finishing lathe?

Trent said:
im looking for a cheap lathe i can use just for finishing my cues, thats it nothing else since some finishes have to sit for days, that and i dont want to get my new deluxe all gunked up what do you this of this as a cheap finishing lathe? id have to modify it to spin quite a bit slower but other than that???

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38515
Click to expand...

You will have to put a chuck on it which will cost you another 50-100. A live center is also needed. I don't know if this thing has forward or reverse on it, but it will come in handy. You can also get a foot pedal for $30. Remember that if you are doing finishing, you will want to consider some sort of ventilation, masks, eye protection, and so forth. Getting a lathe like this for the job you are considering will require other things.

A downdraft table made from pegboard is good, or if you have a dust collection system, you can rig it up behind the lathe.

Have you bought Chris Hightower's book yet? It is worth it's weight in gold. I have read it over 100 times and still don't understand it fully. Before you go buying more equipment, invest in some basic knowledge. I would also buy all of his dvd's. I have them all and in them, he addresses all the right things.
 
Trent said:
im looking for a cheap lathe i can use just for finishing my cues, thats it nothing else since some finishes have to sit for days, that and i dont want to get my new deluxe all gunked up what do you this of this as a cheap finishing lathe? id have to modify it to spin quite a bit slower but other than that???

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38515
Click to expand...


I have a similar wood lathe for finishing cues, cheap lathe but I had to make many changes:

- Instaled 3 jaws chuck
- A second bearing spindle for no runout.
- Tailstock new with a good live center because Live center of this wood lathe is very bad

these changes were more expensive that lathe, approximately $200
 
SK Custom Cues said:
You will have to put a chuck on it which will cost you another 50-100. A live center is also needed. I don't know if this thing has forward or reverse on it, but it will come in handy. You can also get a foot pedal for $30. Remember that if you are doing finishing, you will want to consider some sort of ventilation, masks, eye protection, and so forth. Getting a lathe like this for the job you are considering will require other things.

A downdraft table made from pegboard is good, or if you have a dust collection system, you can rig it up behind the lathe.

Have you bought Chris Hightower's book yet? It is worth it's weight in gold. I have read it over 100 times and still don't understand it fully. Before you go buying more equipment, invest in some basic knowledge. I would also buy all of his dvd's. I have them all and in them, he addresses all the right things.
Click to expand...


yes i have chris' book & dvd's plus alot of other refrence material.

and ive done clear coat finishes before and superglue. i also have a spray booth in my garage from where i paint motorcycles, on the side.

im working on a dust collector now but my main concern was not using clearcoat (i dont like the feel of it for a cue) for the finish and having a lathe solely for finishing to keep my other lathe freed up and clean.
 
Cheap harbor frieght wood lathes can be found on craigs list for about 50 bucks. That's were I got mine. Now to find a chuck and adaptor.

Larry
 
> I don't use it for spraying finish,but I have a wood lathe I modified for spinning shafts that I bought from Cummins Tool,a traveling company that sets up in a parking lot when they come to town. I paid 89.00 for it,and double that to make it usable. The spindle and tailstock screw are threaded 18mm x 2.5 (metric). This was before I became a machinist,so I had to go to a local shop and have an adapter made for each end,at 35.00 each. Parts I'd gladly bet my lungs I could make in 30 min even on a manual lathe including the threading. On the spindle end I have a 3-jaw Hightower,on the tailstock I have a 1/2 Jacobs. The chuck from Chris was 100 bucks,the Jacobs was on sale for 20.

The tailstock is total crap,of no use except holding the live centers. I can't even use the screw in it,with over 1/16 play in the mechanism. Tommy D.
 
If as you stated in your post that this lathe is just needed for finishing, then, if anything, this lathe is overkill. Forget using the installed motor and adapt a small, continuous duty motor with the smallest sheave or pulley that you can make or acquire and a belt so that you can slow the rpms down to less than a 100 and your ready to go. The cheap revolving dead center in the tail stock is more than sufficient for as slow as you'll be spinning and if you want a chuck for the head stock just go to Sears and buy one of the imitation jacobs chucks with a morse taper off the shelf for 14.95 that fits one of their lathes but is the same as yours. You can then put a short wooden dowel with the correct size and thread count for your pin in the chuck to turn your cue for applying the finish or revolving while it dries.

Dick
 
Why not just pick up Chris' finishing lathe? It's relatively cheap considering what it does. It has a variable speed motor so you can spin very slow to apply finish & let it cure, then speed it up to sand & prep for next coat. Better yet, buy a set of sanding arbors from TNS Cues & you'll be all set for easy finishes. If I were just starting out right now but had the knowledge I have now, i'd get Chris' finishing lathe & a set of arbors from TNS. That's all you need except for whatever you'll be using for applying finish.

Seriously, you screw the arbor on, apply finish, sand & recoat, sand flush to arbor & polish & then take the arbor off. The butt is done. Repeat the same method with the shaft(s) & you are done. The cue will screw together flush & clean, never having been sanded or cut together.

http://www.cuesmith.com/index.php?menu1=menu_lathes&page=finishing_and_wrapping_lathe

Lathe and arbors will cost you about a grand & change, but will be the best investment you can make in cuemaking besides having the lathe to actually build cues with, IMO.
 
Cheap Finishing lathe

Trent said:
im looking for a cheap lathe i can use just for finishing my cues, thats it nothing else since some finishes have to sit for days, that and i dont want to get my new deluxe all gunked up what do you this of this as a cheap finishing lathe? id have to modify it to spin quite a bit slower but other than that???

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38515
Click to expand...

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Hobby-Lathe/H2669
This is cheap and works great..I have one..I cut the base in half and
screwed it to a 1x6 to make it about 40" long..Try it...
 
rhncue said:
If as you stated in your post that this lathe is just needed for finishing, then, if anything, this lathe is overkill. Forget using the installed motor and adapt a small, continuous duty motor with the smallest sheave or pulley that you can make or acquire and a belt so that you can slow the rpms down to less than a 100 and your ready to go. The cheap revolving dead center in the tail stock is more than sufficient for as slow as you'll be spinning and if you want a chuck for the head stock just go to Sears and buy one of the imitation jacobs chucks with a morse taper off the shelf for 14.95 that fits one of their lathes but is the same as yours. You can then put a short wooden dowel with the correct size and thread count for your pin in the chuck to turn your cue for applying the finish or revolving while it dries.

Dick
Click to expand...

Great advice thanks.
 
Trent said:
im looking for a cheap lathe i can use just for finishing my cues, thats it nothing else since some finishes have to sit for days, that and i dont want to get my new deluxe all gunked up what do you this of this as a cheap finishing lathe? id have to modify it to spin quite a bit slower but other than that???

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38515
Click to expand...

Try building one of these! I got rid of the belts/pulleys and replaced them with chain/sprockets because of some belt slippage. I've also made a bunch of delrin fixtures for holding butts and shafts with different pins. The motor is dc with a speed control which lets me vary the rotation speed. Works great! I posted this pic a few years back and I understand that many have copied it. You have my blessing!


just more hot air!

Sherm
 

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Trent said:
i was looking at that last night in your book actually
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Cuesmith here on AZ is not the same as Cue Smith lathes. But his set up is similar to the one in my book. I used a chain on the one I built for myself instead of stretch belts. For slow rotating finish application they are a nice way to go. I like the way he did his double plywood sides better than the single 2 x 4 that I used.
 
Sorry chris, i was typing to fast and didnt realize it wasnt you.:rolleyes:

as of right now i have a while before ill need to finish a cue, im just trying to prepare my self. it will be months on top of months before i have anything ready to go.
 
cueman said:
Cuesmith here on AZ is not the same as Cue Smith lathes. But his set up is similar to the one in my book. I used a chain on the one I built for myself instead of stretch belts. For slow rotating finish application they are a nice way to go. I like the way he did his double plywood sides better than the single 2 x 4 that I used.
Click to expand...

You know what they say, "Great Minds Think Alike"! I was using "Cuesmith" as a CB Handle back in the late 70's. LOL Naturally it was my first choice when the internet materialized ( if it ever actually did! lol)

Chris, I wish you were around when I first got in to cuemaking. Back then no-one wanted to share anything. Gus Szamboti, Bill Stroud and Dave Kersenbrock were about the only ones who would answer cuemaking questions and they wouldn't "spoon feed" you anything. They pointed me in the right direction a few times. I picked up your book from a guy who'd taken a "short shot" at cuemaking and had some materials & such for sale cheap. I wish I'd had it 30 years ago! It would have saved me some "trial & error" and even now I see things that will save me time if I ever find a good apprentice and feel like making some more cues.


just more hot air!


Sherm
 
cuesmith said:
You know what they say, "Great Minds Think Alike"! I was using "Cuesmith" as a CB Handle back in the late 70's. LOL Naturally it was my first choice when the internet materialized ( if it ever actually did! lol)

Chris, I wish you were around when I first got in to cuemaking. Back then no-one wanted to share anything. Gus Szamboti, Bill Stroud and Dave Kersenbrock were about the only ones who would answer cuemaking questions and they wouldn't "spoon feed" you anything. They pointed me in the right direction a few times. I picked up your book from a guy who'd taken a "short shot" at cuemaking and had some materials & such for sale cheap. I wish I'd had it 30 years ago! It would have saved me some "trial & error" and even now I see things that will save me time if I ever find a good apprentice and feel like making some more cues.


just more hot air!


Sherm
Click to expand...
I know what you mean Sherm. I had one local cue repairman that was dabbling in cuemaking who was willing to show me how to put a joint in a cue. My first cue was 5/16-14 thread and he had a tap and dye made for that thread. We used the dye to make the brass screw and another tap and dye to make the brass insert. I turned the shaft and butt with wood chisels and decided there must be a better way. It was top secret that cuemakers used routers to taper with at the time. When I first started making cue lathes I made one that you could put a little saw blade and milling attachment on it and it reminded me of a miniature cue shop in one. And the Shop Smith was popular back then so between that and a black smith I decided on the name Cue Smith for my lathes. I really thought I was the first one to think it up.
 
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