Sherline verses Cowells

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Sherline verses Cowells

This topic has 13 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 21 July 2017 at 17:02 by Stephen Benson.

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30 December 2009 at 07:03 #46769
Steve Wan
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@stevewan33894
Hi all,

I read many discussion about Myford and Warco machines. What
about smaller type, the Sherline (US made) and Cowells (UK made) machines?

Does anyone own a Sherline or Cowells likes to voice up
the ups and downs of using these machines?

I have a Sherline lathe and mill. Both served me well for over
a decade. No regrets but ones should not take too deep feed and
making sure not overheat the dc motor for long usage.

My biggest turned job were bench drill press-axial shaft and
my bicycle crankshaft using the Sherline lathe.

Regards
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30 December 2009 at 07:03 #21663
Steve Wan
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@stevewan33894
Sherline verses Cowells users feedback?
14 December 2011 at 14:00 #79828
Axel Bentell
Participant
@axelbentell
Old post, but I too have a Sherline. I like the machine, accepting the size and power restrictions of it. It can do more than most think, but it is slow with harder materials. Some attachments are not as good as what I see Cowells have. The machines are in different price categories though, so its unfair to compare these two actually. I would say that I cant find any other compact lathe in the competition that even comes close to the Sherline, the choice was easy for me!
14 December 2011 at 14:55 #79829
NJH
Participant
@njh
By observation ONLY I would say that the Cowells is by far the better machine in terms of its construction. It is a “proper” minature lathe and is very well suited to instrument / watch / clock work. Its price however is eye-watering!

Regards
14 December 2011 at 17:17 #79838
Chris Trice
Participant
@christrice43267
It’s a bit like comparing a Leica to a Zenit camera. They’ll both turn metal but the Cowells is a far superior lathe. They are pricey but that’s because only the scale is different. The attention to design and detail is exactly the same as bigger lathes. And yes, I have a Cowells which travels with me when workshops are lacking basic machinery.
14 December 2011 at 17:39 #79840
Tomfilery
Participant
@tomfilery
Steve,

I have had a Cowells lathe for around 30 Years (the ME one, rather than the clockmaker’s). I use it for general model engineering, rather than horology.

My experience is that it isn’t fantastically accurate (that’s down to your skill) and you get very sick of removing metal a few thou at a time (because if you try to take a bigger bite, the belt slips and it stalls). So, if you are producing small bits for OO, or even O gauge model railways, it will probably be Ok (though O gauge wheels and boiler parts might be problematic). I’m not saying you can’t do these bits, but care and a lot of patience is required.

Providing you accept that it will not be as accurate, and you might well have to put effort into setting up and adjusting, I think you’d be better off with a Chinese mini-lathe.

I’ve nothing against Cowell’s, it is a good machine – but value for money – I don’t think so.

I’ve recently renovated a Myford S7 and the choice that gives you (in terms of metal removal) is streets ahead of the perceived accuracy of the Cowell’s. I paid the same for the Myford (around £500) that I did for the Cowell’s 30 years ago.

The other man’s grass is always greener – I guess you pays your money and takes your choice!

Regards Tom
14 December 2011 at 17:45 #79841
IanT
Participant
@iant
In the US the comparison would probably have beeen made between the Sherline and the Taig – with the Taig (I think) being the less expensive of the two.

Taig is marketed in the UK as the ‘Peatol’ and I mention this because I have just purchased a Peatol (Taig) milling head, which seems very well built and comes complete with an ER16 collet chuck.

I started out looking for something like a ‘Potts’ milling spindle but the castings are no longer available (I guess Hemingway decided they were obsolete?) – and after looking around for an alternative thought of trying to use a Peatol lathe head instead. The very helpful proprietor (sorry his name escapes me – Ian?) suggested the ER16 milling head instead. I must admit it looks a very capable bit of kit (and was affordable – an important plus point for someone as tight as my sons seem to think I am!)

I plan to fit it on the end of my EW lathe-bed as a micro-milling attachment working on jobs attached to the EW boring table. It may also find a use as a milling spindle for work in the chuck – but this will require a different mounting. Anyway – a very expensive lump of cast iron has just arrived to facilitate this marriage of EW to Peatol.

So based on this very superficial experience (so far) I would suggest that for many purposes a Peatol lathe might be quite suitable for some folk – certainly for smaller work – and very much less expensive than a Cowell (I’m sorry to say). Worth exploring though if pennies are tight!

Regards,

IanT

Edited By IanT on 14/12/2011 17:46:33

Edited By IanT on 14/12/2011 17:48:02
14 December 2011 at 22:12 #79854
Chris Trice
Participant
@christrice43267
Actually, I agree about the Cowells belt slipping. That is annoying sometimes.
15 December 2011 at 14:44 #79882
steamdave
Participant
@steamdave
I am surprised that no-one has mentioned the Unimat. I have no experience with the latest incarnation, but the U3 served me well for many a year – in fact it was the first lathe I owned. The attachments are plentiful and books and many articles have been written about making accessories for it. I believe that the U4 has addressed the lack of power and the fact that the U3 motor was only intermittent rated.

I found the milling attachment quite useful, even though in larger size machines the combi machine is restricting.

Dave

The Emerald Isle
15 December 2011 at 20:44 #79903
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
My Dad has a Unimat 3, I was horrified to hear the motor has a sticker on it “3 minutes running time max”. must have been true as he burnt it out and got a replacement of a higher standard from Chronos for what he thought was a very fair price. the lathe itself is lovely, slides move like silk.

FWIW I made a Pott’s spindle from castings; never used it in anger – but nice gto make a ‘classic’! Instead I use a self-powered toolpost mill/drill made from the gearbox out of battery drill transplanted into a steel housing.

Neil
17 December 2011 at 15:48 #79982
Axel Bentell
Participant
@axelbentell
Got a pic of that mill/drill, Stub?
21 July 2017 at 15:02 #308120
Louis Showell
Participant
@louisshowell53682
I had my cowells for a while when I started college and was using a Colchester 1800, I told my tutor I thought my cowells was too small to do anything with. He told me off for disregarding such good tool and suggested I build a project on the cowells to find its limits. Part at home and part at college I completely built a Stuart Turner 10H using only my cowells . Excellent machine using it now to make bits to get my Myford ml1 going. Yes it was expensive then but 37 years later is still as good .
21 July 2017 at 15:12 #308122
Nick_G
Participant
@nick_g
Posted by Louis Showell on 21/07/2017 15:02:32:

but 37 years later is still as good .

.

Golly. That is nearly as long ago as the original thread was started.

Nick
21 July 2017 at 17:02 #308134
Stephen Benson
Participant
@stephenbenson75261
I have been using my Cowells for years and I have few comments first new belts do not slip once the belt starts to slip it is getting worn out, having to remove the spindle to replace is probably why Cowells owners do not replace the belts as often as they could. never had a problem with accuracy had no problems using 0.5mm carbide drills on French Clock pivots or making parts for my Stewarts S50 steam engine

Second comment never used a Sherline but they have a good rep with USA clock makers , my observation is the black anodising looks terrible after a year or so

Edited By Stephen Benson on 21/07/2017 17:02:33
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