A question for Porpor B lathe users ....

WilleeCue

WilleeCue

The Barefoot Cuemaker
Silver Member
A question for those that use the Porper B Q-lathe to build cues.

When you are cutting a handle and need to make the "A" joint how do you center the left end of the wood (the part that is inside the spindle) so that the handle is set up and spinning on the center line?
18" handles are not long enough to use the left side chuck.

I have thought of using 3/4" drill rod about 18" long with one end shaped like a dead center to go thru the left side chuck to provide alignment and support from wobble for the butt end of the handle ... would this work or not?

Willee
 
If your work piece have center holes. Make a dead center with 60 degree that fit the spindle hole :thumbup:
 
If memory serves me right Ryan aka Ratcues posted a picture of what you might be looking for. Seems like he made it out of delrin and it fit snuggly into the spindle shaft on the left of the porpers. He is an a2zer maybe if I am correct he will repost his pics. greg
 
Meant to say if it was ryan he "might" repost some pics. Also found a post from cuemaker.mi from 2-13-2012 about a delrin device he made for the porper spindle shaft. you may want to check with him. hope this helps
 
cribbeecues said:
If memory serves me right Ryan aka Ratcues posted a picture of what you might be looking for. Seems like he made it out of delrin and it fit snuggly into the spindle shaft on the left of the porpers. He is an a2zer maybe if I am correct he will repost his pics. greg
Click to expand...

If the work piece is long enough then a collet in the end of the left spindle would work.
Forearms are 12 - 13 inches and handles are 18".
It is over 20" from the left end of the spindle to the chuck jaws.
On my Griggly lathe the bore thru the spindle was the same all the way thru and a delrin collet could be used.
But the bore on the Porper is not the same all the way thru the spindle.
It is smaller for about 3 or 4 inches into the spindle and then opens up to a larger bore keeping me from inserting a collet that could be used to center the left end of the work piece.
The bore thru the chuck is smaller than the bore thru the spindle so slipping on a collet and inserting it from the chuck end wont work either.

I am sure I will come up with something sooner or later ... I was just hoping someone with a Porper B lathe had encountered this and overcame it with some clever idea.

Willee
 
Renegade_56 said:
How do you make the A Joint with a center in the stock?
Click to expand...

I taper the Handle and forearm pieces between centers.
Now I need to drill and tap a hole for the pin and cut a tenon pocket.
Placing the forearm into the chuck with the "A" joint end sticking out leaves the other end (Joint end) unsupported in the spindle and it can flop around.
( spindle is 20" forearm is 13")
If it is not centered and spinning true then the tenon pocket and taped hole will not be cut straight and fitting the handle to the forearm would leave a very wobbly "A" joint.

Hence the need to somehow support and center the left end of the forearm (or the handle) while making the cuts on the ends.
The handle being longer than the forearm is less of a problem and I have made an extended collet to snug fit the 3/4 butt tenon and keep it centered true.

Willee
 
WilleeCue said:
I taper the Handle and forearm pieces between centers.
Now I need to drill and tap a hole for the pin and cut a tenon pocket.
Placing the forearm into the chuck with the "A" joint end sticking out leaves the other end (Joint end) unsupported in the spindle and it can flop around.
( spindle is 20" forearm is 13")
If it is not centered and spinning true then the tenon pocket and taped hole will not be cut straight and fitting the handle to the forearm would leave a very wobbly "A" joint.

Hence the need to somehow support and center the left end of the forearm (or the handle) while making the cuts on the ends.
The handle being longer than the forearm is less of a problem and I have made an extended collet to snug fit the 3/4 butt tenon and keep it centered true.

Willee
Click to expand...
How did you do it before?
 
How about a steady rest with 1 1/8 ID bearing ? Make collets for it to fit the handle and forearm.
 
If I am reading you right I cut a piece of delrin to the ID of the Spindle. I than bored a hole and squezed a 60 degree center on it. This prevented the wobble when I chucked down on the A Joint that had a delrin collet on the other end.

I made it on a big boy lathe.
 
WilleeCue said:
I have thought of using 3/4" drill rod about 18" long with one end shaped like a dead center to go thru the left side chuck to provide alignment and support from wobble for the butt end of the handle ... would this work or not?

Willee
Click to expand...

Willee-
This technique works fine.

Those who suggest a steady rest have obviously never worked with a Porper lathe.

Robin Snyder
 
carguy said:
Willee-
This technique works fine.

Those who suggest a steady rest have obviously never worked with a Porper lathe.

Robin Snyder
Click to expand...

Admittedly I have not worked with a Porper lathe, though it's on a very short list of lathes I've never worked on. So my question would be how in the hell did a Porper ever get so popular for cue work if it isn't designed in a way suitable for building cue parts? Everyone uses either steady rests and or rear chucks, which it sounds like the porper doesn't have either according to the OP. Are you saying there are no steady rests for porper lathes?

Just askin,,,,,
 
WilleeCue said:
A question for those that use the Porper B Q-lathe to build cues.

When you are cutting a handle and need to make the "A" joint how do you center the left end of the wood (the part that is inside the spindle) so that the handle is set up and spinning on the center line?
[COLOR="Red"18" handles are not long enough to use the left side chuck[/COLOR]

I have thought of using 3/4" drill rod about 18" long with one end shaped like a dead center to go thru the left side chuck to provide alignment and support from wobble for the butt end of the handle ... would this work or not?

Willee
Click to expand...
Rear steady rest can't be use because that handle piece is too short and when the work piece chuck up part of it still in the spindle not long enought to reach out at the rear. Dont have a steady that will fit Porper unless you can make one to fit those two big round rail bed tube.
Why is porper lathe popular? Don't know. Maybe because how easy to use and personal preference.
 
People have made steady rests for their Porper lathes. I have sold collets to people who were doing it. But the left side of the carriage is pretty far away from the toolpost cutter so it is a little harder to make the cutter come up to the front of the steady rest. So the steady rest bracket has to be made to clear the left side of the carriage or you have to use a long cutter like a boring bar to do your tenon cutting and facing with.
 
Renegade_56 said:
Admittedly I have not worked with a Porper lathe, though it's on a very short list of lathes I've never worked on. So my question would be how in the hell did a Porper ever get so popular for cue work if it isn't designed in a way suitable for building cue parts? Everyone uses either steady rests and or rear chucks, which it sounds like the porper doesn't have either according to the OP. Are you saying there are no steady rests for porper lathes?

Just askin,,,,,
Click to expand...

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
 
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