Cue Lathes

NineBallNut

NineBallNut

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wondering what the best cue lathe is for the money. Keep in mind I am not going to build cues, just looking to do tips, ferrules, wrap and down the road maybe some joint work. I have looked at porper lathes and the cuesmith series. Just thought I'd get some imput hopefully from someone who may have used one of these or has a good suggestion for me

thanks in advance NBN.
 
i have owned a couple of chris hightowers lathes before and just recently purchase a used one from guy on az and upon recieving the lathe was blown away.....thing looked brand new......and im the 4th owner....i have it set up to do repair but would entertaing offers to sell it as i would like to get another deluhightower so i can tinker with building a few cues.......if you or any one is interestd please email me your name and number and good time to call as i would love to call and tell you all about it....my email is quewhiz189@yahoo.com.....trust me when i say .....hightowers lathe are what i feel to be the best on the market .....they are very user friendly and even easier to repair when something goes wrong.....i have been and seen chris after talking to him for many years and i must say he is a stand up guy and is very knowledgeable about his product.....his shop consist mainly of machinces that he offers for sale so this should speak volumes when a manufacturer believes in his product so much that he uses it to build his own line of cues on.......you cant go worng i promise......give him a call and see what he has to say......good luck,juston
 
Hightower lathes.

Hello:

I bought a deluxe Cue Smith lathe from Chris Hightower and have been very happy with it. The quality of Chris' equipment is very good and the machinery is designed specifically for cue work. Chris also provides excellent customer service and will stand by his equipment if you have any problems. It sounds like the mid-size cue smith would do everything you want to do now and allow you the option of adding some accessories in the future and building a complete cue. I almost bought the mid-size unit but decided to get the deluxe at the last minute because of the larger spindle bore, reverse motor option and power for tapping. I found that I don't run the motor in reverse much and prefer to do my tapping with a tailstock mounted tap wrench by hand rather than under power. If I really enjoy cue repair and building as a hobby and ever add a second lathe it will be a mid-size cue smith to go alongside the deluxe and do repairs, sanding finishing and wraps.

I would go with Hightower tools, the price is reasonable, the quality good and you won't be disappointed.

Ken N.
 
I have seen several mobile setups for tip and ferrule work using a Central Machinery lathe. These are pretty cheap through Harbor Freight, not sure what size they were using. I think it was a 7x11. Wish I photographed them.

The lathe had to be modified to allow somehow to allow the shaft to be passed through the chuck. I assume this entails having the hole through the spindle enlarged with a boring bar or something by a machine shop (unless you already have another lathe). Anyone know what mods need to be done and how much bigger you need to enlarge the hole through the spindle?

Also, they generally used some sort of steady rest with roller bearings to support the joint end of the shaft while it was in the lathe. I have not been able to locate anything like that or the materials to build one so far.

Any comments would be appreciated.
 
By the time you finished modifying a lathe from harbor freight, An entry level cuesmith would be the same price.
 
For, KokoPuffs & Ol'Goat...

olgoat said:
The lathe had to be modified to allow somehow to allow the shaft to be passed through the chuck. I assume this entails having the hole through the spindle enlarged with a boring bar or something by a machine shop (unless you already have another lathe). Anyone know what mods need to be done and how much bigger you need to enlarge the hole through the spindle?
Click to expand...
You need to check the specs, The "Speedway" I got from Homier, which thet discontinued :( , had a sufficient spindle bore. There are articles at mini-lathe.com, that describe how to grind the bore.
olgoat said:
Also, they generally used some sort of steady rest with roller bearings to support the joint end of the shaft while it was in the lathe. I have not been able to locate anything like that or the materials to build one so far.
Click to expand...
I made my steady rest for very little money, it isn't much to look at but it does a great job. I am trying to attach pictures, I hope it works. ;)

Tracy
 

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spindle bore

RSB-Refugee said:
You need to check the specs, The "Speedway" I got from Homier, which thet discontinued :( , had a sufficient spindle bore. There are articles at mini-lathe.com, that describe how to grind the bore.

I made my steady rest for very little money, it isn't much to look at but it does a great job. I am trying to attach pictures, I hope it works. ;)

http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/attachment.php?attachmentid=6593&stc=1
http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/attachment.php?attachmentid=6594&stc=1
http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/attachment.php?attachmentid=6595&stc=1
http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/attachment.php?attachmentid=6596&stc=1

Tracy
Click to expand...

What is the spindle bore on your lathe. Did you have to modify it to a larger size?
 
RSB-Refugee said:
You need to check the specs, The "Speedway" I got from Homier, which thet discontinued :( , had a sufficient spindle bore. There are articles at mini-lathe.com, that describe how to grind the bore.

I made my steady rest for very little money, it isn't much to look at but it does a great job. I am trying to attach pictures, I hope it works. ;)

http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/attachment.php?attachmentid=6593&stc=1
http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/attachment.php?attachmentid=6594&stc=1
http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/attachment.php?attachmentid=6595&stc=1
http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/attachment.php?attachmentid=6596&stc=1

Tracy
Click to expand...

Tracy, I started reading your site before your last post. I has a ton of info
on it. Great site. I was looking for info on boring the spindle there but could
not find it. I will go back and look again.

Thanks
Tim
 
The pics attached fine. Thanks. Where did you track down the delrin (?) rollers for the steady rest. Looks like it does the job.

Also is that the stock 3" chuck?

For tips and ferrules, this looks like it might be a good way to go.

Thanks again.

Tim
 
Kevin Lindstrom said:
What is the spindle bore on your lathe. Did you have to modify it to a larger size?
Click to expand...
Mine did not require any modification. Many suppliers import these under different names, from the Sieg factory in China. The spindle bore on mine is 3/4", the 3" 3 jaw chuck has a 5/8" limitation, which is not a problem. You can get a 4" 3 jaw with 7/8" capacity as an add on.
I do not know if all models are the same, so do your homework before ordering.

Tracy
 
olgoat said:
Tracy, I started reading your site before your last post. I has a ton of info
on it. Great site. I was looking for info on boring the spindle there but could
not find it. I will go back and look again.
Click to expand...
There is a ton of info. It can take quite a while to find what your looking for. Plus with links to a lot of off-site sources. You should be able to find the answer to almost any question you may think of.

Tracy
 
I too have a Mid-Size Cue Smith lathe and love it! I have even built a few cues with some added equipment from Chris Hightower.
In the future I may purchase a Deluxe Cue Smith lathe for building cues and use the Mid-Size lathe for wraps, cleaning, tips and setting up at tournaments.

Zim
 
RSB-Refugee said:
You need to check the specs, The "Speedway" I got from Homier, which thet discontinued :( , had a sufficient spindle bore. There are articles at mini-lathe.com, that describe how to grind the bore.

I made my steady rest for very little money, it isn't much to look at but it does a great job. I am trying to attach pictures, I hope it works. ;)

Tracy
Click to expand...
What type of sleeve/collett is that around the shaft? I'd like to have a set of those for tinkering at work. I have access to 5 lathes, but nothing to protect the wood. Sometimes I use a piece of garden hose or whatever I can find.
 
Vonn31 said:
What type of sleeve/collett is that around the shaft? I'd like to have a set of those for tinkering at work. I have access to 5 lathes, but nothing to protect the wood. Sometimes I use a piece of garden hose or whatever I can find.
Click to expand...


Some people sell them, You can also make them in the lathe. Ask Chris, He would probably sell you set, if not, there are others that do.

Greg
 
Delrin will work, but make sure you deburr or champer all the edges if they need It, because It can leave marks/dents on a shaft. Mine are made from different materials, and some are delrin.They work well if made correct.
 
Vonn31 said:
Are they plastic? I suppose I could use scrap nylon.
Click to expand...
Teflon works great. You can buy 1" diameter teflon on Ebay for about $1/inch almost any day of the week.
 
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