Inexpensive setup to do your own tips ...

3andstop said:

Maniac is not the guy with this machine first of all, I am ... secondly, I guess you still didn't read what I wrote specifically on this point. I use plastic clear hose .. (tubing) slide it over the shaft after you remove the tip. Then, secure it from sliding by simply using some painters tape on the end of the hose.

The hose acts as a collet ... the wheels NEVER touch the shaft ... the hose does not rotate and there is zero chance of harming the shaft. Your concern is a non issue if the person using the machine has half a brain to take common sense precautions.

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There is always a chance of screwing up a shaft no matter what is used.
And the machine you are using has a lot of angry customers.

There is no reason to be sarcastic , Its not my fault that so many people have had issues with the same machine.

I am only repeating what I have read from the cue makers section.
And I am not willing to jump in the sand box and argue about how anyone replaces a tip.


MMike

mortuarymike-nv said:

When it marks up one of your shafts please post your opinion then.

How do you plan on running those hard wheels against soft maple.


MMike

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LOL, I was thinking the same thing. All the setup to save $10 on tip installation from a professional installation once or twice a year.

I had a similar set up for a while with that POS steady rest with the black hard rubber wheels. even with the tape and the the supplied piece of rubber hose they called a "collet" it still left a circular rut that my shaft never recovered from. I switched the hard rubber wheels to wide gum skateboard wheels and the thing worked out a 100% better. It's still good for clean and wraps but I'd probably never put another shaft on it. But if it works for you then go with it, nice set-up.

abbassi said:

LOL, I was thinking the same thing. All the setup to save $10 on tip installation from a professional installation once or twice a year.

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Not everyone has access to a professional installer.

There's some impressive stuff on this thread.

abbassi said:

LOL, I was thinking the same thing. All the setup to save $10 on tip installation from a professional installation once or twice a year.

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C'mon abbissi, most TIPS cost at least $10. There isn't any professionals doing tip jobs for nothing but the cost of the tip.

Fort Worth Billiards Supply once charged me $30 for a Triangle tip install, and THAT was what prompted me to set up my home-made shaft spinner.

I do tip replacement for friends and teammates, so the once or twice a year doesn't hold water either. I charge them whatever the price of the tip is they want installed and have them buy me a Crown & Coke when I bring their shaft to them at the pool hall for labor. Pretty sweet deal for them if you ask me. FTR, I've had nothing but high praise for all the replacement tips I've installed.

Maniac

I agree with Mike on this one. really, they are nice set ups that will get a tip and shaft maintenance done for you.

Honestly, I have read too many horror stories of people using those 3 wheeled steady rests. I know that you can put tape around the shaft but if you have to resort to that so as to not damage a shaft, I would rather not do it.

Chris Hightower, Todd and a couple of others can make or sell you a steady rest with a bearing in it or a 3 jaw chuck that could easily be adapted to your style of bed or just purchase a small piece of dove tail bed from Taig or any of the other people that I mentioned.

In the long run, you would have so much more peace of mind by using a bearing steady or a chuck and it wouldn't break the bank on you either.

You can still use the drill as a motor, nothing wrong with that way.

Maniac said:

C'mon abbissi, most TIPS cost at least $10. There isn't any professionals doing tip jobs for nothing but the cost of the tip.

Fort Worth Billiards Supply once charged me $30 for a Triangle tip install, and THAT was what prompted me to set up my home-made shaft spinner.

I do tip replacement for friends and teammates, so the once or twice a year doesn't hold water either. I charge them whatever the price of the tip is they want installed and have them buy me a Crown & Coke when I bring their shaft to them at the pool hall for labor. Pretty sweet deal for them if you ask me. FTR, I've had nothing but high praise for all the replacement tips I've installed.

Maniac

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Well, maybe people don't have access to someone with a lathe. By me, the pool halls have lathes. I usually bring a tip, some times not, and give the pool hall owner a chance to make a little extra money. Usually its 10 bucks. They already have a lathe setup just for that. I can do it myself at home, but why bother. On the lathe its 5 minutes.

Blue Hog ridr said:

Chris Hightower, Todd and a couple of others can make or sell you a steady rest with a bearing in it or a 3 jaw chuck that could easily be adapted to your style of bed or just purchase a small piece of dove tail bed from Taig or any of the other people that I mentioned.

You can still use the drill as a motor, nothing wrong with that way.

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Can you post a picture of this apparatus? I certainly am not at all opposed to making improvements.

Maniac

http://www.midamericapool.com/

This is Todd's site. he is also helpful and a great guy to do business with. One the first page you can see both a steady rest using s chuck and a little further down, a steady with a bearing. Making a collet to fit inside the bearing is an easy task as you can use
a piece of clear tubing that you have been using any way.

Chris send his out with a piece of green table felt to line the inside of the bearing. That works just as well.

You can purchase plastic or Delrin collets.

You can buy a short piece of aluminum or steel dove tail and screw it down to you mounting board after you drill holes in it.

I think that after seeing your guys set ups, you will be able to look at examples of Todd's lathes and figure out what you might do to modify your lathes to accept a different steady or maybe just make an entirely new set up with a longer piece of dove tail bed, your drill motor and a steady.

If you started that way, eventually you could add a head stock to your set up to replace your drill as they frequently come up for sale in the Machinery Forum for decent prices. Penn State also sells a complete motor assembly for a little over $100.

With the right size rubber O Ring, which is what people use for a pulley anyway, you can attach the Penn State motor and head stock in the future.

With a little dreaming, you could end up with a home made full blown tip lathe for a decent price as well.

Also, if you were to purchase a longer piece of dove tail, enuff to accommodate your entire shaft length, buying a tail stock with a drill chuck, you will be able to do great shaft cleans and even sanding. One piece at a time.

More than one way to skin a cat.

BTW, not trying to be negative re your equipment. I just hate to see people struggle with something, rather than doing a bit of planning and making your job much more easier and professional.

Re doing own tips

I have used a drill
I put a bolt in the chuck cut to the size of pin 5/16 usully and attach a short 1/4 gas line hose aprox 2 inches and stick the bolt cut with the pin size 5/16 X 14 coarse or 5/16 X 18 fine tread ....attach shaft to the pin
Lock the drill on and you have a flexible shaft, now secure / rest over something solid and free hand use a sharp razor usually from a scraper replacent blade single edge to shape your tip as it spins leaving a very little over sized tip and then burnish with a piece of leather till the wall compact and is flush with the ferrol............ as you do one the expirience will set on making future ones easier
Note: don't get to close to the ferrol as you may scar same.........this method is great to clean and burnish your shafts and ferrules
Hope this may be helpfull to somebody

Help someone if you can
Ps. If you have a broken cue, you may use the pin to hold your shaft as well

Or how about a joint protector if it is small enuff in diameter to fit in your drill chuck.

There is one of the cheapest maintenance arbors that can be had.

Usually they can be used in a regular head stock but like I say, there is always more than one way to skin a cat.

Blue Hog ridr said:

More than one way to skin a cat.

BTW, not trying to be negative re your equipment. I just hate to see people struggle with something, rather than doing a bit of planning and making your job much more easier and professional.

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BHR, I appreciate the link and all the suggestions, really! But as to the "struggle", "easier", and "professional" part of your post, I just want to say that I do not struggle whatsoever with the setup I have. It couldn't be any easier to use. As I also said in an earlier post, my tip jobs have been lauded as being better than one of the local "professional" tip repair places can do. My tips/shafts DO look like a "professional" job.

Once again, a sincere thanks for the ideas and links, but I'm not convinced that I need to do anything else nor spend any more money for no more than I'm using my setup as is. There's really no need to. Now.......if it happens that someday my setup DOES cause a damaged shaft, then I would at once start looking at other options. I just can't see that happening, if after about 40 tip replacements, it hasn't happened yet.

Maniac (my last post here, I swear)

Bad choice of word. Sorry.

Just remember, Never is a long time. People can mess up large with a 3500 dollar lathe quite easily too.

yea...I guess, I messed up and spent an a$$ load of money...on a bunch of equipment...(and still spending)

But, I Love it...What a hobby...and yes, I charge for the services that I provide, and therefore,
I now feel that I HAVE to have all the professional equipment and top quality products, to do the job properly, precisely and professionally.

I've always been very anal about being a perfectionist...

It's a hobby that's growing...continuously...

no problems here

Maniac said:

BHR, I appreciate the link and all the suggestions, really! But as to the "struggle", "easier", and "professional" part of your post, I just want to say that I do not struggle whatsoever with the setup I have. It couldn't be any easier to use. As I also said in an earlier post, my tip jobs have been lauded as being better than one of the local "professional" tip repair places can do. My tips/shafts DO look like a "professional" job.

Once again, a sincere thanks for the ideas and links, but I'm not convinced that I need to do anything else nor spend any more money for no more than I'm using my setup as is. There's really no need to. Now.......if it happens that someday my setup DOES cause a damaged shaft, then I would at once start looking at other options. I just can't see that happening, if after about 40 tip replacements, it hasn't happened yet.

Maniac (my last post here, I swear)

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If you are worried about me please don't be , I am happy a few of you guys got them to work, and I think your input helps validate what the op was doing.

I value your input...................

MMike