Anyone here uses a Mini Machine Lathe for Repair?

Cuemaster98

Cuemaster98

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Hi,

We're looking to get a Mini Machine Lathe like a Microflux etc for doing shaft repair works in our shop. Just wondering if anyone here has one and whether is a better option than some of the cuesmith, cue companion lathe. We wanted the mini machine lathe to also make custom pins for our lines of full splice cue. Any feedbacks would be appreciated.

Regards,
Duc.
 
The only problem with the Mini Machine lathe is that the spindle bore is only .787 so it only good for shafts. I was hoping to find one with 1 1/2 bore so that I can work on joint and butt as well. The mini that I'm looking at has a 14" between centre...so it would be great to cut points grove. As well there is a turret post that I can use to install joint pins easily. All this for less than $1000.00....plus I can make my own part with the machine lathe. What do you guys think?

Regards,
Duc.
 
Cuemaster98 said:
The only problem with the Mini Machine lathe is that the spindle bore is only .787 so it only good for shafts. I was hoping to find one with 1 1/2 bore so that I can work on joint and butt as well. The mini that I'm looking at has a 14" between centre...so it would be great to cut points grove. As well there is a turret post that I can use to install joint pins easily. All this for less than $1000.00....plus I can make my own part with the machine lathe. What do you guys think?

Regards,
Duc.
Click to expand...
Well for a minute I thought you were talking to yourself... My opinion on a mini lathe, is the accuracy is not very good, especially when putting on a ferrule. Also the mini lathe is only for tips and ferrules, even something as easy as cleaning a shaft, the mini lathe has to have modifications done on the machine. My suggestion is to purchase a Cue repair lathe for doing cue repairs from the known manufactures.
 
Cuemaster98 said:
Hi,

We're looking to get a Mini Machine Lathe like a Microflux etc for doing shaft repair works in our shop. Just wondering if anyone here has one and whether is a better option than some of the cuesmith, cue companion lathe. We wanted the mini machine lathe to also make custom pins for our lines of full splice cue. Any feedbacks would be appreciated.

Regards,
Duc.
Click to expand...

I've tried time and time again to get my 1986 Yugo up 140 MPH. If you figure that one out, let me know.
 
> I have a 7x10 Enco I do tips/ferrules,and other small projects on. Other than the problems with fabricating an external steady rest behind the machine,and only having a .750 spindle bore in most cases,the mini-lathes ROCK. I'm playing with modding one with a stronger motor and a 36" bed so I can do all my tip and shaft repairs on the same machine. If you look around some,some of the mini-lathes I've seen online recently have up to an 1.06 spindle bore,which if you built your steady rest with interchangable collets or a roller system,you could possibly use that machine for installing inserts or tapping threads in shaft joints. You could even go a step further and internally thread if you wanted. The Porper,Unique,and Hightower machines are all much more versatile,but I really like the high-precision feel of it being an actual metal-cutting lathe. Even though I've never cut a screw on mine,and in fact have the feed disengaged,I'm quite sure it does fine with the right cutters. About the only downside is they have nowhere near the torque for doing wraps,if the bed was long enough. The Micro-Mark you looked at is about as good as it gets in that class,that's the one I want to mod as well. Tommy D.
 
I Have a deluxe cuesmith for that, so I don't use My minilathe for repair, and I have'nt tried cutting My own threaded pins with it yet, but I have center drilled pins, and made My own quick releases from threaded rod or premade pins with It, and It was very accurate for that. Made several other projects with it also. Mine is just a speedway import like some of the others, and took alittle time to get it cleaned up & tuned in, but it works great for what I use It for. It does'nt compare to a larger lathe with a bigger bore though, because there is so much more you can do with those. You have to be carefull with some of the boards on the smaller lathes though, in the past I have seen some for sale with fried boards, I don't remember the brand/s, but I believe some of them had the digital tach display.

Greg
 
PetreeCues said:
I've tried time and time again to get my 1986 Yugo up 140 MPH. If you figure that one out, let me know.
Click to expand...
Take it to Chicago on a windy day.:D
 
IMG_0020.jpg

IMG_0019.jpg
 
Interesting setup chuckpilegis

Cant' tell from the picture. What are you using for a bearing in the steady rest?
 
I bought 3/4x10 - 1/2x13 reducing coupling nuts from
Mcmaster-Carr (97088A225 @ 2.70 each) and went from there
Its actually a 18mm x 2.5 I think on the lathe but it will fit
 
I have seen a few of those rubber shaft holders in pictures here. How do they work? Do they just surround the shaft, and the friction holds the shaft on? If you release tailstock pressure (lets say to touch up a tip), will the shaft fall out? (You are still holding the tip end of the shaft with your hand of course)


Do these types of shaft holders ever mar a shaft?

How is shaft runout with them? Will a warped shaft spin better when held in this type of setup rather than a conventional threaded shaft holder? They seem like they would be more forgiving in that regard, because they would allow for some misalignment, like most couplings do.

Thanks.
 
Rubber shaft holders are crutch tips bought from a medical supply store.
Can buy in different sizes so if it fits snug it wont fall out.
Havent scuffed up any of my shafts yet.
Started using rubber ones for the odd pin sizes and a shaft my friend
had with pin in the shaft he wanted to clean up.
Guess it could be better for warped shafts with this setup since its kinda flexible you can recenter the shaft when spinning.
I bought this stuff just to work on my shafts, but in the couple months that i had it doing cleaning, tips , ferrules and joint protectors for friends and people from pool leauge both lathes are paid for.

Chuck
 
I also rigged up a foot switch so I can keep both hands on the work.
Made from a sump pump float wire and a limit switch from a machine they were scrapping at work.
Wired in line, step off the switch and machine stops.
You can see sitting on floor in the picture.
 
chuckpilegis said:
I also rigged up a foot switch so I can keep both hands on the work.
Made from a sump pump float wire and a limit switch from a machine they were scrapping at work.
Wired in line, step off the switch and machine stops.
You can see sitting on floor in the picture.
Click to expand...
Looks like you have more in the steady rest on the mini than the mini itself. Those Thompsons rods aren't cheap.
 
RocketQ said:
Looks like you have more in the steady rest on the mini than the mini itself. Those Thompsons rods aren't cheap.
Click to expand...

I think all of that was stuff that they were scrapping out at work
I bring it home and sometimes I can use it
Free cant beat it
 
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