I have no experience building cues but am wondering how often do low production, or custom cue makers have to test, and/or re-calibrate their lathes and taper machines to ensure they are still within to their specifications?
your post hasn't been up long so you might get a few answers, but I will tell you what I know, as for testing you can do it as often as you want all there is to it is making sure that your tail stock and jaws line up correctly and that is done a few different way? you place a bar that is know to be straight and held between the tail stock and jaws that hold live centers and then checked with a gauge and have zero movement on the gauge.
Others may add more or say I am all wrong and give a different answer or one that ex[plains it differently, you can also find answers on utube!
your post hasn't been up long so you might get a few answers, but I will tell you what I know, as for testing you can do it as often as you want all there is to it is making sure that your tail stock and jaws line up correctly and that is done a few different way? you place a bar that is know to be straight and held between the tail stock and jaws that hold live centers and then checked with a gauge and have zero movement on the gauge.
Others may add more or say I am all wrong and give a different answer or one that ex[plains it differently, you can also find answers on utube!
[Buy a 30" Steel rod.
Epoxy phenolic discs on the ends.
Center hole them after epoxy dries.
You can use that to dial indicate.
You cab use that to indicate your rear chuck.
If you have a 6 jaw set thru Chuck, you should check and adjust your chuck TRO and also make sure your lathe is level on the X and Y axis also
I have no experience building cues but am wondering how often do low production, or custom cue makers have to test, and/or re-calibrate their lathes and taper machines to ensure they are still within to their specifications?
Or go all oldschool and do it with the 4 jaw.
I'd trust a 3J Adjustru, or a 4jaw with decent jaws over a collet for this op. Even Hardinge "extra precision" series collets can have some run-out when mated with a given spindle, if the units are 50 millionths or even a couple tenths.
IOW, if using extra precision collets, the bar should still be indicated and maybe bumped around to settle it.
Either way, the other end of the bar (outboard of the chuck) ought to be indicated to verify it is not hula-ing.
An even better method is to use a 4jaw, and a (solid finger, not roller) steady rest; both set up with all good practice. The steady forces the bar to rotate concentric with itself at the end that is drilled regardless any slight taper in the set-up, the 4J can dial it in at the other end until the needle does not flicker; utilizing both resources eliminates both taper and eccentricity from the equation..
smt, just up the hill overlooking the (former? ) Hardinge plants
If I had to use a 4-jaw in every operation, I'd go nuts after one day.
There are very few operations in cue making that might require a 4-jaw.