Not long ago cuemaking was seen as a very special art that was kept secret by many famous cuemakers. If you wanted to learn you had to figure it out yourself or apprentice under a established maker. I remember when I started and had no forums or help, just Chris Hightowers book and my tool & die backround. Boy times have changed in the last 10 years.
I worked as an observer and an apprentice for nearly two years before I even bought my first lathe ( an old Logan ). Then it took me a while to finally make a cue I could sell. It took some time just to rebuild the lathe. It took a while just get the taper dialed in. I hated the stock taper that came with first taper machine I had. Some just go with the taper that come with the machine and don't even know the numbers.
Daimion, if you really want to learn, go buy a metal lathe and start making scrap. Buy an old metal lathe if you are on a budget and re-build it.
If you don't have the heart to re-build an old lathe, you probably won't have the heart to build a cue. Cue making will make you cry a few dozen times ( if not hundreds of times ) and question why you even got into that mess.
Buying a metal lathe would be a good gut check now.
