Cutting wrap groove

B

Busbee Cue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello,

What method do you find works the best to cut the wrap groove using non-cnc machinery as in the Hightower Deluxe Lathe? What type of cutter and what type of setup, Do you have the cutter below center or dead center line? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.
 
Wrap Groove

I have yet to find a great way to do it, but this is what I do. After I take my final pass, while the cue is still between centers, I cut the groove with a 1/4" end mill. you have to angle the router so the bit is at the general angle of the taper, so the whole bit is making contact (kind of hard to explain, does that make sense?). I leave a 1/8" or so of material on either end of groove and square that up with a regular tool bit.
 
CamposCues said:
I have yet to find a great way to do it, but this is what I do. After I take my final pass, while the cue is still between centers, I cut the groove with a 1/4" end mill. you have to angle the router so the bit is at the general angle of the taper, so the whole bit is making contact (kind of hard to explain, does that make sense?). I leave a 1/8" or so of material on either end of groove and square that up with a regular tool bit.
Click to expand...

Yes that makes sense, it is actually one way that I have tried. I was just seeing if anyone else had found a better way of doing it on a Hightower lathe.
 
I usually just cut mine with the router and get close to the edges, then I clean them up with the tool bit. I leave .150" of phenolic that gets under the wrap and it cleans up nicely with the tool bit. Also, once the cue is finished, I go in and clean up the edges again. The finish gets in there pretty thick on the edges, which is good because if you leave a little finish when you clean it up, it doesn't lift off.
 
Busbee Cue said:
Hello,

What method do you find works the best to cut the wrap groove using non-cnc machinery as in the Hightower Deluxe Lathe? What type of cutter and what type of setup, Do you have the cutter below center or dead center line? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.
Click to expand...

Make your last pass with the router, on atomatic feed. Then angle the router in to the left & USING THE HAND FEED, cut from the middle to the left. Leave an 1/8" or so before you get to the left end of the handle. Make a couple of passes til you have the wrap groove .020 deep. Then go back & finish the groove to the left end. Turn the router off & angle it in the other way & dial in the router till it just touches the groove you just cut. Using the hand feed go all of the way to the right end of the wrap groove. Your done & the wrap groove is concentric to the OD of the butt...JER
 
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Blackhearts reply is probably your best bet. My cutter is angled in a certain direction and to be honest, I've never thought of reversing it for the wrap groove. As long as you're careful, you can't go wrong this way.
 
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