Roland:
If these are the choices and you wish to work on torches, there is no question that the much larger C4 would be preferable. I have a Sherline and, although it is well made and is well suited to small workpieces, it lacks the power, physical rigidity and operational flexibility of a more traditional bench top lathe. I've never seen a C4 in person but the features (see this:
http://www.mini-lathe.com/m4/C4/c4.htm) make it appear much the same as the class of mini-lathes that have been used by many on this forum to produce some very nice work.
If I had to give a single reason to recommend the C4 over a Sherline for working on torches, it would be "threading." The Sherline has an accessory threading kit that can get the job done, but very inconveniently. The C4 will make comparatively short work of threading even though it appears that manual gear changes are required. In practice, I find that a torch made from scratch doesn't require more than two thread pitches so the changes go quickly once mastered and aren't a huge inconvenience for a hobbyist.
You will also find that you can buy tooling and accessories for the C4 from many sources, whereas the Sherline ties you into its own tooling and accessories to a much greater extent and, often, at greater cost.
Best of luck to you and welcome to this sub-forum, also known as "The Land of Disappearing Funds."
David
