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Here is a great addition to the Sherline product line!
Sherline now offers a high quality microscope and mount for the Sherline lathe. The
stereo microscope allows very close inspection of the part while it is being cut with
variable magnification from 5x to 100x. It can be purchased separately for use on any
existing Sherline lathe or it can be ordered along with the purchase of a new lathe. It
can also be used as a stand alone microscope.
with Lathe mount.
$750.00
with Mill mount.
$865.00
There are a number of circumstances that might make extremely close inspection of the cutting of a part on
the lathe important. First of all, this mount can be of use to those whose failing eyesight makes it difficult for
them to work on parts. It is also useful for those with normal eyesight who work on extremely small parts. In
addition, those who are tasked with working on very high value parts where a mistake can be costly will want
to have the best possible view of what they are doing to assure a perfect cut the first time and every time.
Added to the value of the purchase of this accessory is the fact that the microscope itself comes as a
complete unit with its own base in addition to the lathe mount base, so it can be used apart from the lathe for
other inspection purposes in the shop or lab.
and armrests that come with it. When used as a
stand-alone inspection scope, the light source
can be mounted in the base with a glass slide
under the stage and a reflecting mirror for
lighting an object from below as shown here or
the metal stage can be used and the light
relocated to the pivoting mount on the head to
light the subject from the top.
Two pairs of eyepieces (8x and 14x
magnification) are provided along with a bulb
and two spares. The third 8x eyepiece contains
a measuring scale.
An alternate measuring grid lens is provided in
the small white case. An instruction book
comes with the scope and Sherline provides a
supplement with additional setup information
along with the lathe base. A vinyl dust cover
(not shown) is also included.
The sturdy Sherline mount attaches to the lathe
table with two 10-32 socket head cap screws
and T-nuts. Shown here is a prototype base.
The production bases will be black anodized.
(Click photo to enlarge.)
Sherline has designed a special mount that
accepts the head of the microscope for use on
any new or existing 4000* or 4400 series
lathes. It mounts to the rear of the table and
includes a base and column. The stop ring is
transferred from the standard microscope
base. The base is made from 6061-T6
aluminum and the column is 22 mm solid drill
rod.
*NOTE: 4000-series lathes made before 1994
with a 4" long table will need to be upgraded to
the newer 6" table in order to be able to
position the mount properly and still have room
for a tool post. Order P/N 44881 (6" table and
leadscrew with standard handwheel, inch) or
P/N 44883 (6" table and leadscrew with
adjustable zero handhweel, inch). Call for
metric part numbers. All 4400-series lathes
have always come with the longer 6" table.
The mount was designed by renowned
micro-machinist Jerry Kieffer and fine-tuned by
Joe Martin. It is CNC machined from solid
aluminum and pivots through over 90° of
movement on four large ball bearings. This
allows your milling operation to be viewed from
front, side or anywhere in between.
The solid steel scope mount tube allows
adjustment up and down. This allows you to focus
on the work whether you are using a short end mill
in a holder or a drill bit in the longer drill chuck. A
thumbscrew locks the mount in any position.
Sherline sought the advice of master craftsman Jerry Kieffer when selecting a microscope for use with the
lathe. The scope we chose is a Russian-made scope of very high quality and sturdy construction. Jerry has
used a number of scopes when making some of his extremely small parts, and found this to be the best
combination of function, quality and price. It offers quality equal to other European scopes costing many
times more and comes with all the features someone using it for machining purposes would want, such as
just the right focal distance, a moveable light source and very high quality lenses.
When using a microscope on the lathe, only the lowest powers are practical for use. These give you a wide
enough field of view to see what you are doing but enough power to see the tool and part clearly magnified.
In fact, according to Jerry you can make cuts on a part .010" in diameter and it "just about looks like a
fence post." Because the scope comes with its own stand, it can also be used separately where the higher
magnifications would be of use for other inspection or examination purposes. The eyepieces offer 8.16x
and 14.30x magnification. The focusing mechanism offers 0.57, 1.01, 2.00, 4.00 and 7.05x powers. This
provides a range of from 4.65 power (8.16 x 0.57) up to 100.81 power (14.3 x 7.05).
The Sherline mount includes:
Mount with billet aluminum base and solid steel column
*
Mounting screws and T-nuts
*
Improved pivot joint for light source to replace the one included with the microscope
*
O-ring to secure light source in mount
The Microscope includes:
Stereo Microscope head
*
Microscope stand with stage and adjustable arms
*
Glass and metal stages with hold-down arms
*
Light source with flexible mount, 110 VAC transformer and thee bulbs
*
2 eyepieces 8x and 2 eyepieces 14x magnification
*
1 eyepiece 8x magnification with measuring scale plus an optional grid scale
*
Instruction manual
*
Vinyl dust cover