Cutting Wrap Grooves

[GBCues]

Hey Guys,

I'm just wondering how some of you cut your wrap grooves.

Obviously, I can simply leave the cue set up between centers, offset the tailstock and plunge cut the groove with standard cutting bits. But I prefer to set my pin when I'm still oversized and use it in a mandrel as a true center. Once I put the pin in, I can't very well offset the tailstock without fear of bending the pin.

I've tried the trick of some rubber/plastic tubing over the pin and then holding it in my chuck while offset, but that method was WAY too inexact to get an accurate groove.

I normally taper and finish cut my butts with CNC. It would also be easy enough to simply cut the groove with my router using my CNC, but then how do you finish up the edges nice and sharp?

I think I'm missing something very simple.

Thanks for any input.

Gary

 

[rhncue]

Hey Guys,

I'm just wondering how some of you cut your wrap grooves.

Obviously, I can simply leave the cue set up between centers, offset the tailstock and plunge cut the groove with standard cutting bits. But I prefer to set my pin when I'm still oversized and use it in a mandrel as a true center. Once I put the pin in, I can't very well offset the tailstock without fear of bending the pin.

I've tried the trick of some rubber/plastic tubing over the pin and then holding it in my chuck while offset, but that method was WAY too inexact to get an accurate groove.

I normally taper and finish cut my butts with CNC. It would also be easy enough to simply cut the groove with my router using my CNC, but then how do you finish up the edges nice and sharp?

I think I'm missing something very simple.

Thanks for any input.

Gary

After making my last pass on the butt I go back and make another pass in the wrap area .020 deep. I then install my pin, sand the cue and put on a finish. After I rub out my finish and the cue is completed except for the wrap, I put the cue back in my lathe with the area of the wrap that needs to be cut square about an inch from the chuck, using a freshly sharpened tool I cut in .025 tapering slightly to the size of the rest of the wrap are and then reverse the butt in the lathe and do the other end. I then sand the wrap area so that there is no ridges or bumps where the new squared up area meets the handle and the handle area is a uniform .025. In this way, no matter how thick or thin the finish is the wrap fits well.

I use a sharp tool and keep my rpm's low so as to not get the finish too hot which can cause a adhesion problem for the finish. Also, always make your cut while going in and then move your tooling away from the cut area before bringing the tooling back out of the cut as the friction against the finish and the withdrawal of the tooling can affect the edge of the finish. I've used this technique for at least the last 10 years or so with great success on cues that I've built or re-finished.

Dick

 

[GBCues]

After making my last pass on the butt I go back and make another pass in the wrap area .020 deep. I then install my pin, sand the cue and put on a finish. After I rub out my finish and the cue is completed except for the wrap, I put the cue back in my lathe with the area of the wrap that needs to be cut square about an inch from the chuck, using a freshly sharpened tool I cut in .025 tapering slightly to the size of the rest of the wrap are and then reverse the butt in the lathe and do the other end. I then sand the wrap area so that there is no ridges or bumps where the new squared up area meets the handle and the handle area is a uniform .025. In this way, no matter how thick or thin the finish is the wrap fits well.

I use a sharp tool and keep my rpm's low so as to not get the finish too hot which can cause a adhesion problem for the finish. Also, always make your cut while going in and then move your tooling away from the cut area before bringing the tooling back out of the cut as the friction against the finish and the withdrawal of the tooling can affect the edge of the finish. I've used this technique for at least the last 10 years or so with great success on cues that I've built or re-finished.

Dick

Dick,

There's a huge amount of great information in those few sentences.

THANKS so much!!

I guess I'm going to have to change my routine.

Gary

 

[cuejo]

What he said ^^^
Or you can chuck up with your mandrel and put a steady on just before the wrap groove, cut one end, move the steady, switch to a left cutter and do the other side

 

[Busbee Cue]

Thank you Dick for sharing some very good information.

 

[Brickcues]

I cut my cue with the pin already in the cue on the CNC. I then sand the cue and then come back to CNC and cut the wrap groove. I put the cue in the lathe and finish a square cut on both ends to depth. Sand the cue again as the lathe will leave some little marks in the cue when you cut the ends. I then finish the cue and use a razor blade to clean out the finish on wrap groove ends.

Tried the finish and then cut wrap groove and have had the finish chip at the ends when trying to cut groove. Also do not like putting fresh finish cue back into lathe as too many bad things can happen and usually do.