Adustable Tapper bar

You'd have to figure out a way to mount it and to "follow" the taper. It isn't going to be "plug and play" for another machine. It is designed for their machines, and bolts right on for them.
 
I bought a set from Chris Hightower a few years ago for my big lathe that is the same bars on a Deluxe. ELBeau is correct though,you will have to fashion some kind of mount and disable your cross slide.Really wasnt that big of a deal I guess but it more or less ties that machine up for tapering, its kind of a pain switching back and forth.
I used that for a while then got a regular tapering machine.
 
W.Earp said:
I bought a set from Chris Hightower a few years ago for my big lathe that is the same bars on a Deluxe. ELBeau is correct though,you will have to fashion some kind of mount and disable your cross slide.Really wasnt that big of a deal I guess but it more or less ties that machine up for tapering, its kind of a pain switching back and forth.
I used that for a while then got a regular tapering machine.
Click to expand...

I agree. When I first bought a new lathe in 92 the first thing I did was to make an adapter for the rear of the spindle and mount a chuck and the second was to mount a taper bar set-up. This lasted for a couple of months and then another lathe was purchased just for the taper set-up. It's just to time consuming tying up the main lathe for other basic operations. I'm a firm believer in that to be both efficient and competitive in the cue market you need a separate machine left set up to do each operation. I've got 2 shaft machines, a lathe just for cutting off deco-rings, one for putting on the taper on prongs and handles, one for putting the taper on the cue butt, one lathe with a collet system for making parts and accurate facings, one for putting on layered tips, one for putting on standard tips, one for sanding and wrapping, one for putting on ferrules and tips at tournaments, one general lathe for doing all operations that there is not a piece of equipment set up for, a mill for cutting points and 2 CNCs for inlays and making deco-ring tubes. This saves in all of the changeovers to do another job. Sometimes I run three operations at one time such as turning shafts, CNC work on inlays and work in one of the other operations.

Having just one lathe to do all operations is such a waste of time imo. I sell my cues and do repairs at a much lower price than many but that's because I can build a cue with the same quality materials and craftsmanship as more expensive cues because I have much less time involved in creating them. Time is money.

Dick
 
Last edited:
Mr Hoppe said:
What's the difference in your two lathes for this operation?
Mr H
Click to expand...

One is a machine lathe with a tail stock and tool post holder so that I can trim the sides of a tip very close to the ferrule without worry of over heating the tip or fear of any other distress to it. The other tip lathe is one that I made and works very well and very quickly but it is more of a hands on operation and if the cutting tool is not very sharp and the correct angle can distress the tip. It is also very easy to shape the tip on the home made one where as shaping the tip on a lathe with the tool post in the way is much more difficult. I cut the layered tips size on the machine lathe but finish it up and shape it on my normal tip lathe.

Dick
 
regular tapering machine

W.Earp said:
I bought a set from Chris Hightower a few years ago for my big lathe that is the same bars on a Deluxe. ELBeau is correct though,you will have to fashion some kind of mount and disable your cross slide.Really wasnt that big of a deal I guess but it more or less ties that machine up for tapering, its kind of a pain switching back and forth.
I used that for a while then got a regular tapering machine.
Click to expand...

When you say you got a regular tapering machine. Do you mean adapted one or are you referring to something you bought out of the box??
thanks, Bill
 
tapering lathe

rhncue said:
I agree. When I first bought a new lathe in 92 the first thing I did was to make an adapter for the rear of the spindle and mount a chuck and the second was to mount a taper bar set-up. This lasted for a couple of months and then another lathe was purchased just for the taper set-up. It's just to time consuming tying up the main lathe for other basic operations. I'm a firm believer in that to be both efficient and competitive in the cue market you need a separate machine left set up to do each operation. I've got 2 shaft machines, a lathe just for cutting off deco-rings, one for putting on the taper on prongs and handles, one for putting the taper on the cue butt, one lathe with a collet system for making parts and accurate facings, one for putting on layered tips, one for putting on standard tips, one for sanding and wrapping, one for putting on ferrules and tips at tournaments, one general lathe for doing all operations that there is not a piece of equipment set up for, a mill for cutting points and 2 CNCs for inlays and making deco-ring tubes. This saves in all of the changeovers to do another job. Sometimes I run three operations at one time such as turning shafts, CNC work on inlays and work in one of the other operations.

Having just one lathe to do all operations is such a waste of time imo. I sell my cues and do repairs at a much lower price than many but that's because I can build a cue with the same quality materials and craftsmanship as more expensive cues because I have much less time involved in creating them. Time is money.

Dick
Click to expand...
Yes, of course you're right, I have more than one lathe and I'm trying to dedicate one to taper. When you purchased another lathe just for the taper setup, what did you buy and how did you set it up if it's not too much to ask.
thanks, Bill
 
Taper bar

W.Earp said:
I bought a set from Chris Hightower a few years ago for my big lathe that is the same bars on a Deluxe. ELBeau is correct though,you will have to fashion some kind of mount and disable your cross slide.Really wasnt that big of a deal I guess but it more or less ties that machine up for tapering, its kind of a pain switching back and forth.
I used that for a while then got a regular tapering machine.
Click to expand...
I thought the taper bar I was looking at might be for a small lathe and it is designed for that, but I wanted to use it and adapt it to a large lathe. Do you think it would hold up under the stress of springs and a wheel pulling against it ?
 
Absolutly it will, it wasnt the taper bars from Chris that made me switch. It was the change over time. The taper machine I have now actually can from Chris and has the same taper bars, but they are his removable ( changable?) bars.As for the machine itself, if you have exelent CFM with your dust collection and make a couple of slight modifications it is a wonderfull machine. I use Frued 4 wing 1/4 inch cutters, and it does a great job.If you are able to leave your big lathe set up for tapereing all the time I dont see a problem using Chrises taper bars, they are great. If you decide to go that route get his guide bearing on the post also.:thumbup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top