cue building lathe

captainjko

captainjko

Kirk
Silver Member
Hey guys... What would be the best cue building lathe for the money at say $3000-$3500? The Deluxe Cue Smith? I have a Mid size Cue Smith now.....I will be selling it and buying one I can do inlays and such, taper bar, etc,. I have built 2 Sneaky Petes on this one already..... Just wanting to move on up... lol .......
 
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captainjko said:
Hey guys... What would be the best cue building lathe for the money at say $3000-$3500? The Deluxe Cue Smith? I have a Mid size Cue Smith now.....I will be selling it and buying one I can do inlays and such, taper bar, etc,. I have built 2 Sneaky Petes on this one already..... Just wanting to move on up... lol .......
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Something like this:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-x-36-Gunsmithing-Lathe-with-Stand/G4003G?utm_campaign=zPage&utm_source=grizzly.com

If you never been around metal lathes, it`s simply impossible to understand the difference between ametal lathe and the dedicated cuebuliding lathes.
 
whammo57 said:
You would want the 40 inch version and do you really know what it takes to make that lathe into a cue building lathe??????


Kim
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36" Lathes make butts up to 30 1/2" real easy, if he finds a used one, he may want it unless he reads your comments.

Are you aware that a 36" Lathe can do that? I am not looking for an argument, just curious, I see the same thing written all the time.

You are very correct about turning one into something that can be used for a Cue. First thing is getting rid of the factory chuck, second is mounting the full sized router on, if you have a welder and the right know how, it's easy. I use the Makita variable speed router with 1/2" collar on a mount I made, it goes on or off the lathe as quick as any tool post, tighten one large nut and turn it on.
 
whammo57 said:
You would want the 40 inch version and do you really know what it takes to make that lathe into a cue building lathe??????


Kim
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Yes, as I have one quite similar. Didn`t take much at all.
Making a taperbar for your lathe is quite easy and cheap.
The one other thing you need is some sort of collet or rear chuck to hold long workpieces.
You make it sound like a huge endeavour, but it`s not. And you are rewarded with a lathe, with a precision and much broader range of use, than the dedicated cue lathes. And yes i own both, so I know what I`m talking abouth. And yes I Agree that the 13" x 40" is even better suited for the job.

CuesDirectly said:
You are very correct about turning one into something that can be used for a Cue. First thing is getting rid of the factory chuck, second is mounting the full sized router on, if you have a welder and the right know how, it's easy. I use the Makita variable speed router with 1/2" collar on a mount I made, it goes on or off the lathe as quick as any tool post, tighten one large nut and turn it on.
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The factory chuck, once cleaned and tuned up is more than capable to do the work. The TIR is about .005" wich is plenty accurate for what it`s going to be used for.
I have a BXA router mount, makes taking the router on or off a 1 minute job.
 
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Thanks for the replies guys.... I have not put in many hours on a lathe other than the one I have..I have done many tips and ferrules.. Made a couple mid extensions and the simple finish of 2 Sneaky Petes... .. I'm sure the bigger lathe would be more accurate but I would not know how to turn one of the lathes mentioned into a cue building lathe....
 
Kim Bye said:
Yes, as I have one quite similar. Didn`t take much at all.
Making a taperbar for your lathe is quite easy and cheap.
The one other thing you need is some sort of collet or rear chuck to hold long workpieces.
You make it sound like a huge endeavour, but it`s not. And you are rewarded with a lathe, with a precision and much broader range of use, than the dedicated cue lathes. And yes i own both, so I know what I`m talking abouth. And yes I Agree that the 13" x 40" is even better suited for the job.



The factory chuck, once cleaned and tuned up is more than capable to do the work. The TIR is about .005" wich is plenty accurate for what it`s going to be used for.
I have a BXA router mount, makes taking the router on or off a 1 minute job.
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Hey Kim. I ground the chuck jaws on my Jet 3 jaw to my collet OD diameter (building collets, not shaft tip collets). My typical runout at that diameter is a half to about .0015. Typical for other diameters is .001 to .002. If you have a horizontal router mount (slicing up rings orientation) the job is pretty easy if you are careful and know what you are doing. I hear people buying $1000 chucks for cue building. I'm sure they are sweet, but grinding the jaws of a 3 jaw to your most used diameter can yield very good results for $15.

I didn't build my own taper bars, but I did build router mounts and a rear spindle adapter and countless other jigs. You are right, none of those are huge endeavors, but for the uninitiated who has zero machining experience buying a machine lathe is a pretty significant endeavor...at least until you learn how to use it. Of course, getting into cue making to begin with can have pretty deep waters.
 
MVPCues said:
Hey Kim. I ground the chuck jaws on my Jet 3 jaw to my collet OD diameter (building collets, not shaft tip collets). My typical runout at that diameter is a half to about .0015. Typical for other diameters is .001 to .002. If you have a horizontal router mount (slicing up rings orientation) the job is pretty easy if you are careful and know what you are doing. I hear people buying $1000 chucks for cue building. I'm sure they are sweet, but grinding the jaws of a 3 jaw to your most used diameter can yield very good results for $15.

I didn't build my own taper bars, but I did build router mounts and a rear spindle adapter and countless other jigs. You are right, none of those are huge endeavors, but for the uninitiated who has zero machining experience buying a machine lathe is a pretty significant endeavor...at least until you learn how to use it. Of course, getting into cue making to begin with can have pretty deep waters.
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Yeah I agree. Spending time to set up your stuff properly, only costs you time and it`s well worth the effort.
Buying a metal lathe might seem like a huge step, but if it`s not for you, you can easily sell it. You`r not catering to the same niche market as cuemaking is.
There are videos on youtube about taper bars and do a google search for: "rear chuck" and you`ll find multiple posts on the issue.
If you deciede that machining metal is a bit advanced at the time, any one can make decent Delrin rear collets for almost no money. Might not be the same as a dedicated rear chuck, but it will work just fine.
 
Jesse Gilbert said:
Why don't you just buy a used porper b lathe ?
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How do you live toole on a Porper B lathe Jesse?
But I agree that of the dedicated cue lathes out there Porper model B is the most "grown up" of the cye building lathes, sadly there is no leadscrew.
I see Porpers site is down and I've heard Muellers are taking over all things Porper. Would be interesting if they released an updated Model B with thread cutting capabilities.
Another thing with the Taig based lathes is that the crosslide, even with the gibs very tight, will buckle under preassure when cutting hard materials like G10 or brass. A metal lathe will have no problem with the same operation.
 
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