A question for Porpor B lathe users ....

[WilleeCue]

Ok guys, I think I get the picture now,,,,,,,,,,,gotta make a note to never own a porper.

All the different cue lathes that are made today have strong points and weaknesses.
It is all about trade off and what you feel is important to the way you use a lathe and the work you intend to do.
It is to bad that to understand all about them you just about need to have had or used each one.
I would not knock any cue lathe made today as each one has shortcomings and things they cant do so well.

In my personal opinion Chris Hightower's Deluxe Cue lathe comes about as close to having all the desirable features a cue maker would need from start to finish, but there still are trade offs even with it.
If it had a bed like the Sherline lathe it would be the nuts. (but then it would weigh a ton).

The porper offers strong points like weight (mass), smoothness of operation, a full control foot petal that is very useful for wrapping cues, and it can cut brass and aluminum fairly well.
It can not cut threads the way it comes and the Router mounting bracket needs to be modified for it to do its job like the video shows.

I would like to also mention Unique's CueMaker lathe as it is heavy, rigid, has a ton of optional setups, is very accurate, as easy as the Hightower lathe to set up an accurate left hand center, and can (with options) cut threads, do inlays, and taper shape with power feed.the tail stock and headstock are modular and can be moved and rearranged to accommodate special setups.
The trade off is its internal delrin tapered chuck jaws and they have their own unique issues such as not being able to hold small work pieces on their own.
Every piece needs the chuck and tailstock center to hold it.
A great OPTION would be a Hightower like metal chuck for the headstock.
If it had that I would have bought it over the Porper Q-Lathe.
Plus ... it is the safest and most finger friendly cue lathe made.

A full size 13 x 40 machine lathe fully tooled for cue work and with a long taper bar would be the dead nuts but forget any portability options and watch your fingers.
Plus if bought new would cost upward of $6000 and that is without all the special tooling for cue work.

I have in the past owned and worked with all of the lathes I have mentioned here.
Almost all the problems with each one of them have workarounds to get the job done.
I like each and every one but chose the Porper because a local friend bought a Hightower Deluxe and now we have access to the best of both worlds.

Thanks to everyone that responded with suggestions and ideas.
I love an open forum where that can take place with respect among friends.

Willee

 

[cueman]

That is correct. No steady rest is supplied.

The tool post mounts to the extreme right side of the carriage so, as Chris mentioned, you would need a very long boring bar like tool bit to reach your work. It's easy to drill and tap 2 new holes in the left side of the carriage to move the channel for the tool post to the left, which is a good idea anyway so you can machine your chuck faceplate true to eliminate swash.

Porper does make a rear chuck kit and it sounds like Willee has it. The adaptor Todd made for a Taig-type chuck works well too, but I understand they are no longer being made. Too bad...good unit.

The problem is just as Willee described: the chucks are too far apart to hold short work.
I use the solution Willee mentioned in his original post when I need to, but usually I do this work on another machine.

Chris, I would love to see the steady rests you have seen made by others for a Porper lathe.
Robin Snyder

I have not seen them. People have just talked to me on the phone when buying parts and tell me what they are doing.

 

[Renegade_56]

All the different cue lathes that are made today have strong points and weaknesses.
It is all about trade off and what you feel is important to the way you use a lathe and the work you intend to do.
It is to bad that to understand all about them you just about need to have had or used each one.
I would not knock any cue lathe made today as each one has shortcomings and things they cant do so well.

In my personal opinion Chris Hightower's Deluxe Cue lathe comes about as close to having all the desirable features a cue maker would need from start to finish, but there still are trade offs even with it.
If it had a bed like the Sherline lathe it would be the nuts. (but then it would weigh a ton).

The porper offers strong points like weight (mass), smoothness of operation, a full control foot petal that is very useful for wrapping cues, and it can cut brass and aluminum fairly well.
It can not cut threads the way it comes and the Router mounting bracket needs to be modified for it to do its job like the video shows.

I would like to also mention Unique's CueMaker lathe as it is heavy, rigid, has a ton of optional setups, is very accurate, as easy as the Hightower lathe to set up an accurate left hand center, and can (with options) cut threads, do inlays, and taper shape with power feed.the tail stock and headstock are modular and can be moved and rearranged to accommodate special setups.
The trade off is its internal delrin tapered chuck jaws and they have their own unique issues such as not being able to hold small work pieces on their own.
Every piece needs the chuck and tailstock center to hold it.
A great OPTION would be a Hightower like metal chuck for the headstock.
If it had that I would have bought it over the Porper Q-Lathe.
Plus ... it is the safest and most finger friendly cue lathe made.

A full size 13 x 40 machine lathe fully tooled for cue work and with a long taper bar would be the dead nuts but forget any portability options and watch your fingers.
Plus if bought new would cost upward of $6000 and that is without all the special tooling for cue work.

I have in the past owned and worked with all of the lathes I have mentioned here.
Almost all the problems with each one of them have workarounds to get the job done.
I like each and every one but chose the Porper because a local friend bought a Hightower Deluxe and now we have access to the best of both worlds.

Thanks to everyone that responded with suggestions and ideas.
I love an open forum where that can take place with respect among friends.

Willee

Very good post. Thanks for the info,,,,,

 

[ratcues]

It sounds like if no one had a steady rest, there would be no more cue making...








<~~never used a steady rest.

 

[Renegade_56]

It sounds like if no one had a steady rest, there would be no more cue making...








<~~never used a steady rest.

Anyone with manufacturing experience in industry knows there are no lathes with back chucks,,,,, and how to use steady rests. They are really very practical pieces of tooling.

 

[ratcues]

Anyone with manufacturing experience in industry knows there are no lathes with back chucks,,,,, and how to use steady rests. They are really very practical pieces of tooling.

You guys make it sound impossible to build cues without one. Steady rest are practical but not necessary.

 

[KJ Cues]

I've never used a 'steady' either, never had a need.
I run metal lathes and a cue will pass thru on every one in my shop.
Most all my work is done next to the chuck anyway.
I can certainly see where they would be useful as a work-around.

To the OP, centering/supporting a workpiece in your spindle that doesn't go all the way thru is incredibly easy.
Think 'O'-ring. If that doesn't tickle your fancy enough, cut a Delrin tube whose OD
provides a slip-fit in the ID of your spindle. Taper the ID of the Delrin.
If you do it right, one size fits all.

HTHs, KJ

 

[JoeyInCali]

I've never used a 'steady' either, never had a need.
I run metal lathes and a cue will pass thru on every one in my shop.
Most all my work is done next to the chuck anyway.
I can certainly see where they would be useful as a work-around.

To the OP, centering/supporting a workpiece in your spindle that doesn't go all the way thru is incredibly easy.
Think 'O'-ring. If that doesn't tickle your fancy enough, cut a Delrin tube whose OD
provides a slip-fit in the ID of your spindle. Taper the ID of the Delrin.
If you do it right, one size fits all.

HTHs, KJ

If the inside spindle is not accurate or polished, you'd be hosed.
Or you'd have to bore that spindle.
A lot of Chinese lathe these days have rough spindle .
Not like good ole Yankee steel.

 

[ratcues]

The tube through the spindle does not have to rest on the inside of the spindle bore, especially if you have a back chuck.

 

[KJ Cues]

Well actually, yes it does. That's why I said slip-fit. A thou or two is meaningless 12" away.
I don't use rear chucks, I use this method. I also use 'O'-rings. They're cheap,
come in many different sizes, you can MAKE custom if you have to and they work.

Sorry but I'm not familiar with the spindle bores that Joey is referring to.
If they're really that bad I'd think you could run a stone thru them.
Polishing......? That may be a bit much but you could if you felt it was necessary.

Good Luck, KJ

 

[WilleeCue]

<SNIP>

To the OP, centering/supporting a workpiece in your spindle that doesn't go all the way thru is incredibly easy.
Think 'O'-ring. If that doesn't tickle your fancy enough, cut a Delrin tube whose OD
provides a slip-fit in the ID of your spindle. Taper the ID of the Delrin.
If you do it right, one size fits all.

HTHs, KJ

That would work if the Porper B lathe had a straight bore thru the spindle.
It does not.
It is one size at the left end then a few inches in gets larger so sliding an adapter in from that end is impossible.
The opening in the chuck is smaller than the bore of the spindle so sliding one in from that end is is impossible also.

(Edit: After further examination the spindle IS a straight bore ... I goofed!)

It makes drilling and taping the "A" joint screw hole and boring the tenon pocket in the forearm with any accuracy a bit harder due to the time spent truing the piece in the jaws.

Yes ... a steady rest about 6 to 8 inches out from the chuck would solve that one specific task. But ... it is not an option offered by Porper and needs to be constructed by the user if one is desired.

It does make one wonder if Mr. Porper ever actually cut and joined a forearm and handle on this lathe and if he did ... how did he work around this.

 

[FLYINGSNAIL]

Maybe this will help

Is this what you are looking for?

 

[JoeyInCali]

That would work if the Porper B lathe had a straight bore thru the spindle.
It does not.
It is one size at the left end then a few inches in gets larger so sliding an adapter in from that end is impossible.
The opening in the chuck is smaller than the bore of the spindle so sliding one in from that end is is impossible also.

It makes drilling and taping the "A" joint screw hole and boring the tenon pocket in the forearm with any accuracy a bit harder due to the time spent truing the piece in the jaws.

Yes ... a steady rest about 6 to 8 inches out from the chuck would solve that one specific task. But ... it is not an option offered by Porper and needs to be constructed by the user if one is desired.

It does make one wonder if Mr. Porper ever actually cut and joined a forearm and handle on this lathe and if he did ... how did he work around this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featu...I6I&x-yt-ts=1421914688&x-yt-cl=84503534#t=100
With those metal lathes....

 

[JoeyInCali]

That would work if the Porper B lathe had a straight bore thru the spindle.
It does not.
It is one size at the left end then a few inches in gets larger so sliding an adapter in from that end is impossible.
The opening in the chuck is smaller than the bore of the spindle so sliding one in from that end is is impossible also.

It makes drilling and taping the "A" joint screw hole and boring the tenon pocket in the forearm with any accuracy a bit harder due to the time spent truing the piece in the jaws.

Yes ... a steady rest about 6 to 8 inches out from the chuck would solve that one specific task. But ... it is not an option offered by Porper and needs to be constructed by the user if one is desired.

It does make one wonder if Mr. Porper ever actually cut and joined a forearm and handle on this lathe and if he did ... how did he work around this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featu...I6I&x-yt-ts=1421914688&x-yt-cl=84503534#t=100
Having those metal lathes, I doubt it.

 

[WilleeCue]

Holy Cow ... I hate getting old.
I dont know if I can blame this on old age brain related fart, the Shinner Bock that flows freely around here, or that I have just had eye surgery on my eyes (lens implants) ... but none the less i have made a great error.
I just had a second look and there is no step on the inside diameter of the left side of the spindle.
It is one smooth bore all the way to the chuck.
So that means I CAN use a collet type of device to center the left end of my work piece.
Could the cue pixies fixed that while I slept ... I swear I saw a step in there to a larger bore.

Oh my ... Please forgive me.

Willee

 

[poolcuemaster]

Willie

you need to try some of the junior johnson blackberry moon shine they sellin, it'll make that hole look 3/4 inch.--leonard