Questions for Sherline lathe users

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Thanks that makes a lot of sense. Hmm, after doing a lot of reading, I think I'll get much more use out of the Beall Collet Chuck than some of the other options (thanks for the tip - they make one specifically to fit Sherline so no need for an adaptor). I can use definitely see using them in my other hobby of model ship making.

I noticed people here buy the Beall and buy a set of metric chucks separately. I tend to mostly work in metric for modeling, so that seems like a good solution. I saw that folks here years ago went with an eBay seller named 800watt, but I don't think he is around anymore. Anyone buy from this guy, or have any other recommendations? I'm a bit nervous buying a set from someone other than the chuck maker, but looks like I have no choice in this case:

Amazon.com: ER32 Collet Set By 16th or 32nds: Home Improvement

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I purchased a set of 19 ER32 metric collets from 2-20mm for about $60 from www.banggood.com. I've placed over 10 orders with them and no problems. Takes 2-4 weeks for delivery. The collet chuck and collets were surprisingly good quality. They also have carbide inserts and other wood turning tools.


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Hi everyone, just wanted to thank you all again for helping me work my way through the Sherline set up. Just some updates that might be helpful for others using Sherline products:

I ended up selling my 8" lathe and upgraded to a new 17" Sherline. Has made a world of difference! Now I have no issues in setting up blanks for drilling and turning. The straw that broke the camel's back for me was trying to use a third-party 1/2" drill chuck. That thing took up half the work space on the old lathe, and I couldn't get blanks to fit.

I started drilling blanks on the lathe as opposed to using that wacky set up on my mill. The mill worked great, but lathe drilling is a bit more precise, particularly using the Beall collet chuck (Beall makes one specially for Sherline headstocks). Takes longer to drill, but worth it in my opinion.

To round blanks, I tried using a carbide cutter in my tool post. Last night I had an uneven block of cherry, and was able to cleanly take it down to a round blank. Much easier than doing it by hand and trying to make sure that the blank is equal diameter throughout the full length.

I also purchased from Rick Herrell (@rherrell) his Sanding Mill 2.0 and the Offset Lathe Sanding Jig. His sanding mill is fantastic - really helps the clean up at the ends of blanks if you are applying a CA finish. I haven't had a chance to use his sanding jig yet, but it looks equally great and I would mention that Rick was kind enough to modify it to work better with my lathe. Thanks Rick!

It's funny, when I thought I'd try pen turning, I figured I had a lathe and wouldn't need much more. Amazing how many tools and accessories you can add.
 
mcpesq817 said:
Hi everyone,

I'm brand-new to pen turning, and had a few questions for those that use Sherline lathes or are familiar with the tool.

1. I believe the Sherline headstock is a #1 Morse taper, and the tailstock is a #0. I'm very new to lathes as well (I had a very basic mini woodturning one years ago, the Proxxon DB250), but from what I understand, I would select a #1 mandrel to go into the headstock, and use a live center in the tailstock?

2. For the "mandrel saver" devices, it looks like they come in #1 and #2 sizes. I'm not exactly clear how these work. Do I just buy the one that matches the mandrel size (which would be a #1 mandrel)? Or do they need to slide into the tailstock and thus I would need a #0 piece? Since #0 pieces aren't made, what do Sherline folks do?

3. Is it possible to turn between the centers on a Sherline lathe? If so, what components would I need? Does the #0 tailstock cause any issues in sourcing tools?

4. I was planning to drill the blanks on the lathe, as I don't have a drill press and didn't want to buy one of those pen blank drilling jigs if I can avoid it. I have a Sherline mill which an extended column which might be an alternate, but was just wondering how feasible it was to drill using the lathe.

5. Any other recommendations or tips for folks using a Sherline? I have the 8" bed lathe, and see myself mostly doing this recreationally. To start, I wanted to make myself a nice workbench pencil, and am going to turn a few colorful pencils for my girls.

Sorry for what probably seem like very basic questions. Many thanks in advance!

Mike
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I have been making over 70 pens on my Sherline lathe. It is perfect for me as I can do it on an ordinary desk sitting down.

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Dumb question. When I go to Beale catalog, it lists several collet chucks. Which one should I get. Thank you.
 
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