Delta Wood Lathe..

[OrigZaphod]

Ok question for the pros here..

I am considering trying my hand at cue making. Thinking to start off with cue assembly rather then complete from scratch. IE: buying pre made blanks and doing the final turning, sanding and finishing etc..

I found a delta wood lathe rather cheep. Here is the description:

Delta Wood Lathe--11" Diameter Swing X 48" long bed. Accessories include: 9 pcs Delta Original turning tools, 1/2 " Capacity Morse #2 Drill Chuck, live & dead centers, 12" and 4" tool rests--9" diameter sanding disc and large work station with protractor, Lathe is mounted on welded angle iron stand.
The center to center distance is 35 1/4

Would this work for that or would it be a waste of money..

 

[cueman]

You can do it. I built my first cues on a worse wood lathe than that one. But you will have to make a good bit of modifications just like I did. It would be self serving for me to try to talk you out of it and into a cue lathe, but I will say you will have a chore on your hands modifying it and building cues with that machine. Also unless you are real handy with building things for the lathe, you will spend a lot of $$ turning that lathe into a cue building lathe. I will let others tell you what you are really getting into with that lathe.

 

[olsonsview]

wood lathe

Is great to use as a sanding lathe, and even for applying a finish if you can slow down the RPMs. So if you buy a butt with a pin already installed you may be able to finish her up without having to remake the lathe into a cue lathe. Even a large metal lathe is a chore to convert to cue work. There is a reason Chris has a market selling his cue making lathes. He sells you back a year of your life for the cost of his lathe! THAT is no lie. Unique also sells a nice cuemaking lathe as do others. They can make money selling their lathes for a reason. It is a lot of work to remake a lathe, let alone a wood lathe, for cue making. And a lot of that work involves metal machining and equipment. If you had metal lathes and milling machines at your fingertips to use, and the skill to use them, you would not be asking about buying a wood lathe.
Be aware a wood lathe comes in handy for cleaning/sanding shafts, or applying a finish, and buffing it. You will find a definite use for the wood lathe as an addition to a cue lathe, not the substitute for one.

 

[kiinstructor]

I have two similar lathes to the one you a looking to buy. I tried to set them up when I started making cues but they have no power feed for tapering. They also dont have a headstock hole large enough to put the cue through. Probably a hole about 3/4 inch. I use both of for sanding, polishing, cleaning shafts ect. They have a ton of uses just not enough for building a cue. It can be done but with accuracy, I dont know. Chris has an exceptional lathe for cue building and along with his book, you are on your way. Might as well start out right. Be alot less headaches and wasting your time.

 

[pdcue]

Ok question for the pros here..

I am considering trying my hand at cue making. Thinking to start off with cue assembly rather then complete from scratch. IE: buying pre made blanks and doing the final turning, sanding and finishing etc..

I found a delta wood lathe rather cheep. Here is the description:

Delta Wood Lathe--11" Diameter Swing X 48" long bed. Accessories include: 9 pcs Delta Original turning tools, 1/2 " Capacity Morse #2 Drill Chuck, live & dead centers, 12" and 4" tool rests--9" diameter sanding disc and large work station with protractor, Lathe is mounted on welded angle iron stand.
The center to center distance is 35 1/4



Would this work for that or would it be a waste of money..

This is a solid wood lathe, and could be used to build cues, provided...

I wouldn't think it likely to be a waste of money because there is a high
level of demand for used lathes of this type - if you don't want to keep it,
you should be able to get your money back - you did say cheap, right?

If you decide to continue on with cue making - a decent wood lathe
is almost a necessity - not exactly win-win, but at least win-don't loose

As for making cues, again, this lathe is not the answer to a cuemakers dreams - but you can make a cue on it.

There is a LOT to learn about cuemaking - and you can learn plenty of value using this lathe. Probably the most demanding will be mastering
how to face parts off 'square'. This is a trivial job on a metal lathe.
It can be done on this lathe, if you can get a steadyrest, it becomes much
easier, and quicker - but they are tuff to find, and not cheap.

Good luck.

Dale