for a total length of about 3.75". If the press fit isn't tight enough, some Lock-tite® can be used to keep them in place. If you are looking for a test job for your new knurling tool, why not make something that you will use hundreds of times in your own shop?
If you don't have a knurling attachment, you can simply turn grooves in the end for grip as Larry Simon did on these brass ends, which are pressed onto standard Sherline Tommy bars. (Click on photo to view larger image.)
If you don't want to deal with custom building your handle, here's another way to add a little length and some grip to your Tommy bars. Stock knob handles are available in most hardware stores. Buy the smallest you can find. Tracy Atkinson sent in this photo and suggestion. He used super-glue to hold the knob in place.
(Click on photo for larger image.)
Marcus didn't like removing the lathe motor and speed control each time he wanted to use his threading attachment. His photo above shows how he is able to leave it in place while cutting threads. By swinging the primary support shaft to the front instead of to the rear, he could use the same gear combinations as before, but they are a mirror image of the ones in the chart. To allow the large handwheel to clear the motor, he turned an aluminum extension that fits on the spindle. Marcus does offer one big precaution however...UNPLUG THE MOTOR WHEN USING THIS SETUP!* This geartrain was not designed to be driven at high speed. He accidentally turned it on once with the gears connected and things got a little busy.
This idea was suggested some time ago on the Sherline Yahoogroup by Flosi Gudmundsson of Iceland and Marcus put it into practice and sent the photos. For a lot of valuable information on using Sherline tools by the people who are actually using them, subscribe to the Sherline users group at www.yahoo.com.
Douglas has a solution for making sure there is no power to the motor when doing this and other hand operations. He purchased a small on/off footswitch from the Leichtung Tool Catalog for about $16.00 (P/N 908190). This is not a speed control, but just an on/off switch that plugs into the wall and the machine is plugged into the switch. Once when working on a big lathe he got a glove caught in a chip and almost lost a hand. After that he looked for a quick hands-off way to to shut down a machine and came up with this footswitch. (Hopefully he also stopped wearing gloves!) It will work well with this setup to make sure you can't accidentally switch on the motor with the threading gears engaged.
The left-hand photo shows the Y-axis depth stop. Here Tracy tried a knurled brass knob to lock the bar but felt it couldn't be tightened enough to keep the rod from moving. He now uses screws with a larger plastic handle for more leverage but suggests a small piece of brass between the end of the screw and the rod will protect the surface of the rod. In the right-hand photo both the Y-axis and X-axis locks can be seen. (Click on photos for larger images.)
Charles Tracy Atkinson wanted to make many duplicates of a particular part and needed a way to keep from having to count handwheel revolutions every time. While depth stops are not to be counted upon when extreme accuracy is needed, they will put you very close. They will also keep you from accidentally going one revolution too far and ruining a part. Additional photos and a description of these stops can be found in an article Tracy wrote for the December, 1997 issue of Projects in Metal magazine. (That magazine has since been renamed Machinist's Workshop.)
On the X-axis, Tracy made two bars that attach to the table using the standard T-slots and T-nuts. From this bar a block is suspended toward the front of the table. The block is cross-drilled to allow a rod to slide through it. The rod is locked with a locking screw. Two small angle brackets are secured to the top of the saddle for the bar to "stop" against. Tracy has tried both brass and steel screws and suggests the best combination between a strong screw and a material that won't mar the rod's finish would be a small length of brass inserted in the threaded hole for the steel screw to push against the rod. He found commercially available steel screws with handy plastic handles.
On the Y-axis, Tracy attached an aluminum bar to the front face of the mill base to the right of the Y-axis handwheel. This bar is cross drilled and a rod is inserted through the hole. The rod stops against the side of the table and is fixed in place with a knurled brass thumbscrew. The photos above make it all pretty clear. Though not described here, in the photo you can also see the dovetailed Z-axis stop Tracy added to the column.
Tauseef converted his Sherline mill to CNC. He found the lack of an adjustable backlash nut a problem on the Z-axis and set about to find a way to control it. He found that by reorienting the Z-axis locking lever in relation to the saddle nut and controlling the distance between the two, he could effectively adjust the amount of backlash. Here is how he did it:
| (Click on photo to enlarge image.) | |
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TAuseef says: I finally figured out a simple way to control backlash. First, drill and tap two holes, one in the saddle and one in the nut (length wise). The nut has to go on upside down for this setup. The indentation for the "ball" that fits in to lock the manual mill faces up. I also put the nut on the bottom of the saddle so it doesn't unscrew when the Z axis is at the top. |
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Bend a piece of aluminum or steel to make a bracket. Drill two holes that are LARGER then the bolt you plan to use for full adjustability. I drilled/tapped for a 3 mm bolt. Here is the setup so far. |
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Here is an underside view of the entire assembly. Move the nut to compensate for backlash and then tighten it down. That's it! |
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Top view of adjustable Z-axis backlash. Please note, this same setup works on the lathe except you have to grind the nut lever just a little. |
To see some of Tauseef's other modifications he has made to his machines CLICK HERE.
NOTE: Since this tip was first published, Sherline has introduced its own Z-axis backlash control system. See www.4017Zpg.htm.
The following web page was reproduced with the permission of the author, David Lehrian.
Bevel
Gear Cutting Page
The following is a description of how I cut bevel gears on my CNC Sherline Mill and Lathe that I purchased from Backtrack CNC. The software that generates the G Code to drive the mill was written by myself in Java 1.1 and is available for download for those inclined to try it themselves. The calculations were taken from Machinery's Handbook 26th Edition from "Industrial Press". The software will calculate the correct involute gear cutter number if you wish to purchase the cutter, however I used the Sherline's Gear Tooth Cutter P/N 3217 and learned to grind my own cutters.
The gears I needed to cut were for my RC Truck by HPI. The front and rear differential gears had become stripped because the soft cast metal use to mass produce the gears just wasn't up to the forces generated by the hopped up 0.15 c.i. Nitro Methane engine. Additionally the stock vehicle had a differential which I wanted to replace with solid axles because the truck is run mainly off road and only used for backyard bashing. It is arguable if the differential would give better performance on a groomed race track, but I tend to believe the solid axles would get the power to the ground more consistently by not allow unweighted wheels to unload and spin causing a loss of traction. Loss of traction means that power isn't being transfered and would cause a reduced speed, however it may increase handling, like I said, it is arguable. Anyway, back to cutting the gears. Cutting gears from stock metal is a slow process with a steep learning curve. The entire process took me about 3 months to get usable hard steel gears. Hopefully this information will shorten the learning curve for those so inclined to give this a try.
First I needed to determine the pitch angle of the gears I wanted to replace. I used a protractor to determine that the pinion's pitch angle was approx. 20 deg. which meant the gear needed to be 70 deg. to get the 90 deg. total angle needed for the differential. I also measured the diameter of the gear and pinion and counted the teeth on the existing gears. The pinion had 12 teeth and the gear had 36 teeth. The diameter of the pinion was 12.7 mm (0.5 in.) so the diametral pitch of the pinion was 24 (this is calculated by the software and is always in English measurements). Diametral pitch is the diameter of the gear divided by the number of teeth. In order to mate the pinion to the gear, the gear also had to have a diametral pitch of 24. Because it has 36 teeth, this meant that the diameter needed to be 38.1 mm (1.5 in.) These are the basic measurements and calculations from which the rest of the calculations are derived.
Gears have addendums and dedendums that are the amount of tooth above and below the pitch line. In order to turn a proper blank for the gear, the angle of the blank is greater than the pitch angle (more material must be left above the pitch line to form the addendum of the tooth). This value is known as the "Face Angle" and is calculated by the software. Also because of the addendum and the angle of the bevel gear the actual diameter that the blank needs to be turned to is also larger than the gear diameter. This is labeled in the software as the "Blank Diameter". The more shallow the pitch angle, the greater the difference between the "Gear Diameter" and the "Blank Diameter" (compare the 20 deg. and 70 deg. calculations of "Blank Diameter"). All the calculations are basic trigonometry and are performed by the software.
So to cut the 70 deg bevel gear here is what the software looks like. Notice the "Addendum" and "Dedendum" sizes as well as the tooth widths at the large and small ends along the pitch line. The "Cutter angle" is also calculated which is the angle of the cutter path relative to the gear face blank. The "Angle table angle" is the angle that the rotary table needs to be set to. The value is based on the direction of the cut so for this gear the "Angle table angle" equals 90 deg. - "Cutter angle". If I were to purchase a cutter for this gear I would purchase a No. 2 for 24 Dimetral pitch with a 14.5 deg or a 22 deg pressure angle. The drawing is the gear sliced in half looking from the side. The center line is the pitch line and on either side are the addendum and dedendum angle lines (the addendum line is the line of the "Face angle".
The software shows that the "Face Angle" is 72.988 deg and the "Blank Diameter" is 38.462 mm. Here is a picture of the blank being turned on the lathe.
Here is the face angle being turned.
Here the face being relieved so the teeth stand out from the gear.
A 5 mm hole was made through the middle to mount the gear on the 5 mm shaft.
The blank is now ready to have it's teeth cut. This is where the software really helps out because it will generate the G Code to control all 3 mill axis and the rotary table. Below is the configuration page to tell the software how to generate the G Code. There are many details on this page that require knowledge of how the gear is going to be cut. There is the "Feed Rate" and the "Position Rate" which are self explanatory. There is the "Cutting Tool Radius" which is used to know how far away from the gear the cutter must move before turning the gear in the rotary table. If this value is too small, the cutter will strike the tooth edge when the rotary table is rotated (I told you there was a steep learning curve ;-). The "Cutting tool width at Pitch Line" is used to know how much angle offset and linear offset is required to cut each side of the tooth. For a more in-depth explanation see Machinery's Handbook. The number of passes is used to rough the gear out before making the final 2 passes. A number of 4 actually causes 5 passes around the gear. The first 3 will get the teeth to within the "Roughing Amount" and the final 2 passes make the teeth the actual size required. There is a 5 second delay between the roughing rounds and the finish rounds so you can stop the machine and sharpen the tool for the final 2 light rounds. The reason there are 2 passes at the end is because cutting teeth requires that each side of the tooth be cut. This isn't merely a single pass down the middle (like my first miserable attempt). I recommend you learn using brass or aluminum and the number of passes can be set to 1. You only need to make multiple passes when you graduate to tougher materials like 4140 Chrome-Moly steel, which is the material used in these pictures. The "Depth Axis", "Cut Axis" and "Offset Axis" tell the software which axis is performing which function. The "Depth Axis" is the axis that controls how deep of a cut is made. The "Cut Axis" is the axis that feeds the blank into the cutter and the "Offset Axis" is the axis that controls the linear offset for cutting the teeth. The "Depth Negative" tells the software if the depth is made in the negative or positive direction. And the "Cut Positive" sets whether the blank is fed into the cutter in the negative or positive direction. Knowing how to set up the gear blank and software is critical to the success of this project. If you don't understand any of this information, don't press the "Start" button!
I use FlashCut CNC software to drive the mill. Here is what the G Code looks like in FlashCut CNC software. Not very interesting, but worth a picture.
Here the cutter is being lined up with the edge of the gear blank and centered. This is the beginning position for the cutter. Notice that the table is angled to perform angled cuts. The angle that the table is set to is listed on the main page of the software as "Angle Table Angle" and for this gear is 22.988 deg. This is so larger teeth are cut at the outside of the gear than on the inside of the gear. The pinion is cut with different settings for the depth axis and cut axis and this affects the angle table angle. Before starting you need to visualize the type of cut that is going to be made to make sure the set up is correct or failure will be dramatic. See the page on grinding your own cutters for more information on how the cutter is shaped.
Here is the gear during the second round of roughing (I forgot to take a picture during the first round). The cutter is actually moving, the photograph stopped the action. The brush is applying fresh lube every revolution of the cutter and cleaning off any metal chips that got stuck to the cutter.
Here is the gear on the final pass.
Here is the gear after I parted it off and am relieving the back of the gear to remove unnecessary metal. You need to be very careful with how deep you cut on the back so you don't cut all the way through (this is more of that steep learning curve I mentioned earlier ;-).
Now the gear is done and it is time to start the pinion. The pinion is 20 deg. Here is a picture of the software calculations for the pinion.
The pinion blank is turned on the lathe as the gear blank was. As you see from the above calculations the face angle is 23.363 deg. and the blank diameter is 13.694 mm, somewhat larger than the 12.7 mm which is the diameter at the pitch line. I forgot to take pictures of turning the pinion blank so the first picture is of the pinion G Code software configuration. The geometry of the pinion caused me to have to cut with the Z axis instead of the Y axis. The Y axis was the "Depth Axis". The "Depth" was still done in the negative Y direction and the "Cut" was in the negative Z direction. I also did 4 passes on the pinion. I found that these numbers were about right for cutting 4140 Chrome-Moly steel, but I slowed the Feed down to 21 mm/min using Flash Cut's feed override capability.
Here is the blank on the mill ready to start cutting the teeth.
Here is the pinion after the first round of cuts.
Here is the finished pinion back on the lathe with the shaft turned down.
Here is the finished gear and pinion.
Here is the gear brazed onto the axle shaft. Also pictured are the outdrives which connect the axle to the Constant Velocity Drives (CVD's) that power the wheels. I will soon include a picture of the CVD's which were originally made by MIP but had to be replaced after they failed. I made new shafts and ends which are significantly thicker and stronger than the after market MIP versions.
Here is the pinion installed in the RC Trucks differential housing.
Here is the entire gear and pinion assembly ready to be greased, closed up and installed in the truck.
The new y-axis lock installed in place of the thumbscrew. (Click on photo for larger image.)
Larry Mortimer was not satisfied with the way the thumbscrew on the left side of the mill saddle locked the y-axis. When tightened, it pushes a tapered nylon plug against the gib, pulling the opposite side of the saddle tighter into the dovetail. To lock this axis more positively, he made a simple metal tab that uses the same hole in the mill saddle, but instead exerts pressure on the mill base to pull the saddle against the dovetail with more pressure. The drawing below gives all the size information you will need to make the part. It is attached to the mill saddle using a 1/2" or 5/8" long 10-32 socket head screw. A washer under the head of the screw is also recommended to spread out the pressure. Material used in the test example was .25" thick aluminum and it worked fine.
(Click on the drawing above for a larger version.)
To
accurately locate a hole when a
dimension is given from the edge of the
part, you must first have a way to align
the center of your spindle with the edge
of your part. Starratt and other
instrument companies make “edge
finders” that are held in an end mill
holder or collet to help you locate an
edge accurately, but you can make one
yourself and save some money. Using your
handwheels to measure from the side of a
part is also more accurate than trying
to measure with a ruler, scribe center
lines and then visually centering your
drill by eye over the marks. Multiple
holes can be drilled without having to
relocate the edge again as long as you
keep track of the rotations of the
handwheels.
Take
a dull or broken 1/8” (.125")
drill bit and grind off what’s left of
the fluted portion.
(Measure the shank with a
micrometer first to make sure that it is
accurately sized.) On the side of the
new end of the shank, grind a small flat
about 1/4" long and
0.040-0.060" deep. Install the
shaft in a 1/8" collet in the
spindle. Bring the edge of the shaft
near the edge of your part and turn on
the spindle at a high speed. Using the X
or Y handwheel, slowly bring the
spinning edge of the shaft up to the
edge of your part. As the shaft just
starts to touch the part you will hear a
slight “rapping” sound as the corner
of the flat hits the part
intermittently.
At this point you know the
spindle center is exactly .0625"
(half the diameter of the shaft) from
the edge of the part. If you have an
adjustable zero handwheel or DRO, set it
to zero. Move the edge finder away from
the part and remove it and the collet
from the spindle. Install your drill
chuck or a collet of the proper size,
insert your drill bit and raise the
Z-axis so the drill clears the part.
Return to your zero setting. Now move
the spindle .0625" further (one
handwheel revolution plus another twelve
and a half thousandths of an inch). The
0.0005 can be interpolated by centering
the back stop mark half way between the
hand-wheel marks. Your spindle center is
now exactly aligned with the edge of the
part. Remember that each handwheel
revolution moves the spindle .050".
To drill a hole exactly 1"
from the edge of the part, for
example, advance the handwheel 20
revolutions (.050" x 20 =
1.000").
A
center drill inserted in the drill chuck
will work too. This method works best
with a drill chuck that is in good
condition, check the run out first if
you aren’t sure.
One of the first steps for
accurately drilling a hole is the use of
a center drill anyway so no change of
tooling will be required after locating
the edge with the center drill. The
center drill comes with two spots
conveniently ground on the sides.
Unlike
the commercial edge finders that
visually pop off center when the part is
touched, this method depends on being
able to hear the sound as soon as the
tool starts to touch the part, so you
will need the shop environment to
be as quiet as possible while finding
the edge. Also, drill sizes other than
1/8" could be used depending on
what you have on hand, but it should be
a size for which you have a collet and
one that is relatively easy to divide by
two to keep your figures simple. I also
own a Starrett edge finder, but have
found that I can locate an edge more
accurately using my “free” broken
drill bit tool, and it was made at no
cost from a drill bit I was going to
throw away anyway.
Don’t
forget about backlash. When using the
handwheels for moving the mill table, a
rule of thumb is to always move in one
direction on each axis. If the need for
reversing directions should arise, go
past the ending point further than the
amount of backlash in the lead screw and
then crank in the original direction to
the final handwheel setting. The method
of adding or subtracting the estimated
lead screw back lash to each reversed
table movement isn’t very accurate and
should be avoided.
Knurled adjustment screws and a shortened hex key make quick work of tailstock adjustment. (Click on photo for larger image.)
Brian James of Amsterdam, Holland sent the above photo of his solution to being able to quickly remove and/or readjust the tailstock. First, he replaced the two attachment screws that hold the brass gib to the tailstock, saying he found it time-consuming and difficult to adjust them from below with a hex key. He made custom knurled screws that can be adjusted and tightened with no tools other than your fingers. (They are then locked in place from above with the set screws just like before.) Also you will notice that he has shortened a 5/32" hex key and left it in place in the locking screw that secures the tailstock in place. This saves fishing around for one every time you need to move the tailstock. The shorter wrench still provides plenty of leverage for tightening, and lessens the chance of overtightening. Exact dimensions are not critical on these parts, and the photo should be enough to get you started with a similar modification of your own should you choose to add this to your lathe.
CLICK HERE for a dimensioned drawing of the special knurled screws and shortened hex key. (Drawing: Brian James)
A shortened 5/32" hex key makes a tailstock locking lever that can be left in place. The first photo shows the standard key and the shortened version with wood dowel handle. The handle glued in place is shown in the right-hand photo. (Click on either photo to view a larger image.)
Most Sherline machinists who have purchased a machine and a few accessories have probably collected several 5/32" hex keys. These engage the most common fastener on Sherline machines and accessories, the 10-32 socket screw. Larry took one of his and cut it down. He then center drilled a small painted wooden dowel and pressed it on the long end to make for a larger diameter to grip while adjusting. Exact dimensions are not critical, so you can look at the photos above and easily make one that suits your needs. Larry used a little silicon glue to glue the lever into the head of the tailstock locking screw. It can be easily removed if needed, but it keeps it from falling out due to vibration during machining.
See also Tip 49 for commercially available quick-locking handles.
This procedure will check the X and Y Axis nut and backlash nut and the Z-axis Saddle Nut to see if they are worn out.
1. Release the star gear or pointer lock and back out the BACKLASH nut on the X and Y leadscrew. If you have 5 to 8 thousandths play, the NUT for the Y- or X-axis should be replaced! If you can see the backlash lock nut has play in it also should be replaced. For instructions see http://sherline.com/backlash.htm.
2. If these are within specifications and you still have play, there is a good chance that the play is in the handwheel. To check this, grab the X or Y-axis bed and see if you can feel play in it by pushing and pulling it towards the handwheel. If any play is felt readjust the handwheel on the shaft by loosening the handwheel set screw and pushing the handwheel tight against the thrust collar. Index it 90° before retightening the set screw so you don’t pick up the old indentation.
3. The Z-axis nut can be checked for wear by locking the Mill Saddle Locking Lever. If it hits the side of the Z column the Saddle nut and lever should be replaced. See http:/sherline.com/4017inst.pdf.
If you don’t have the Locking Lever on your mill I would suggest you add it. For instructions see http://sherline.com/4017upg.htm
4. If the saddle nut is within spec’s and there is still play in the Z-axis there is a good chance that the Z-axis handwheel is not adjusted correctly. To check this turn the handwheel clockwise one turn then counter clockwise till it just starts to move the saddle. PUSH DOWN ON THE SADDLE. If you hear or feel the saddle move there is play between the handwheel and the column. To adjust Z backlash, support the headstock while you release the Z-axis set screw. Push up on the headstock/saddle unit while pushing down on the handwheel. Retighten the set screw in a new location.
If you continue to have problems with the Z-axis settling, there is a modification to the Z-axis leadscrew and handwheel to help correct this problem. For instructions see http://sherline.com/Zaxisfix.pdf.
5. I would suggest you check the GIBS also for excess wear and replace them if worn. For instructions see http://sherline.com/gibinst.htm
6. Lubrication: If you remove the saddle from the machine I would suggest that you clean it up with some alcohol and then spray the base with Super-Lube DRI-FILM and use Super Lube Synthetic Lubricant on other moving parts. These PTFE-based lubricants really make the saddles slide freely. See http://sherline.com/resource.htm for more information under LUBRICATION or see Super Lube’s web site at www.super-lube.com to order some.
7. Replacement Part Numbers:
50130, Anti-backlash nut, X-axis (51130 metric)
50140, Anti-backlash nut, Y-axis (51140 metric)
40890, Nut, X-axis (41890 metric)
50200, Nut, Y-axis (51200 metric)
40177, Saddle nut w/ spring loaded ball (41177 metric)
40175, Saddle locking lever, (41175 metric)
40980, X- and Y-axis gibs (mill) and crosslide gib (lathe)
40990, Z axis gib (mill) and leadscrew gib (lathe)
TIP 32--Using the Compound Slide on the "front" side/Jerry Glickstein
The P/N 1270 compound slide was designed to be used on the "back" side of the crosslide table with the cutting tool placed "upside down". This eliminates interference with the crosslide handwheel. However, there may be a time you wish to use the compound on the front side. Using riser blocks and the P/N 1271 compound riser allows you to do this, but Jerry came up with another way. To reverse the tool so that the tip is right side up and at the proper height, he made a simple aluminum adapter that attaches where the tool would normally be and lowers it exactly 1/4". No drawing was provided, but you should be able to come up with dimensions yourself. It's pretty straightforward once you see how it works.
(Click on either photo to see larger image.)
There is a more complete description of the process and more photos on Jerry's own web site at http://www.shipmodelersdesktop.com/. Click on "Special Tools" and then go to "Page 10".
The 3D CAD drawing and the above photos help explain how the puller is made. Click on any photo to see a larger version.
Colin didn't send any written explanation when he attached these photos to his e-mail, but the photos pretty much speak for themselves. This part offers another take on the best way to remove a collet or chuck from the spindle without hammering on the drawbolt. Any method that uses slow, constant pressure to push the arbor out of the #1 Morse taper in the spindle helps keep your machine in alignment and saves the Z-axis from developing excess backlash from the handwheel set screw having to support the force of pounding on the headstock.
To use the puller, a split collar is attached to the spindle shaft leaving enough space underneath to insert the base of the puller. To remove the item from the spindle taper, the drawbolt is first loosened. Then the puller is inserted under the collar and the socket head screw tightened against the head of the drawbolt. Tightening the screw pushes down on the bolt, removing the tapered collet or arbor from the spindle.
After seeing this write-up, Colin mentioned that after trying his first prototype he ended up filing a groove in the spindle shaft while it was spinning. It doesn't show in the photos, but the set screw in the split collar goes into this groove. This helps keep the collar from slipping up on the spindle shaft when the screw is tightened against the drawbolt head. He says this is optional.
For those who would like 3D and CNC files for the puller, Colin's drawings are included as links below:
Colin adds: "The IGES file (.igs) and the
STereo Lithography file (.stl) should be
readable by just about any CAM program (VisualMill, SurfCam, Solidcam, etc.,
etc.). I supplied those files rather than the original Solidworks file
because they are pretty much universally readable. The STL or IGES files
will need to be rotated within the CAM package to get the correct
orientation for milling."
The photos above reference Jim's finished indexing system (L) and engagement lever extension (R). Click on either photo to see a larger version.
ENGAGEMENT LEVER EXTENSION—The engagement lever photo shows a brass replacement for the utilitarian but dull standard part. It isn't a total replacement. I modified the standard engagement lever by removing the stock lever and turned the end so that it was smooth. I turned a 1" brass round to the profile shown and on the back side bored a hole to match the diameter of the modified stock piece. The brass round was then pressed onto the shaft with a little Loctite® to keep everything secure. The brass lever is about 1.75" long and angled towards the front by 20 degrees.
Photo on far left shows saddle lock screw in place, and photo next to is shows hole in saddle with screw removed. The center picture shows the table lock fixture, and the photo to its right shows the fixture with the screw removed. The final photo on the right shows the two Delrin tipped, knurled screws. (Click on any photo to see a larger image.)
I am also attaching photos of a simple modification I made so that I could have attractive and functional axis locks on both the saddle and the cross slide. Perhaps others would find this to be useful as well.
--Jim Knighton
Dan Diaconu has prepared some short video files (.wmv format) that show various aspects of using a lathe. Each runs about 30 seconds and even includes some soothing background music. You will need Windows Mediaplayer to play them. Click on the links to play them or right click on the link and use the "save target as" command to save the file to your own computer. Files are about 2 to 3 Mb in size each and will load in about 30 seconds on a T1 or cable line but will take much longer on a dial-up modem.
TIP 1—Moving a headstock/motor/speed control unit from lathe to mill (2.2 Mb)
TIP 3—A 4-position tool post (1.9 Mb)
TIP 4—A dial indicator holder for the lathe (3.2 Mb)
TIP 5—Using a dial indicator and 4-jaw chuck to reduce part runout to less than .001" (1.8 Mb)
(Note: Tip 2 was not submitted.)
Here are some pictures of previous projects I have been working
on since 1998 when I got the lathe and milling machine in case they are of
interest to anyone:
http://pictures.care2.com/view/1/682555803/12
http://pictures.care2.com/view/1/682555803/24
http://pictures.care2.com/view/1/682555803/36
http://pictures.care2.com/view/1/682555803/0
The real and main reason I've start machining is I invented a focusing device in
'97 for film cameras that required lots and lots of prototyping. That's how
I ended up "in love" with Sherline.
http://pictures.care2.com/view/2/772214171 (I would have never made it
without ! ! ! !)
The invention received a Gemini Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement last
year. (This is the Canadian Oscar!)
http://www.geminiawards.ca/gemini18/special.cfm
The device was used in Scary Movie 3 recently. Clip here:
http://focusedone.eetv.tv/SM31.WMV
(5.74 Mb)
Another two clips about the device (made with Sherline, yeah!.....):
http://focusedone.eetv.tv/5%20years%20in%205%20seconds.wmv (.9 Mb)
http://focusedone.eetv.tv/FOCUS%20DEMO.wmv (6.76 Mb)
and a sample of good video editing (almost without FX, other than some smoke
from the piano and some fun towards the end)
http://focusedone.eetv.tv/Andrei%20best%20performance.wmv (Large file, about
25 Mb)
Regards,
Dan Diaconu
The bearing adapter is shown without the chuck attached. The Jacobs chuck screws onto the 3/8-24 thread. A Tommy bar hole in the body (not shown) allows the chuck to be tightened against the body. (Click on photo for larger image.)
Dan is a Sherline dealer in Israel and an avid user of his Sherline tools. He has made a number of modifications to his lathe including adding a milling column behind it instead of using the headstock pin. In the photos you can also see his ball bearing steady rest behind the lathe bed. Featured here, however is how he made a ball bearing fixture to adapt a Jacobs chuck to allow it to function like a live center on the tailstock. Here is what Dan has to say:
This weekend I decided to see whether I could make one. I drilled the whole length for 3/8-24 inside tapping. Then I bored one end to accept 15 mm. OD bearing. Total depth 15mm to hold 2 bearings and a spacer. (of course any other size of bearing will do) I did the boring on the lathe. I then tapped the other end (inside) for the Sherline adapter. All work was done without removing the work in order to ensure concentric results.
I turned a shaft to press fit into the inside diameter of the bearing. In fact, I used 2 bearings with a spacer press fitted between them. The spacer OD is about 13mm; i.e., smaller than the bearings. I faced it on both sides so it has a slight hub on both sides (thicker in the center) and does not touch the outer races of the bearings. Next I drilled a hole for a Tommy bar thru the outside body and the spacer. Without it there would be no easy way to thread the tips onto the live center. Last step was to fit the shaft with the bearings and spacer into the body.
That's it !! All in all it took about 2 hours as I designed on the go. I haven't made any tips yet.
I mounted it on the tailstock using the Sherline MT0 drill chuck adapter, thread a 1/2" chuck on the other end of the live center, held a long 3/8" bar between a chuck on the headstock and the chuck on the live center. I let it run at about half speed for 15 minutes or so. worked beautifully and did not heat up. no visible wobble at all at any speed. Just in case anyone is curious, I did not bother to indicate it for runout. A nice mornings' project resulting in a useful accessory, at least for me.
Two notes regarding the photo: the slot at the right end of the body is meaningless, it was a piece of leftover bar and I did not bother to face it. The protrusion on the left side of the shaft was first left there on purpose because I started with the threading (just in case it did not come out true). I then held the shaft by this end for turning down the rest of the shaft to the ID of the bearing. For some reason I did not cut it off, although it is no problem with the chuck which is bored through anyway."
Regards,
Dan Pines
(L) The lathe fitted with the live chuck adapter holds a long piece of stock. Behind the lathe you can see Dan's center-mounted milling column and some of his accessories. Notice also his custom chip guard. (Center) A detail of the spinning tailstock chuck. Note also the tailstock locking lever Dan leaves in place for locking and unlocking. Behind the chuck you can get a better view of Dan's custom ball bearing steady rest. (R) Dan uses a 3/8" shaft with a 0 Morse taper on one end to align the P/N 7600 tool post. In the tool post is a 3/8" end mill facing to the left to bore a hole in a part held in the headstock chuck. (Click on any photo for larger image.)
The above photos show Jim's indexing head made from a 7600 toolpost, a Sherline chuck and parts of his own making. Note that riser blocks are left in place at all times on Jim's lathe, so there is plenty of vertical room for this attachment. (Click on any photo for larger image.)
I am taking the liberty of sending you photos of a couple of recent projects that might be of general interest to the Sherline community. First and foremost is an unusual conversion of a #7600 toolpost, which I used as the basis around which to build a very nice and compact indexer. It is literally a "toolpost indexer" built in part from a toolpost and as you will see in the photos it is mounted on a toolpost in rather different manner than is usual.
The toolpost indexer is unique in that it can be oriented in virtually any position and even used in a stand-alone mode with the addition of a suitable base. The indexer was designed to be fully functional on my lathe, which as you know has permanently installed risers. On this machine, the height of the central axis of the indexer's spindle matches exactly that of the lathe's headstock in no small part because of the fact that this is the nature of the round bore in the #7600 toolpost. I simply took advantage of the existing relationship. While the indexer was designed as an accessory for my lathe, it is fully functional on a Sherline mill in horizontal mode (which I also have in my shop) and delivers partial functionality on a vertical mill as well where it could serve as the basis of a gear-cutting setup.
As built, it will not work on a standard lathe, but the basic approach can be adapted provided that the builder takes into consideration that there is much less clearance over the cross slide table for work-holding devices and/or index plates. This index plate has 6 rows of division holes: 48, 42, 40, 36, 8, and 6. The outer four rows allow all divisions 2-10 and the even divisions 10-20 in addition to the actual number of holes themselves. The inner two rows are strictly for my convenience. These numbers are personal choices based on my expected usage of the device. Additional plates can be fabricated with any reasonable number of holes for a 3" plate. 60 is definitely possible and 72 will probably work as well, although it might be necessary to use smaller diameter holes in the plate.
Also included is a photo of the "tool post" on which the indexer is mounted. This "post" is also the starting point for several other accessories that can be mounted in this manner. This is demonstrated in the photos of the second of these projects (see below); a toolpost grinder. I needed a grinder setup to accurately make the pin for the above indexer and this is the method I came up with. There any number of ways to mount a Dremel tool, but I suspect this is a bit out of the ordinary. Please note that the grinder can be locked into position at any angle. With this gadget the aforementioned pin was a snap to make precisely and accurately. I have several other accessories in various stages of completion and/or planning that all mount using this same approach.
The above photos show Jim's adjustable toolpost grinder. It holds a Dremel tool and can position the grinder at any angle. (Click on any photo for larger image.) The photos should give you enough info to build your own. Jim didn't make any drawings.
In a second e-mail, Jim added the following comments for those interested in more background on the indexer project:
"The evolution of the indexer is curious in its own right. Initially, I needed a way to do off-center drilling on the lathe for a project I was working on. That issue was quickly resolved by making a 3/8" shaft with the threaded button on it's nose that I locked in place in the 7600 toolpost. The chuck went on the shaft and the Jacobs chuck went on the headstock. That solved the immediate problem, but the more I looked at the setup the more it started talking to me. It looked like a miniature indexer in my mind's eye. While I resisted the notion for a while, the ability to present work at an angle to the headstock for indexed machining operations was the feature that made this an irresistible project, since that capability was also essential for another task immediately at hand. Please note that while the original impetus for this project came from a turning project, the primary use of this device will likely be on my horizontal mill. As noted earlier, it is fully functional on either machine.
It may be possible to duplicate the setups made possible by this indexer with other accessories. I have a CNC rotary table, which was used to space out the holes in the index plate, and also the Indexer attachment. Neither of these devices, as capable as they are, gave me the setup options I needed for the project at hand. The CNC rotary table mounted on the tilting angle table under a vertical mill gives much of the same functionality, but it is a large and heavy setup. I've done this in the past, but not on the Sherline mill. I also have a "small" 500 lb Jet mill/drill in my shop and it has sufficient clearance under the spindle for this kind of setup. Doing this, however, is a cumbersome affair and takes considerable time. The toolpost indexer on the Sherline machines seemed a much neater, compact, and more easily used arrangement.
In approaching this project, I tried to make it as simple as possible while still achieving the desired functionality. For that reason, the index pin is not spring loaded, and neither is it threaded. The pin is simply a locating device and does not lock the spindle for machining operations. You will note the large knurled knob on top of the tool post. This is a brass-tipped screw that bears tightly on the spindle locking it after the desired hole is selected with the pin manually held in place.
The attached photos show the component parts of each major subassembly. The spindle is 3/8" drill rod with a threaded button on it's nose. The button is a Sherline part, but I don't know the model number or even how I came to have it. I suspect it came with one of the major accessories. It is threaded 3/4 x 16 TPI to match the lathe/mill's spindle and is attached to the indexer's spindle with a 10 x 32 tpi SHCS. I didn't modify the button in any way. While I suspect that others may prefer to machine their own threads to ensure concentricity, I suppose I got lucky. The button is dead on and for that reason I didn't remake the spindle.
The indexer's arm is an assembly of several small parts machined from 3/8" square CRS and the slotted face plate which was machined from 1/8" x 1/2" CRS. It has a shallow channel on the backside 3/8" wide that holds a captive cut-down Sherline t-nut. It, in turn, holds a short length of 10 x 32 TPI threaded rod that has been drilled through with a #38 drill for the index pin. The small knurled brass knob locks the assembly in place in alignment with the desired row of holes in the index plate, and the pin is used to select and locate the appropriate hole while the spindle locking knob is tightened.
The modifications to the 7600 should be self-evident from the photo. The threaded holes on the "arm" side of the post were drilled out and counterbored. Because of space limitations, the counterbores are a non-standard .250" and the heads on the matching 10 x 32 TPI SHCS were turned down to match.
The 3/8" vertical post mounting arrangement I used for this project is not an essential aspect of this project and I suspect that others probably won't follow suit. Using this approach introduced a minor complication in that due to the small size of the 7600 itself there is a bit of interference between the spindle rod and the mounting rod. This was quickly resolved by waisting the spindle at the point of the interference. On close examination this is evident in the photo.
The idea of using the 7600 for off-center drilling and as the basis for the indexer emerged out of an ongoing dialog with Dan Pines concerning mutual shop problems and ways to solve them. I can't claim to be the sole "originator" of this approach, and I think it is appropriate that Dan's contribution to the origin of this accessory is recognized."
In response to my question about how to make an indexing plate if you don't already have an indexer, Jim answered as follows:
"An obvious limiting factor for persons wishing to make an indexer as per our correspondence is the availability of an appropriate index plate. I made my own as my shop is well enough equipped to do this. Many in the Sherline world are not so fortunate, as you well know. There may be entrepreneurial types that frequent the Yahoo forum who would be willing to make plates for prospective builders. There is also at least one readily available commercial product that can be adapted for this purpose.
http://www.cartertools.com/cipk.html
This 60-hole index plate may well be adequate for prospective builders without the means or ability to make their own. Perhaps there are other similar plates available as well, but I've not done a lot of research into this matter."
—Jim Knighton
Background
The screw-threading gearbox requires parts from the standard Sherline P/N 3100 threading attachment. The gear selection is for the most part as per the threading chart that accompanies it. The design of the gearbox places all eleven of the 24 pitch gears from the Sherline kit on the main shaft. This makes it impossible to use those gears elsewhere in the gear train, so a few “extras” are necessary. As built, this gearbox requires one each extra 20, 22, and 40 tooth gears and two 35 tooth gears. Their usage and placement is described in the following discussion.
The gearbox was built in two versions, the first being a prototype and the second as shown in these photos. One of the significant lessons learned from the prototype is that aluminum is not a good choice for the large parts. There is too much flex and twist, enough so as to potentially prevent the gearbox from operating appropriately. In the final version all of the large parts are machined from mild steel, either 1018 CRS or 12L14.
The prototype also made use of bronze bushings instead of the ball bearings used in the final version. Bronze bushings did not provide the solid support needed, especially in the idler arm assembly. I strongly urge caution if prospective users are inclined to go this route. The combination of bronze bushings and aluminum construction proved to be fatal, rendering the prototype unfit for serious use. It did, however, demonstrate the validity of the design and the feasibility of going forward with this project. The results are shown hereafter.
Gearbox 01 – Final Installation
Click on photo for larger image.
This photo illustrates the final gearbox installation with all attendant modifications. It is clearly evident that the main motor and controller are not in their Sherline standard locations. This is the result of previous modifications described on the Sherline web site, Item #20 in the Sherline Workshop page. I didn’t have a digital camera at the time that document was put together and I apologize in advance for the poor photography. This photo shows a slightly different setup than illustrated in that document in that the pillow block style motor mount shown there and also visible in some of these photos has been replaced with the one shown here. This was done because the pillow block motor mount blocked the movement of the gearbox’s idler arm making adjustment difficult in certain situations.
Please note that the relocation of the motor and controller are not essential to the construction or operation of the gearbox. However, these modifications open up considerable space around the headstock making it much easier to see what is going on and to make idler arm adjustments.
The motor mount is constructed of 3/8" x 3.5" x 7.625" mild steel (1018 CRS). Unlike the earlier pillow block mount with its 3" diameter hole, the largest hole in this steel plate is 3/8" to provide clearance for the main motor’s spindle shaft. It can be machined in its entirety on a Sherline mill. Not clearly visible in this photo is the 4" wide section of ¼" aluminum angle on the backside. This has a couple of slots that permit the motor mount to be shifted fore and aft for adjusting belt tension. The belt is a Singer sewing machine part.
Also, as noted in the aforementioned document describing earlier modifications, the auxiliary power supply (24vdc) is mounted underneath the prominent aluminum channel I use as a base and the controls are located on the left end. In addition to the document noted above, better and clearer photos of the power supply and controls are located in the Yahoo Sherline User’s forum in the files section in a folder bearing my name.
The following sequence of photos presents the final gearbox assembly along with construction notes as appropriate.
Gearbox 02 - Main Shaft
Click on photo for larger image.
The main shaft for the gearbox is shown in this photo. It is a functional replacement for the Sherline fixed shaft, PN 15430, included with the Sherline threading kit (shown in the foreground). It is machined on the right end to exactly duplicate the flat and groove of the Sherline part. The photo also shows the narrow groove for a retaining ring (snap ring), a shallow (.050”) channel for a 1/8” square key, and at the left end the details for affixing the shaft to the drive motor.
My drive motor has a .312" spindle and the main shaft is .375" diameter. The left end of the main shaft was drilled and reamed to .312" and the small hole shown in the photo is for a pin that locks this shaft and the motor’s spindle together.
There is a notable idiosyncrasy regarding this shaft and the operation of the feed engagement lever that I discovered when testing the prototype gearbox. The lever can be rotated too far to the left (off position) pushing the shaft approx .050" - .070" too far out of the support tube. The standard Sherline part, being short and light, has a propensity to move back into it’s proper position. The longer and heavier replacement has to be “persuaded” to return to that position. If it is not, the engagement lever will jam the next time the operator attempts to use it. The solution to this problem is to make sure that the feed motor is positioned so that this leftward movement is blocked, thus preventing the over-rotation. This is an important consideration and failure to do this can have serious and unpleasant consequences, as I discovered to my chagrin with the prototype gearbox.
Gearbox 03 – Pulley Gear
Click on photo for larger
image.
As seen in the photo, the 100 tooth 56 pitch “A” gear is permanently attached to the pulley. Not visible is a 1/16" thick, wide nylon washer that acts as a spacer. This is the only non-reversible modification to the lathe itself and is in fact not an essential feature. Rather than the permanent mounting shown here, the gear can be driven by the small screw Sherline supplies for that purpose in the threading kit. If this approach is used, a small retaining collar with a setscrew should be added to lock the gear into position.
Gearbox 04 – Gear Mounting Plate
Click on photo for larger
image.
The gear mounting plate is machined from mild steel and then blued. The bluing provides a nice color match with the rest of the lathe but it is in fact to eliminate the problem of surface rust that will form over time if the steel is left unfinished. Not visible in the photo is a clamping block on the backside. The clamping block is machined from aluminum and uses a SHCS to close the fixture and securely lock the plate into position on the “leadscrew support shaft” visible in the previous photo.
The gear mounting plate has three ¼ x 20 tpi threaded holes – the two on the left provide alternate mounting positions for the idler arm, and the one close to the small “C” gear is for mounting an extra idler gear for cutting left-handed threads. More on this later. The camera angle distorts the apparent location of this threaded hole.
The 100 tooth 56 pitch “B” gear isn’t visible in this photo, but it is mounted on the backside of the plate on the same shaft as is the 20 tooth “C” gear. This shaft is supported by and rides in two 3/8" ID ball bearings pressed into a appropriately sized hole in the mounting plate itself.
The large cutout at the upper left is an adaptation that allows easy access to the drive belt. When the mounting plate is rotated to the right, the cutout allows me to remove and replace the drive belt without difficulty. Prospective builders with the drive motor in the “normal” position will have to work out their own accommodations to resolve this issue.
The hole located close to the right edge of the plate is for the cross slide travel stop and not essential to the operation of the gearbox. More on this later.
Gearbox 05 – Keyway, etc.
Click on photo for larger
image.
In this photo the gears are being stacked on the main shaft. Visible are the gears themselves, the nylon washers used as spacers (notched to fit around the 1/8" square key mounted in it’s mating slot). Not visible is the retaining ring (snap ring) that limits rightward movement of the gear cone.
Gearbox 06 – Main Shaft Gear Cone
Click on photo for larger
image.
This photo shows the fully assembled gear cone as well as the retainer collar. The retaining collar is drilled to match the pin holes in the shaft itself and also in the feed motor spindle. Nylon washers (not slotted) are used here as spacers.
Gearbox 07 – Feed Motor
Click on photo for larger image.
The feed motor shown in the photo is a Japan Servo gear motor rated at 35.8 RPM at 24vdc. It is reversible and as installed is driven by a simple power supply with three speed settings, 24vdc, 16vdc and 8vdc. The details of the power supply are in the aforementioned document on the Sherline Workshop page, item #20.
Prospective builders will have to build a mount and power supply to match the motor they select.
Gearbox 08 – Idler Arm, Shaft, and Gears
Click on photo for larger image.
In this photo the idler arm is shown mounted in the upper threaded hole and positioned for cutting 40 tpi threads, one of the two extreme positions. The arm is machined from ½" x 1" mild steel and as built is 3.75" long. The shaft is a rotating part supported by and riding in a row of three 3/8" ID ball bearings. Nylon washers are used on both sides as spacers and retaining rings (snap rings) are used on both sides to prevent possible unwanted movement.
The two gears on this shaft are both 35-tooth Sherline accessories not included with the threading kit. The gear on the rightmost end of the shaft is fixed in position and meshes with the “C” gear on the mounting plate. The gear on the left side of the arm is mounted to a sliding collar that it allows it to be aligned with any of the 11 gears on the main shaft. The channel visible in the photo is for a matching setscrew in the sliding collar to lock the movable gear into position. The setscrew is actually a 4-40 SHCS in a counterbored recess, not the tiny, headless creature normally suggested by this expression.
Conceptually, the idler arm, shaft, and gears are the logical equivalent of the “E” gear shown in the Sherline threading chart. This is an idler gear that transmits power and direction of rotation. It’s size is not important and has no effect on the ratio between the driving and driven gears. Since the gears on both ends are the same size, think of the shaft assembly as a single, variable length gear – that is exactly what it is and how it operates in the gear train.
In use, the fixed gear has to mesh with the “C” gear on the mounting plate. The moveable gear similarly has to mesh with the chosen gear on the main shaft. The slot in the idler arm allows this to occur and the operator has to position the arm so that these two conditions are met. It takes longer to explain than to actually do it as this is not a difficult task. The operative word here is “mesh” – the idler gears should not “bottom” on either of the mating gears. In this regard, operation is exactly as prescribed in the Sherline instructions. Similarly, the 56 pitch “A” and “B” gears need to mesh, not collide, at the upper end of the gear train.
Gearbox 09 – Whole Mechanism
Click on photo for larger image.
This photo shows the whole gear train as configured to cut 40 tpi right handed threads and all of the gears are visible fully engaged in their respective locations.
Gearbox 10 – Travel Stop Mounted
Click on photo for larger image.
In my shop, and presumably others as well, threading is important but not the most frequently used operation performed on the lathe. Most of the time, therefore, the setup shown in this photo is the “normal” mode of operation. The gear train is fully in place, but disengaged. An oversight when taking this photo is that the drive belt is not installed. Sorry ‘bout that!
The gear plate has been rotated towards the front of the lathe disengaging the “A” and “B” gears. Similarly, the idler arm has been moved into a neutral position disengaging those gears as well. When configured in this manner the feed motor is used as a leadscrew power feed in the same manner and using the same controls as I’ve been using it for several years. The long rod with the brass bumper on the right end is a travel stop that limits cross slide movement when performing operations close to the headstock. I have another, very effective, travel stop that can be located at any point on the ways, but it’s size is such that close to the headstock and underneath the chuck it isn’t effective – it’s too big for these close quarters. Details can be seen in my folder in the Yahoo Sherline User forum, in the “files” section.
This stop is a very simple adaptation of the mounting plate taking advantage of it’s width to equip the lathe with this secondary travel stop for circumstances when the other one’s size precludes it’s use. The stop rod is locked into position by a brass tipped SHCS. As an aside, I frequently use brass tipped screws in my projects to prevent marring mating surfaces.
Gearbox 11 – Threads cut with gearbox
Click on photo for larger
image.
The Gearbox works very well, as this photo illustrates. These are threads cut using the gearbox and the threading setup shown in the photo. These are 3/8" x 24 tpi threads cut in mild steel, and I believe the photo illustrates the quality of the finished product.
The threading cutter is the Sherline/Valenite carbide insert threading tool. The chuck and live center are non-Sherline modifications/upgrades beyond the scope of this discussion.
Gearbox 12 – All Gearbox Parts
Click on photo for larger
image.
This photo illustrates the gearbox fully engaged and set up to cut the 24 tpi threads shown in the above photo. In the foreground are two additional parts.
The “C” gear mounted on the gear plate has 20 teeth and is used when cutting “fine” threads (even numbers, 20 to 40 tpi as per the Sherline threading chart). To cut “coarse” threads (10 to 20 tpi also as per the Sherline threading chart) this gear is replaced with the 40 tooth gear shown leaning against the mounting plate.
The “C” gear is held in position with a retaining ring (snap ring) which is easily removed and replaced making this an easy swap. Please note that when using the 40 tooth “C” gear and also when cutting left-handed threads the idler arm needs to be mounted in the alternative lower threaded hole in the gear plate. In all other respects operation is as described above.
The gearbox can be used to cut left-handed “fine” threads. This is accomplished by leaving the small “C” gear as shown in this photo and adding the small gear/carrier also shown in the foreground. This gear is an idler that reverses the spindle rotation relative to that of the leadscrew so that they rotate appropriately for left-handed screws. When cutting these threads, the cross slide table is fed left to right when cutting and right to left for the return. This is the reverse of the normal operation and an operational adaptation necessary to keep the spindle rotating in the appropriate direction relative to the threading cutter.
As I built it, I did not allow for cutting left handed “coarse” threads. I did not find an appropriate location on the mounting plate that would allow me to use the extra idler necessary for cutting coarse left-handed threads although admittedly I didn’t pursue this issue too hard. Please note that the instructions for the Sherline threading kit clearly state that the lathe is not designed for cutting right-handed threads coarser than about 16 tpi or left-handed threads coarser than 20 tpi. In making my personal choices about the design of this gearbox I decided to accept these limitations at face value, although as built it will cut right handed threads as coarse as 10 tpi. Indeed, these limitations are of no operational consequence in my shop.
Other possible adaptations are indeed possible. The conceptual design of this gearbox is suggested by the Sherline instructions and threading charts. Close examination of the “inch” threading chart demonstrates that if one eliminates very coarse and very fine threads from consideration, i.e., all those that require the use of a 50-tooth gear in the “A” or “B” positions, all remaining threads can be cut with either the 20- or 40-tooth gear in the “C” position, and each of the 24 pitch gears in succession in the “D” position. Conceptually, this is exactly what this gearbox does, only it mounts all of them at the same time selectable using the movable gear on the idler arm.
Examination of the “metric” threading chart demonstrates a similar situation, the main difference being that the major variable is the gear mounted in the “C” position. There are only two significant options on the leadscrew shaft, once again the 20- or 40-tooth gears used to select “fine” and “coarse” ranges. Consequently, the principles demonstrated in my gearbox can be adapted to allow construction of a metric version. If this was done, the cone cluster would have to be in the “C” location probably necessitating a heavier mounting plate or other similar adaptation to provide adequate support for this shaft. The idler arm assembly, then, would select the appropriate “C” gear and mesh it with one of the two possible gears on the leadscrew shaft. Admittedly, I haven’t worked out the practical engineering necessary to build this configuration, but this is virtually the same starting point I used in designing the gearbox shown herein.
--Jim Knighton
Rubens Ramos Fernandes of Brazil sent these photo and his explanation of how and why he turned his standard P/N 1074 steady rest into a roller steady rest. (Click on any of the images to open a larger 800 pixel wide photo.)
"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 didn't use 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
Campinas, Brazil
A simple chip guard can be made from a large plastic soft drink bottle.
When using a fly cutter, chips get thrown everywhere including at the operator. I devised a very simple method of contain those chips. Take a clear 2 liter soda bottle, remove the label and cut off the top and bottom so that you end up with a straight cylinder. Slit the cylinder down the side. The slit cylinder is opened up and fitted around the work and the headstock. The bottom of the cylinder rests on the table and will allow the table to move along under the bottom of the cylinder. The soda bottle cylinder will contain almost all of the flying chips. Some will escape out the top, so eyewear is still definitely needed, but you will not have chips all over the place.
I suppose you could leave part of the curved portion of the soda
bottle intact for better chip containment if there wasn't much table travel
involved in the milling operation. That should work well for rotary table
use. The setup isn't especially elegant but it is simple, cheap and recycleable.
Charles Dukes
This centering device was turned on the lathe, using a 3/8-16 bolt. (Click on any image to view a larger version.)
Recently, I was faced with the need to mill circular paths in several pieces that I was using for a prototype item I was making. This meant that I had to align the center of the rotary table with the center of the milling cutter and then offset the cutter to the desired radius of each cut. It was not possible to realign the vise every time and get the job done in the required time. It was clear that I needed a way to keep the vise centered along one axis and to adjust it along the other. I noted that the threads in the center of the rotary table were 3/8“ in diameter so I figured that the head of a bolt could be turned down to fit in the bottom slot of the vise, which is ½” wide. The head of the bolt also had to be made shorter so it wouldn’t come in contact with the bottom end of the screw that clamps the vise. I drilled a hole in the center of the bolt head after it was shortened so I could use the tapered centering device (part # 40380) to align the rotary table and the milling cutter center. By aligning the rotary table with the centering device before clamping it to the milling table, I could easily get it in place. I established the center of rotation on each workpiece and after clamping it in the vise, moved the vise and the workpiece on top of the rotary table until it was centered and then clamped the vise to the rotary table. All I had to do then was to move the horizontal table until the cutter was at the desired radius and make the cut, while turning the rotary table by its handwheel.
The above pictures show the bolt and its position in the rotary table with the vise also in place. (Click on any photo to view a larger version.)
The notches in the support plate keep small parts from falling into the chuck during setup. It gives a smooth, parallel support for small parts held in the chuck. (Click on any image to view a larger version.)
Cut a plate out of aluminum to allow small parts to be machined
while being held in the Sherline 4-jaw chuck. The example pix shows a brass
slide valve being machined, with packing all around. The plate gives a flat
support, the slots allow the jaws to get in close to the stock being machined.
Holes can be drilled or machined through the plate, as it is expendable.
The plate is a simple 2" x 2" square of 1/8" thick aluminum plate (could be
round!), and may be cut out with a bandsaw. Size is unimportant, and thickness
can be changed to fit needs. 0.350" slots are cut in from three sides to clear
the width of a jaw. I leave about a 5/8" square of material in the center.
Leave less if desired. A three-jaw version could also be made with slots 120°
apart.
Alan Marconett KM6VV
A couple of different parts for a steam engine are held in the chuck using brass and aluminum spacers. Some of the finished parts are shown in the last photo. (Click on any photo to view a larger version.)
1. While clamping stock in a machinist's vice or chuck, lightly
clamp at first, then tap the stock lightly with a rawhide mallet to insure it is
seated. Tighten clamping or jaws afterwards.
2. Always use small rectangular packing on the moveable jaw of the machinist's
vice to allow stock to seat squarely against the fixed jaw. Also, use accurate
spacer blocks (or packing) under the stock, rather than attempt to seat it on
the bottom of the vice.
The first photo shows the stop plate from the front side, the second shows a view from the back side. (Click on either image to view a larger version.)
William A. Ritchie submitted this tip on making a stop plate that keeps the radius cutting attachment yoke from going beyond top dead center when cutting a ball end. The plate itself is cut from aluminum. The lower portion that attaches to the pivot support is 9/16" wide. The upper stop plate is 1-1/8" wide by 3/4" tall and the plate itself is 1-1/2" tall overall, but exact dimensions here are not particularly critical to its function. Mr. Ritchie used a 4-40 socket head screw to attach the plate to the support by drilling and tapping a hole in the support base.
An indicator held in the round hole of the P/N 7600 3/8" tool post is held on the part's centerline. (Click on image to view a larger version.)
The 3/8" tool holder is very versatile, and I have found several uses for it—from holding an end mill to boring work to assembling a dividing head on it. Another convenient use is for holding an indicator. The shaft of my (far east origin) indicator is 8 mm. I made a sleeve, slit lengthwise to fit over its shaft and into the 3/8" bore of the tool holder. It is especially convenient for indicating along the length of the work.
--Dan Pines
(L) An indicator stand is turned on the lathe using a 4-jaw chuck. (R) The stand mounts to the crosslide table using standard T-nuts. (Click on image to view a larger version.)
There are lots of ways to mount dial indicators on the lathe, but after looking at the hints and tips on the Sherline site I haven't seen anything quite like the setup I use. The attached photos illustrate an attractive, sturdy and very effective setup that might be of interest, especially to novices and beginners.
One photo shows the stand assembled and in use. The other photo shows the finished base while it is still in the independant 4-jaw chuck, illustrating how it was machined. The holes for the t-nuts that mount the base to the cross slide were drilled before the blank was machined, but the hole for the upright post was machined on the lathe as part of this setup. (The 3/16" T-slot holes are 1.5" on center to match the distance between the Sherline T-slots on the lathe table.)
The upright post is a short length (about 3.5") of 1/2" drill rod secured in the base with Locktite, and the horizontal rod is about 6" of 3/8" drill rod. The lengths of both are arbitrary and not critical. These diameters were chosen to match the commercially available swivel joints, or "snugs" selected for this project. These parts are available at modest cost from industrial suppliers such as MSC and Enco in both English and Metric sizes.
All in all, this is a simple and satisfying project that mounts on the crosslide and nicely complements the Sherline lathe
--Jim Knighton
Here is a tip that expands on the holder detailed by Jim Knighton above. Instead of mounting the indicator holder to the lathe table, Mr. Bassett offers the following suggestion:
"Every lathe must be mounted on a base—usually wooden. Woodworking stores such as Rockler (www.rockler.com) and Woodcraft (www.woodcraft.com) sell aluminum extrusions that allow you to install "T" tracks into grooves (dados) made with either a router or dado head on a table saw. I installed extruded aluminum T-slots flush with my wood lathe base and it allows me to easily mount such things as a light, magnifier or any other device you may think of, including Mr. Knighton's indicator holder."
—William Bassett, Clearwater, FL
Photos 1. & 2.—The faceplate with modified chuck adapter screwed in. Photo 3 shows the modified chuck adapter and attaching screw and washers. (Click on any photo to see a larger image.)
A fixture using all Sherline parts for making spoked wheels is a
snap. Parts Required:
Faceplate P/N 40070
10/32 x 1/2" SHCS with washer and lockwasher
Chuck adapter P/N 37090 (Comes with rotary table)
With chuck adapter inserted in rotary table using proper centering tools, drill and tap a hole dead center in the chuck adapter. Then screw on faceplate. All that is required is to drill a press fit hole in your wheel blank and secure it to the faceplate. No more worries about milling into the rotary table or setup fixtures in the way of your work, and if you mess up on your first light cut, you can reface the wheel without further setup; just screw it back on the faceplate and it's still centered. You can also true up the wheel on your lathe without removing your work from the faceplate.
The wheel blank is held to the rotary table using a 10-32 screw and washer in the center hole that has been drilled into the chuck adapter. Here the spokes of a wheel are being cut without using any additional clamps. In the third photo the fixture is held in the lathe chuck by chucking up on the unthreaded portion of the chuck adapter. (Click on any photo to see a larger image.)
If you feel that further lock-down to the table is necessary ( I've never had a problem), just clamp it down on the outside lip of the wheel without interference.
This takes less than an hour to produce, it's reusable, and the best part is the chuck adapter is still functional for any other uses you have for it, so you don't even need to buy another one because one comes with the rotary table. The photos above show how it works, and I hope this helps and prevents "buggering" up the best rotary table made for the price.
—Michael W. Klipp CPO US Navy ret.
Photos 1—A stereo microscope mounted on a Sherline lathe gives you the ability to view tiny operations in great detail while keeping a safe distance. (Click on any photo to see a larger image.)
NOTE: Since this tip was published, Sherline received enough interest in microscope mounts that mounts for both the lathe and mill have been added to the product line. The microscope shown in the photos can also be ordered directly from Sherline. CLICK HERE to learn more about Sherline's microscope and mount options.
Good vision the key to making small parts accurately
"How can you see what you are doing on such small parts?" Jerry Kieffer is noted for working to total scale on very small projects, and he's probably heard that question a thousand times. The smallest parts he makes are so tiny, some form of magnification is needed to see what is going on. Jerry has solved this by coming up with a mount to add a stereo microscope to his Sherline lathe and mill. The mount shown here is used as an example, but because microscopes vary so much from model to model it is not possible to present plans that would be of use to everyone. The idea is that once you see how it is done you can figure out how to adapt it to your particular application. The mount itself is fairly simple. It attaches to the cross slide table, allowing the microscope to track with the tool. This is a "boom-type" microscope made to be mounted to a steel boom. The boom arm allows the scope to be swung out of the way for changing parts. Jerry recommends a magnification of from between 3x and 12x power. Being able to switch to several different powers within that range is very useful. A comfortable working distance between the objective lens and the work piece would be between about 95 mm (3.75") and 130 mm (5.1").
1. A scope mounted to the milling machine in a similar manner. 2. A clear camera filter protects the lens from chips. 3. A view through the lens. Note that the camera does not capture as large a field of view as you would see looking through the lens yourself, and the image is not as sharp as the real thing. This view shows a .035" fitting being drilled with a .0095" (0.24 mm) drill. (Click on any photo to see a larger image.)
The same fitting can be mounted to a mill table. The head on the scope is rotated 180° to accommodate this installation. On both the lathe and mill a standard clear camera filter should be installed over the objective lens to protect it from cutting fluid, metal chips, etc. It can be easily removed for cleaning or replaced if it becomes scratched. Because a good used stereo microscope can cost $500 or more (around $2000 new), this application may not be for everyone, but for the watchmaker or modeler working on extremely tiny parts, it will take a lot of the frustration out of the work when you can see exactly what you are doing and make it possible to take your work to a higher level of accuracy and quality.
Submitted by Jerry Kieffer, DeForest, WI
Photos 1, 2, 3 and 4 show the indicator bolted directly to the holder with the indicator needle touching the top of the headstock case. (Click on any image for a larger photo.)
GM employee and long time Sherline user Steven Lang sent us an example of this useful indicator holder he had made from a P/N 1290 Steady Rest Riser Block ($50.00). By machining down the thickness and drilling an additional hole to mount the indicator, he was able to turn it in to a Z-axis holder for an inexpensive dial indicator. The extrusions of the 1290 come 1.2" thick, but Steven machined his down to a thickness of 0.50" to take up less vertical space. The 10-32 hole to mount the indicator is based on the location of the flange on this particular indicator. Check the one you are using and modify the hole location if needed. Although you could use a standard 10-32 socket head cap screw to secure the holder to the column dovetail, Steven has also turned a nice looking knurled knob and pressed it onto the head of 10-32 screw to eliminate the need for a hex key when moving the holder to a different position.
Thickness: 0.50"
Figure 1—In case you don't want to machine down a $50.00 part, here are the dimensions to make the holder from scratch. Click on the drawing above to view a larger and easier to read image. We regret the 55.5° angles, but that is the way the original design was laid out in the 1970's in Australia, and we have had to stick with it to keep all the accessories compatible with the machines then already on the market. A 60° angle would have made things much easier for you and for Sherline.
Photos 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 show an additional part mounted to the cut-down holder so that the indicator can be mounted above the holder by its shank, allowing the headstock to be brought up higher. With this modification, less than 1" of vertical travel is lost to the holder. (Click on any image for a larger photo.)
When we first received Steven's original prototype, Joe Martin commented that the design took up too much vertical space because of the way the indicator was mounted. Steven had been using it in setups where that vertical space was not a problem, but he took the advice to heart and came up with an additional piece that bolts to the first holder that allows the indicator to be held by its shank so it sits above the holder. This cuts the lost vertical space down to about the thickness of the holder. No plans for this additional part were sent, but by looking at the photo and coming up with a few dimensions of your own, we are sure you can make one that will work for your indicator now that you see how it's done.
Submitted by Steven Lang, Columbus, MI
The first photo shows the 10-32 handles that can be purchased quite inexpensively. The second photo shows them in place on the lathe tool posts and tailstock. (Click on any image for a larger photo.)
I greatly sped up my use of my lathe by replacing the stock
socket head cap screws on the tool holder with "plastic adjustable clamping
levers." You don't waste time grabbing the hex wrench to adjust the tool
position or to change from one tool holder to another. After you tighten the
handle, you can lift and rotate the handle so it is out of the way. I've
attached some photos of the handles in use.
The handles are available from MSC* threaded 10-32 in the following lengths:
Part No. Length
03781234 .63" (5/8")
03781242 .78" (3/4")
03781259 .98" (1")
03781267 1.26" (1-1/4")
They cost about $3.75 each and are well worth the investment.
Joe Travis, MD
Monroe, LA
*Manhattan Supply Co. (MSC) can be found at www.mscdirect.com or by calling 1-800-645-7270.
Ring lights are made to be installed around a camera lens to give even lighting for photos, but these small lights work well on a mill too. (Click on any image for a larger photo.)
The small 3" florescent ring light shown mounted to Roger Ronnie's mill is made by Stocker & Yale and is called a "Lite Mite". It was designed for use on a microscope. Although Roger found this one used one on eBay at a great price, they are also available new. One supplier we found through a Google search for "Stocker Yale, Lite Mite" is LabTek at http://www.labtek.net/Stocker&Yale.htm. Maybe you'll get lucky and find one on eBay too. They are available in various color temperatures of light from daylight (5100 K) to 3200 K, black light, yellow (photo resist) and high frequency models for less "flicker." The lamps should last about 7000 hours, but as Roger notes they are a bit "spendy" if a replacement is needed--about $38 each.
Roger mounted his light to the bottom of the headstock with two screws. After he mounted it he figured he could have put a little more thought into the mounting system and used some oversize holes with radial slots that would allow him to install and remove the light without taking the screws all the way out, but he says this is still easy to remove if needed.
Some of the newer ring lights for microscopes and cameras are turning to LED illumination instead of florescent. This offers the additional advantage of producing less heat, although the ones we found for cameras and microscopes in searches of the Internet were rather expensive--in the $300.00-$475.00 range.
Roger L. Ronnie
Rapid City, SD
Click on photo to view a larger image.
Bill Maxwell of Brighton, Michigan took a look at Roger's tip above, bought a light and attached it, adding an easy way to remove it. He attached an angle bracket using using the lower motor mount screw and then used three rare earth magnets that he obtained from Lee Valley Supply to attach the light. That way the light just pops on and off without having to deal with any attachment screws. He also repainted the light to match the black finish of the Sherline mill. Bill says he has also now placed some aluminum foil between the light and the mill head to reduce the distraction of the extra light that leaks through that space and is looking for the right scrap of aluminum to machine a better looking piece to fill that gap.
Richard Perry Murlless is a technical writer who submitted a nicely done file in PDF format on how to make your own ring light for about $92 in parts and tools. If you already have a slitting saw and some of the parts like wires and heat-shrink tubing it would be even less. This is a substantial savings over purchasing a new microscope ring light. He even gives you Radio Shack part numbers and material sources in his list. Click on the link below to view his PDF file.
Jerry didn't provide a photo of this tip, he just described it over the phone, but you probably don't even need a visual. We've provided an illustration to show what's going on, although it's pretty self explanatory. He needed to hold a long part (a model railroad car) on the mill and wanted to grip it from the ends, but his mill vise wouldn't open far enough. His answer was to take an old mill vise and saw it in two in about the middle. The fixed jaw portion is then mounted to one end of the mill table using two or three angle clamps in the groove. The moveable jaw portion and the rest of the base is moved to the other end of the table and clamped with two or three more clamps and the jaw tightened. It's just like having a really long vise. Perhaps you can find an older vise on eBay that you wouldn't mind dedicating to this task rather than buying a new one, or maybe you'd like to buy yourself a new one now that you have a good use for your old, beat-up vise.
--Jerry Kieffer,
DeForest, WI
The captioned images pretty much tell the story. (Click on any photo to view a larger image.)
Neil Yeager often lets his Sherline CNC mill run a job, but wanted to have the spindle motor shut off automatically when the cycle was completed and the Z-axis returned to the home position. That way if he didn't come back right away, the spindle motor wouldn't continue to run. He wired and additional on/off toggle switch into the line current and rigged it to be tripped by the raising of the headstock. He included a spring in the chain to dampen the movement. Here's what he had to say:
"I thought you might find this interesting. I looked around and didn't see anything like this on the market, so I made this device myself for my Sherline mill. The principle is simple, and I have this same setup to auto-stop my Lortone lapidary slab saw. Setup is pretty easy, and the idea is that for certain tasks you can set up your CNC mill, adjust the final Z setting and then walk away to do other tasks. The auto-stop turns off the drill head when the job is complete. I'm using a millimeter mill, so I adjust my final Z stop to be 20 mm. The initial starting point for the Z is 6 mm.
I am thinking of making these units for other machinists. It probably could be adapted to work on other types of machines as well."
Neil Yeager, Myrtle Beach, SC
GM Engineer Steven Lang has tuned up his vise like a racing Corvette to get more than stock performance out of it. Here are a couple of things he has done:
(Click on photo to view a larger image.)
1. Easier Barrel Release for Moving Adjuster from Slot to Slot--To make it easier for the adjuster barrel to drop out out of its retaining slot to move to another position, Steven has machined off about .100" deep in the area between the slots. You could do the whole inside surface, but this is really the only area that matters. In the photo above, you can see the area machined as the part where the black finish has been machined off.
2. Extending the moveable jaw travel--By opening up the slot further to the rear and putting a chamfer in the top surface so the hold-down bolt can extend further back, Steven has increased the clamping range to over 2.5". See photo below for how far the jaw will now open.
(Photo 1) The back of the slot is extended as seen from the bottom of the vise. (Photo 2) Seen from the top of the vise, a chamfered area allows the hold-down screw to extend farther back. (Click on any photo to view a larger image.) The photo below shows the new jaw opening to be as much as 2.5".
3. Slotting the vise jaws to hold short work without using parallels--No need for a photo here. Steven found it handy in a lot of operations when holding small parts to be able to hold them up high in the jaws without using parallels to raise them up. To do so he milled slots about .080" deep and .080" wide all the way across the top inner edge of each jaw. This provides a parallel resting place for the part to be clamped that works similar to the function of parallels but requires no extra support pieces.
NOTE: Machining this slot does eliminate the V-groove Sherline has provided to help locate round parts horizontally in the vise jaws.
From Steven Lang, Columbus, MI
(Left) Dental mirror attached to block. (Middle) End of part in natural shop light. (Right) End of same part with light reflected on end of part by dental mirror. (Click on any photo to view a larger image.)
This PowerPoint image from Steven shows some of the features. (Click on image to view a large photo.)
To take care of this problem, Steven mounted an old dental mirror to a 1-2-3 block and set it up so he could see the end of the part when looking straight down at it. This saves your neck muscles and gives you a dead-on end view of the part being turned. It also has the added benefit of reflecting light onto the faced surface, making it even easier to see what you are doing. In the left-hand photo above you can also see that Steven uses a 3-to-1 clip-on magnifying mirror mounted to a second indicator stand in order to get a magnified view of the end of the part.
From Steven Lang, Columbus, MI
Only one photo is needed for this one, it's pretty self explanatory. The gooseneck clamp attaches to the mill base and the 3x magnifier allows you to see small work up close. (Click on photo to view larger image.)
Joe Martin found one of these magnifiers on eBay a while back and ordered it to see if it would work on the mill. It did, so we looked further for a reliable source and found one through Amazon.com for $7.95 plus about $5 shipping (12/08). You can search Amazon.com for "gooseneck magnifier" or go directly to the company that fulfilled our order, Ramsey Electronics in Victor, NY. Once ordered, the company was great about sending tracking numbers and answering my e-mails. Mike Leo, one of the principals of the company contacted me personally as did Donna in customer service to assure me it was on the way when a billing glitch at Amazon caused an automatic e-mail that was a bit confusing. Ramsey Electronics has been around 37 years and seems to be a very reliable source for this item. They sell everything from hobby kits to forensic lab equipment at www.ramseyelectronics.com. You can order directly by phone. Their order desk is open Monday - Friday, 8:00AM - 6:00 PM ET. Call 800-446-2295 or 1-585-924-4560.
The first photo shows Larry's lathe with the power feed attached. The second shows the female plug he added to the speed control housing so that when power to the motor is switched off, power to the power feed is cut at the same time. The power cord is not plugged in for this photo to show the connector more clearly. (Click on photo to view larger image.)
Long-time machinist and Sherline customer Larry Kombrink notes that when using the power feed to put a nice finish on a part he sometimes forgets to turn off the feed motor when he turns off the spindle motor to measure or inspect the part. All his life he was used to mechanically driven feeds on larger lathes stopping automatically when the motor is turned off. The in-line switch for the power feed was not as accessible as he would like, so he solved the problem by installing a power outlet plug on his motor speed control that is powered only when the main spindle motor toggle switch is in the "ON" position. The power feed power cord is then plugged into that switched outlet instead of directly into the wall. Now, when he hits the power switch to turn off his spindle motor to check his part, it also turns off the power feed motor at the same time in case he forgot.
Larry purchased a female extension cord plugs at a local hardware store to make his modification. The front part of the female connector is attached to the speed control housing, and the rear portion is not used. Only 3 holes are required. The black wire from the speed control On/Off toggle switch has an additional lead running from the switch to the plug connection for the narrow power cord blade. The white wire from the board runs to the connector for the wide blade. A green Ground wire is connected to the ground terminal on the connector from the ground wire in the speed control housing. Instead of plugging the power feed cord into a wall outlet, it is instead plugged into the switched receptical on the speed control. When the main spindle motor toggle switch is ON, power goes to both the DC motor control AND to the outlet. Turning off the switch kills power to both the motor and the outlet, stopping the power feed drive at the same time as the spindle motor.
A piece of aluminum channel or square tubing can be used to make holders for the tools you use most often. These are shown mounted to the mill base. The mill is shown here with a P/N 1300 2" riser block under the mill base for extra Z-axis height. (Click on photo to view larger image.)
General Motors engineer Steven Lang likes to keep his tools in easy reach and out of the clutter of chips on the workbench. A few pieces of scrap aluminum channel or square tubing can be easily machined on the mill to be turned into handy holders for your most often used tools like Tommy bars and chuck or hex keys. Steven has used countersunk screws to attach them to the mill base for a neat appearance.
The same technique was used here to make holders for the lathe, attaching them to the side of the tailstock base. Here, the two holders are attached to each other due to the limited mounting surface area. Note also, that as in Tip 30, Steven has shortened a hex key and glued it in place to make a handy adjustment lever for the tailstock. He used a plastic rod end cover to add better grip on the lever end of the hex key.
Small rare earth magnets like the kind used to hold a jewelry bracelet clasp together are very strong for their size. They can be glued to a spot on your machine (Steven chose the speed control housing) and will hold a hex key ready for use. Just grab it and go. Stick it back when you're done.
The above photos show the magnets glued to the speed control housing. The second photo shows a close-up detail. (Click on either photo to view a larger image.)
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Want to keep your items in easy reach and get more of them in less bench space? Jeff Jones who has started a web page at http://www.digitalfires.com/sherlinetips.htm just to pass on a couple of his own discoveries and projects to help Sherline machinists.
An inch handwheel (left) has 50 marks, each indicating .001" of actual table travel. A metric handwheel (right) has 100 marks. When used on an inch machine, each of the 100 marks now indicates .001" removed from the diameter of the part. Shown are adjustable zero handwheels.
When the lathe crosslide is advanced to take a cut, the amount of the cut is removed from the radius of the spinning part. This means that TWICE that amount is removed from the diameter. If you advance the cutter 0.010", you remove 0.020" from the diameter. Because of this, most lathes have the handwheel on the crosslide marked to indicate the amount removed from the diameter rather than the amount the tool actually moves. Early in the design of the Sherline lathe, it was decided that a vertical milling column would be available as an accessory. (A complete mill was not yet available.) This meant that the crosslide handwheel if marked at 2X travel would not indicate the actual table travel when the lathe was used as a mill. Because this would cause a lot of confusion in milling, it was decided to leave the handwheel marked so that it read actual movement.
As luck would have it, however, if you never use your inch lathe as a mill and would like a 2X reading handwheel, Sherline already makes just such an accessory. It's called a metric handwheel. All you have to do is remove your standard inch handwheel that has 50 marks per revolution and replace it with a metric handwheel that has 100 marks per revolution. Just ignore the decimal point, because instead of marks of 10, 20, 30, etc. representing thousandths of an inch on the inch handwheel, the metric handwheel is marked .1, .2, .3, .4, etc. to indicate tenths of a mm. When used on an inch lathe, each of the 100 marks on the handwheel will now indicate the actual amount you will remove from the diameter of the stock in thousandths of an inch, although the ".1" mark now actually indicates 10 thousandths of an inch. One complete revolution of the handwheel indicates that you have removed .100" from the diameter.
You have your choice of standard 1-5/8" handwheel or adjustable zero handwheel. Here are the part numbers of the handwheels:
1-5/8" red standard metric handwheel with 100 marks: P/N 41050
2" adjustable zero metric handwheel with 100 marks: P/N 3430
