rhncue said:
I see them on e-bay all the time for 250 to 400.00. I've got a Precise Grinder setup but no diamond stones. I got on rec.craftmetalworking asking where to get stones for grinding the carbide masters. They told me that the diamond stones were very expensive. They also said that I could use green wheels but to use those you had to run coolant and at very small cuts of .0001-.0002ths. a pass at a slow speed. They said that doing it that way would be very harmfull to the lathe as the carbide and stone would eat up the ways and bearings. Using a diamond stone is much quicker and no coolant is needed. They told me it would be best to farm out to a Grinder service which is what I did. None of the Grinding shops in Cincinnati would do it as they said they had no diamond wheels and they didn't want to use green stones either. I finally located a Grinder service in another city who grinds carbide and he said " No problem ".
Dick
The one I saw did have some extra wheels, and mentioned something about grinding carbide in the add. Probably not, but don't remember If there was a diamond stone with it or, I have heard they are expensive too, and from the sound of it, with not many shops having them, they must be very expensive.
I can picture the bearing wear you mentioned. I have used stones running in that lathe just to sharpen carbide (not having remove any real amount of material), and something about the feel and sound, does seem like it would wear bearings out possibly. Add alot of side pressure to the mix, and I have no problem believing they would wear heavily.
Do you have an idea how much most grind shops would charge to grind a set of mandrels By any chance? I could make them up, and press the sleeves on, so they just need the grind, but have'nt seen My main machine guy out & about for a while. He has done some simple stuff on the side for me before i got a mill, and would tell me it was cake work, Also said that He could machine anything for me last time I had a part done, even carbide. last I talked to him, he was having heart trouble though, so I don't want to call him up, and bother him with this carbide. I know another guy also, but last time I saw him, I forgot to ask, altough I don't even know if he is setup for it. I'm thinking about just sending a set out and letting someone else do it for Me, but I need more then one set, and the prices are up there for each one, whether you do it yourself, or have someone make them for you.
I wish I could find a adequate grinder and stone at a steal of a price, but finding that diamond in the rough, so to speak, may not happen anytime soon.
Little by little I'm building up and learning new things, It's amazing how much money I have in tools, and don't even have 1/16 of what I need for machining purposes alone, not having anything to do with cuebuilding, except to build equipment to work on cues. I have to use tools not meant for what I'm trying to do sometimes when fabricating, and that's tricky, have to use a clear head, and your since of sound and feel to prevent mishaps from accuring when using tools in an unintended way.
I had to do some simple machining on a part last night, and must have learned about three new tricks, because Of My lack of tool bits, and clamping fixtures for my small mill. Took about 3-4 hours to do something that should have only took 30 minutes topps.
I do aggree what others have mentioned, that machining experience, would be a big advantage in this, but for the mechanically inclinded type guy, Seems like the biggist feat is to aquire enough of the proper equipment, and tooling for machining tools and parts with. Everytime I'm blocked from making something Myself, it's not so much My know how, or that i can't usually figure It out, but not having everything I need that stops me from making a part I need. I can already tell, that when i get in the new shop, and have the extra space, i will be picking up on every deal on equipment and tooling, until I end up with a full blown machine shop at this rate
. I guess that would'nt be so bad though, been many times I needed to machine parts, outside of cuebuilding also.
Greg
. when I do get one of those It will be for putting on something better then this chumpy little o'l 7x12 here. I plan on buying a nicer tool lathe, but this will have to do for now, because My next lathe will be for boring and threading cues with. 
, so had to pass.
