Sherline lathe + Frog CNC. Go or no-go?

[pbarrette]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of purchasing a hobby sized lathe and have been looking at several options.

I think I have decided on the Sherline 4000 due to its size, apparent quality, ability to use 110-220v and the ability to upgrade to full CNC incrementally.

I am also thinking of getting the Frog CNC kit which would allow for a decent power-feed plus the ability to do CNC threading.

It seems that most people here have the larger 7x1? lathes, but those are much too bulky for me since I don't currently have an actual workshop. Also, the ability to use both 110v and 220v is important since I will likely be moving to Germany soon and would want to use the lathe with minimal fuss when I do move, and eventually move back.

Does anyone here have any experience with the Sherline or the Frog and would be willing to share the ups and downs?

I plan on using this setup to make some small (no larger than 2xAA) custom bodies, heatsinks and possibly some reflectors down the line when I get CNC added.

So my real question is this: Will this be a viable setup that I could actually learn on and use in the long run? Or will I just end up a year down the road wishing I had gotten a 7x1? and buying a 220v motor?

Thoughts, ideas?

I hope to purchase the lathe by the end of the month.

Thanks for your input,
pb

 

[PhotonFanatic]

While CPF is a great resource, I think you might get a lot more information from this user group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sherline/

 

[pbarrette]

Hi oeo2oo,

I signed up there the other day and plan on asking questions there as well, but I was hoping for a CPF'ers point of view as well. Also, I'm guessing that the Sherline group is at least a little biased and I was hoping to avoid that here.

Thanks for the link though,
pb

 

[Chief_Wiggum]

I have a Taig with the Frog. The Frog is okay, but really not the best solution for CNC work. It's a little finicky and not very powerful.

I passed on the 7x10 and bought the Taig, but after seeing my friends HF 7x10 I wish I had bought one. It's not very much larger than the Taig or Sherline, but really is better for flashlight work.

 

[pbarrette]

Hi Chief,

It's too late. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I bought a barely used Sherline on ebay already and now I'm just waiting for it to get here. I have also been looking at a lot of low cost CNC options and I'm thinking that the Frog is probably not the way to go.

I've already built the spindle speed sensor circuit described here and I'm thinking I'll probably go with the Xylotex controller board for a motor driver. That board seems to be the best combination of low cost and usability/reliability.

As for the power of the Frog, I think I read that the Taig lathe version comes with a lower power stepper than the "standard" motor that is shipped with the Sherline lathe, mill and Taig mill version.

I figure the Xylotex board (~$130) + 2x~150oz/in steppers ($100) + Sherline motor mounts ($175)+ spindle speed encoder ($0) would be a fairly decent setup that should allow me step nicely into CNC and handle CNC threading as well.

In the end, I opted for the Sherline for a few reasons (in general order of importance):
1) It is small and lightweight. I'm going to be moving to Germany real soon and I don't know what kind of workspace I'll end up with. I don't want to worry about hauling around a ~100lb 7x10 if I end up with a smaller workspace that requires me to set-up/tear-down the lathe a lot.

2) Since I'll be moving to Germany, I need something that will work on 220v/50Hz power. The Sherline handles both 110v and 220v natively. With the 7x10 models, I would have had to find a 220v motor that would work with it and store the original 110v motor until I returned to the US.

3) Ease of use. I've read up a lot on the 7x10's and it looks like there is a lot of initial work involved in cleaning and assembly before you can even chuck up your first piece and get the satisfaction of taking your first cut. The Sherline, OTOH, is virtually ready to go right out of the box.

4) Availability of parts and accessories. Sherline makes a crap-load of accessory tools and they are easy to install and use. Many people make their own for the 7x10, but many of those people also have a mill to help out. If I ever break a part on the Sherline, I know that I can find a replacement part quickly and easily.

5) Cheaper and easier to upgrade to CNC. The larger lathes seem to require much higher torque steppers to run and those cost a lot more money. Those high-torque steppers also seem to have a larger power draw which means using a driver board that is rated at a higher power. Those drivers also cost more. Then you have to mount your motors with reasonable accuracy. Sherline makes their own motor mounts, which are a bit pricey, but are easy to install and high quality. From what I've seen, most of the 7x10 owners have had to make their own motor mounts when going to a CNC setup and I don't think I'm comfortable with that at my stage of experience.

5) Manufacturer support. I have had good experiences with Sherline customer support when I called them. They were more than helpful in answering my questions related to their products. They were also more than happy to answer questions regarding purchase of a used lathe which leads me to believe that they aren't just after my money.

Ok.. Now that was rather long winded of me, so I apologize for all the additional purchasing choice info.

Thanks for the help,
pb

 

[KoryHamzeh]

Just a quick note. The motor that come with the Sherline Frog is completely different and much more powerful than the one that ships with the Taig Frog.

Regards,
Kory
www.avatartools.com

 

[gadget_lover]

Oh goody. A CNC person!

I have a CNC lathe that has the motors and such. Can the frog controllers handle other stepper motors? My lathe is a "Spectralight" but I don't have controllers.

Thanks

Daniel

 

[PaulB]

Hey Gadge, do you now have 2 lathes ?

 

[gadget_lover]

Hi Paul. Well, sort of.

I have my Harbor Freight 7x10 and I also have a CNC setup that was scrapped by the local school because the controller was lost. I guess the person who lost it was the same guy who loses only one tennis shoe on the freeway.

The lathe works. It has a long bed but the chuck is only 2.5 inches (I think). It can't handle thick pieces. There are manual wheels on the servos so you could move it that way. I'm still looking for controllers/software that can drive the servos.

I'm doing all my current projects on the 7x10. It's remarkably capable even with my (low) skill level.

Daniel