Taper bar questions

All you have to do is offset the tailstock you already have.

Offset your tailstock as mentioned and run a crosslide mounted dial indicator up and down the butt until it reads zero while checking the offset. It is best to cut the grove with a router to eliminate chatter.

Live Center

Cmbeers said:

Ok, more questions. Lol. I know how to offset the tailstock and cut between 2 centers but how do you do it with the pin on the butt? I don't want to bend any pins. Any pics of it being done?


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You make an adapter using your lathe.
Or use a maintenance pin.

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Cmbeers said:

Ok, more questions. Lol. I know how to offset the tailstock and cut between 2 centers but how do you do it with the pin on the butt? I don't want to bend any pins. Any pics of it being done?


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Build a delrin joint protector that is 1/4" longer than the pin. Then after you instal it ,chuck up on the joint and centre drill the end of the joint protector. You can now work between centers and use the offset tailstock method.

What he said.

Canadian cue said:

Build a delrin joint protector that is 1/4" longer than the pin. Then after you instal it ,chuck up on the joint and centre drill the end of the joint protector. You can now work between centers and use the offset tailstock method.

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Good suggestion!

Cmbeers said:

I've had a few customers ask for wrap groves to be cut in their cues and add a linen wrap. I currently do linen wraps but I'm not set up to cut grooves.

So I'm looking at my options. I could buy an adjustable boring head with live center. Or I could buy a taper bar from unique. My other option is a cue taper jig from bb6.

Not sure what route I would like to go. Can you all steer me in the right direction? Any photos of setups?

If I go the taper bar route, what do I need to do to the cross-slide? Add springs?

My lathe is a Mid America with lathe bore headstock.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Chris

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Chris,

Working with taper bars or offset is a tricky business when you have no experience especially when doing a taper match on a wrap groove. If I were you I would not take on any customers request until you have done a lot of wrap grooves and established an experience curve that only making some mistakes can deliver.

There are more details here to be considered than have been discussed especially if you are cutting into a finished cue. Travel rate, rpm, tooling, concentricty of the cue and the machine between the tailstock and dead center or chuck / collet set up just to mention a few. The step concentricty will be off if everything is not just right. You must not accept even the smallest amount of run out but understand how to make it work if everything is not perfect.

Like the Sho Lin Master said to Kane, "When you can walk on the rice paper and not have left a mark Grasshopper, only then shall you have learned". LOL. Lots of practice first.

This is not basic, it is Journeyman's work. Good luck and be careful, it is easy to open up a can of worms!

JMO,

Rick

IMO, this task is more accurately performed on a lathe with a compound carriage.
Also, I don't want to have to rely on the pin being DNP concentric, either.
I prefer to chuck as close as possible to the 'cut' leaving the pin deep in the head-stock.
This eliminates any abnormalities with the pin's installation. Take it out of the equation.

Get used to working with a dial-indicator and put a taper-machine on your wish-list.
Accurate work doesn't happen by accident.

Some very good advice. Especially from Rick and Kj. Be careful.

Canadian cue said:

Build a delrin joint protector that is 1/4" longer than the pin. Then after you instal it ,chuck up on the joint and centre drill the end of the joint protector. You can now work between centers and use the offset tailstock method.

Click to expand...

You can also make a snug fitting plug to go into the hole your rubber bumper goes into and center drill the butt end just like the joint end to give centers on both ends. That is how I do it when using taper bars. The above method does not care if the joint is off center as you are centering to the cue itself and not the joint screw. Now if the cue has a wobble steady rests holding the cue on the forearm works to eliminate wobble.

KJ Cues said:

IMO, this task is more accurately performed on a lathe with a compound carriage.
Also, I don't want to have to rely on the pin being DNP concentric, either.
I prefer to chuck as close as possible to the 'cut' leaving the pin deep in the head-stock.
This eliminates any abnormalities with the pin's installation. Take it out of the equation.

Get used to working with a dial-indicator and put a taper-machine on your wish-list.
Accurate work doesn't happen by accident.

Click to expand...

Wait, you mean he has to make a collet to match near the bottom of the forearm?
Indicate that to near zero if possible then have at it with the taper bar?
This offset tailstock method between centers is kinda scaring me.