Product Description
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6″ Lathe Crosslide Assembly with 2″ Zero Handwheel – Manual
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Protected: Sherline Precision Jewelers Lathe
The 8″ tabletop lathe is an ideal precision tool for jewelers and gem cutters working on small, detailed components such as rings, settings, mandrels, bezels, bushings, and custom fixtures. It can turn parts up to 3.5″ in diameter over the bed or 1.88″ over the carriage, with 8″ of distance between centers, providing ample capacity for most jewelry and lapidary work without unnecessary machine size.
For jewelry applications, we often recommend the 8″ tabletop lathe over our 17″ model. The additional bed length of the 17″ lathe is rarely needed for typical jeweler or gem-cutting tasks, and its longer layout requires reaching farther to operate the Z-axis handwheel. The compact design of the 8″ lathe keeps both handwheels close to the work area, allowing for greater control, improved ergonomics, and more precise hand-fed cuts during fine finishing operations.
The lathe features an electronic speed control that provides continuously variable spindle speeds from 70 to 2,800 RPM without belt changes, making it easy to dial in the correct speed for delicate materials and small-diameter tools. A secondary pulley position is available when additional low-RPM torque is needed for tougher materials or heavier cuts. Despite its compact footprint, the machine is rigid and stable, delivering the smooth, controlled operation required for jewelry-scale precision.
Typical Jewelry & Gem-Cutting Applications
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Turning and sizing ring blanks and bands
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Machining ring mandrels and expanding mandrels
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Cutting and finishing bezels, settings, and prongs
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Making collet-held parts and small precision components
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Truing and modifying stone setting tools
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Fabricating custom jigs, fixtures, and specialty tools
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Light turning of precious and non-precious metals
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Working with wax, plastic, aluminum, and steel for prototypes and tooling
Expanding Ring Mandrel
Sherline Products, in collaboration with Bryan D. Drummond (gem cutter and goldsmith), designed this Expanding Ring Mandrel specifically for making and modifying rings on the Sherline lathe.
The mandrel is manufactured from 12L14 steel and features a black oxide finish for rust prevention.
It is designed for use with stepped ring collets manufactured by Ring Tech (Faceting Collets Stepped). These Ring Tech collets are known for their excellent quality and superior design, and, like our machines, are made in the USA.
If you are using a brand of collet that is shorter than the Ring Tech collets, the mandrel includes a spacer washer that fits against the shoulder of the mandrel. This allows shorter collets to be properly positioned at the front of the mandrel.
