cutting a wrap groove?

T

Trent

Banned
how do you cut your wrap groove? ive been turning my router horizontal and cutting in my wrap groove along my taper bar then using the left and right hand tools to clean the corners up. takes alot of set up and time.

any other good techniques to get this done or suggestions to help???

thanks in advance.
 
After the final turn on the butt just cut the groove with the same cutter at your desired depth. The cue is already on angle and all you have to do it dial the cutter depth in. After I'm done finishing the cue. I square off the corners to match the wrap thickness. You better know what your doing to do it this way or you've just cause yourself a whole bunch of extra work.

I know some square the edges before the finish but I've never liked the rounded corner look in a finished cue.
 
Trent said:
how do you cut your wrap groove? ive been turning my router horizontal and cutting in my wrap groove along my taper bar then using the left and right hand tools to clean the corners up. takes alot of set up and time.

any other good techniques to get this done or suggestions to help???

thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I cut mine with a cutting tool and a sharp cutter, I support the cue in the chuck about 1 inch above the A-Joint, and I use a live center in the tail stock. I cut from back to front using the feed screw assembly on my Porper B-Lathe. By doing it this way I only remove around 2 or 3 thousands per pass, which further reduces chatter when cutting the handle.

It doesn't take me long to set up and it also doesn't take long to completely cut the under wrap area. I cut my under wrap grove to 25 thousands in depth for Linen, between 12 and 13 inches long depending upon the customers preference.

This information may be worthless to you, I am self taught and I am certain there are other ways to do this task, however, with my equipment it works well for me.

Take care
 
Cutting the groove

Trent said:
how do you cut your wrap groove? ive been turning my router horizontal and cutting in my wrap groove along my taper bar then using the left and right hand tools to clean the corners up. takes alot of set up and time.

any other good techniques to get this done or suggestions to help???

thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Hi,

My router is mounted horizontal in my tool post and spring loaded to my butt taper bar. I set the router at a 5% angle and make 3 passes from right to left 11 inches long to a total depth of a .038 step contour. I then angle the router 5% in the other direction and cut the last inch from right to left blending the handle and landing at .038 step on the butt side.

After I put on my epoxy sealer coats and finish coats to the cue, I am usually right at the depth or a tiny bit higher for the linen wrap. If I have to sand the handle a little then I will. I don't want to be too low!!! On leather wraps, I have to get out the calculator sometimes so I protect from being too low.

My partner Ray likes to single point the outsides of the wrap grove after he roughs down the middle 10". I have tried that also and it is very good. It is easier for me to measure the differential between the handle and cue dia. after every cut. I just prefer the live tooling.

Rick
 
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I do mine similar to manwon. I chuck the cue up at the top of the buttsleeve and use. Steady rest a few inches above the a joint. I cut straight from left to right about 5 inches until the cutter it out of the cue. Then I engage my taper bar and cut from right to left until I'm out of the cue where i made my previous cut. I've never made a mistake this way
 
BarenbruggeCues said:
After the final turn on the butt just cut the groove with the same cutter at your desired depth. The cue is already on angle and all you have to do it dial the cutter depth in. After I'm done finishing the cue. I square off the corners to match the wrap thickness. You better know what your doing to do it this way or you've just cause yourself a whole bunch of extra work.

I know some square the edges before the finish but I've never liked the rounded corner look in a finished cue.
Click to expand...

Or you could cnc it. Rapid to 24" from joint, go in around .020" from outer edge, go up to 12.5" at .020" under of the bottom of the forearm.
Sharp cnqualit 3-degree pint insert goes in finish fine. Square up top and bottom.
One advantage of cnc router bit instead of saw blade I think.
Radius of the cutter is smaller, hence easier to get close to top and bottom of handle.

I did one with a pin already on it (another maker ) recently. Nearly destroyed it as I forgot to add 1.25" lenght of the pin to the X-travel. Good thing I dry-ran it first.
 
BarenbruggeCues said:
After the final turn on the butt just cut the groove with the same cutter at your desired depth. The cue is already on angle and all you have to do it dial the cutter depth in. After I'm done finishing the cue. I square off the corners to match the wrap thickness. You better know what your doing to do it this way or you've just cause yourself a whole bunch of extra work.

I know some square the edges before the finish but I've never liked the rounded corner look in a finished cue.
Click to expand...

I do the same but square the corners before I finish the cue.
 
BarenbruggeCues said:
After the final turn on the butt just cut the groove with the same cutter at your desired depth. The cue is already on angle and all you have to do it dial the cutter depth in. After I'm done finishing the cue. I square off the corners to match the wrap thickness. You better know what your doing to do it this way or you've just cause yourself a whole bunch of extra work.

I know some square the edges before the finish but I've never liked the rounded corner look in a finished cue.
Click to expand...

Works for me too.
 
I used to do mine horizontal, but after talking with a few big names off line I now do mine vertical. I final turn the butt to size cutting vertical. then cut the goove within 3/16" of length on both ends. I then seal and spray, and even wet sand before finish cutting the wrap groove ends. No waterfall effect from sanding, plus no special setup to cut the groove to start with.
 
I have had only one issue with cutting the groove after finish and polish and that is you have to hold it on the finish just above the wrap. I have had problems with denting the finish even when using a teflon collet and gentle pressure on the jaws. Although the auto finishes cure fast they still remain soft for quite some time. Not sure what the cure for this is other than waiting a week or two do to the wrap.
 
Canadian cue said:
I have had only one issue with cutting the groove after finish and polish and that is you have to hold it on the finish just above the wrap. I have had problems with denting the finish even when using a teflon collet and gentle pressure on the jaws. Although the auto finishes cure fast they still remain soft for quite some time. Not sure what the cure for this is other than waiting a week or two do to the wrap.
Click to expand...

I put on the finish, wait 24 hrs. and then wet sand and completely rub out and polish the finish, then immediately square up both ends of the wrap groove with a small, sharp tool steel tool in the lathe. I then wrap the cue. Sometimes there may be a little scuff mark in the finish where the collet had been but I just hit it with my final polish again in that spot for a few seconds and it's back to what I would call perfect.

On my collets I champer the edges so that they are not quite so sharp and that helps so as not to leave a mark.

Dick
 
Canadian cue said:
I have had only one issue with cutting the groove after finish and polish and that is you have to hold it on the finish just above the wrap. I have had problems with denting the finish even when using a teflon collet and gentle pressure on the jaws. Although the auto finishes cure fast they still remain soft for quite some time. Not sure what the cure for this is other than waiting a week or two do to the wrap.
Click to expand...

The cure is very simple.......don't clamp on the finish.
Flip the cue around and close the chuck on the handle area only.
 
Canadian cue said:
I have had only one issue with cutting the groove after finish and polish and that is you have to hold it on the finish just above the wrap. I have had problems with denting the finish even when using a teflon collet and gentle pressure on the jaws. Although the auto finishes cure fast they still remain soft for quite some time. Not sure what the cure for this is other than waiting a week or two do to the wrap.
Click to expand...

Hi,

I am thinking about doing the cutting of the 2 steps after the finish like you and Dick have described for a better paint seal at this critical area. After giving it some thought, this method is very good. I just have to gain confidence in cutting the finish without it chipping. If it works for you guys, it should work for me and my Omni Finish.

My question is why don't you cut the groove and square up the ends between centers? I do all my tapering & wrap groove cutting this way with no worries about the finish vs. a collet.

Rick
 
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BarenbruggeCues said:
The cure is very simple.......don't clamp on the finish.
Flip the cue around and close the chuck on the handle area only.
Click to expand...

I agree that is a simple solution but it brings up new complications, at least for my set up. I would have to reverse my taper bar when flipping my cue. I try cutting my tapers in the same direction that way i can leave my taper setup undisturbed. I suppose one could use the compound rest for a quick and dirty angle adjustment.
 
scdiveteam said:
Hi,

I am thinking about doing the cutting of the 2 steps after the finish like you and Dick have described for a better paint seal at this critical area. After giving it some thought, this method is very good. I just have to gain confidence in cutting the finish without it chipping. If it works for you guys, it should work for me and my Omni Finish.

My question is why don't you cut the groove and square up the ends between centers? I do all my tapering & wrap groove cutting this way with no worries about the finish vs. a collet.

Rick
Click to expand...

You can do it this way but it negates the use of single point tools. You would stand to much chance of getting chatter in your cut. I prefer not using the router for cutting the ends of the wrap groove.
 
Canadian cue said:
I agree that is a simple solution but it brings up new complications, at least for my set up. I would have to reverse my taper bar when flipping my cue. I try cutting my tapers in the same direction that way i can leave my taper setup undisturbed. I suppose one could use the compound rest for a quick and dirty angle adjustment.
Click to expand...

I use a blue tape. Cut right between the slit of the collet.
 
Canadian cue said:
I agree that is a simple solution but it brings up new complications, at least for my set up. I would have to reverse my taper bar when flipping my cue. I try cutting my tapers in the same direction that way i can leave my taper setup undisturbed. I suppose one could use the compound rest for a quick and dirty angle adjustment.
Click to expand...

When squaring up the channel ends the tapering part is not necessary. Get the cue spinning as dead on as possible using an indicator on the paint area that is going to get cut off. Move the cutter in to get your touch number....already have in your head the depth of your cut number.....move the cutter in to that number and away from the finished area all in one motion.
Use a razor blade and sandpaper to match up the taper. The amount your single pointing is only around 1/4 inch or so. It is so minute you should have no problems matching it up.
 
My question is why don't you cut the groove and square up the ends between centers?
Click to expand...

When single pointing..chatter is the biggest reason. That's why I clamp the handle and do the cutting as close to the chuck as I can.
 
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