Help! Turning Laminated Shafts

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sneakout

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Is there a difference in turning laminated shafts VS. solid maple shafts ie, Time between turns, depth of cuts, nelsonite treatment?
I Just bought a few laminated shaft blanks (flat laminate and the Fusion shaft from atlas) to see how they work out. My impression is that all laminated shafts are much less prone to warping than solid. Does this meean the time between turns can be reduced and still produce a quality shaft?
 
Laminated shaft turning

Hi,

I don't think that there's a big difference in turning plain maple or laminated maple shaftblanks.

Both have to be turned down with cuts under 1/16" at the time anyway.

That's my experience.

Tom Penrose
 
Turning lam shafts

sneakout said:
Is there a difference in turning laminated shafts VS. solid maple shafts ie, Time between turns, depth of cuts, nelsonite treatment?
I Just bought a few laminated shaft blanks (flat laminate and the Fusion shaft from atlas) to see how they work out. My impression is that all laminated shafts are much less prone to warping than solid. Does this meean the time between turns can be reduced and still produce a quality shaft?
Click to expand...
I've been useing flat laminated shafts for about 5 years. I wanted to see what they played like & how they turned on the lathe,so I took the 1st one from 1" to .530 in one cut. Then sanded it to final size. I loved the way it played, but whithin a month it was warped. I now make the 1st cut down to.750 & every 2-4 weeks I take .050 off, then from .600 I go to .575 then to .550 then to .530, then sand to final size. I have no problems. hope this helps...JER
P.S. I've never used Nelsonite. After sanding with 80 grit, I then take out the circular scratch lines by sanding with the grain. Then I use 220,320,400 & 600. Then I use a product to raise the grain sand with 1000, raise the grain again sand with 1500 & burnish with leather. Then with the lathe turning I apply "cuesilk" with a paper towel & burnish in with the same paper towel. SMOOTH LIKE GLASS.
 
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BLACKHEARTCUES said:
I've been useing flat laminated shafts for about 5 years. I wanted to see what they played like & how they turned on the lathe,so I took the 1st one from 1" to .530 in one cut. Then sanded it to final size. I loved the way it played, but whithin a month it was warped. I now make the 1st cut down to.750 & every 2-4 weeks I take .050 off, then from .600 I go to .575 then to .550 then to .530, then sand to final size. I have no problems. hope this helps...JER
P.S. I've never used Nelsonite. After sanding with 80 grit, I then take out the circular scratch lines by sanding with the grain. Then I use 220,320,400 & 600. Then I use a product to raise the grain sand with 1000, raise the grain again sand with 1500 & burnish with leather. Then with the lathe turning I apply "cuesilk" with a paper towel & burnish in with the same paper towel. SMOOTH LIKE GLASS.
Click to expand...

Whose shafts are you using? It sounds like you are happy with them.
 
sneakout said:
Is there a difference in turning laminated shafts VS. solid maple shafts ie, Time between turns, depth of cuts, nelsonite treatment?
I Just bought a few laminated shaft blanks (flat laminate and the Fusion shaft from atlas) to see how they work out. My impression is that all laminated shafts are much less prone to warping than solid. Does this meean the time between turns can be reduced and still produce a quality shaft?
Click to expand...

I turn them just like a maple shaft. They might be more stable but why take a chance?
 
I guess I turn more laminated shafts than probably any other small cuemaker as I sell the final sanding size and the 16mm blanks. It seems to be a little more stable and can be turned faster but I usually turn them slow like everything else. I have paid the price for trying to rush some through with only a week between turns by having to replace several that warped for a customer that was in a hurry to get some. Laminated shafts do need sealed with something, whether nelsonite or regular shaft sealer. Laminated shafts left unsealed will almost always warp and they will bend along the flat side just like plywood. I don't like them for playing shafts as they are a little stiffer than I like, but they are the cat's meow for break and jump shafts.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
 
I turn them like normal, and Nelsonite them. So far none have warped. The radial laminated shafts can be cut down very quickly, they are quite stable.
Look to build up a good supply of shafts so you can let them sit for a long time, that way you wont have to rush anything. :)
 
I have some of Chris's laminated in final sand to use for some break shafts, and have not used them yet, but they look good, and seem well worth the money for what It would take me to turn them myself right now, as I don't use them enough yet to be worth while to setup to make them myself. His purple heart shafts seem good also,have really nice color in them that matches some of my purpleheart in house perfectly. on the laminated I would also seal really good and sand to seal the grain from raising, just the nature of that type of shaft, like many regular shafts. If I was going to use one on a shooting cue would go with a radial type though, and there are many types to choose from these days, but for a great low cost alternative on a break cue the flat laminated seem great for the money. The best standard shafts I have used were straight grained, and the grain was kind of dense I guess because they face just like a thermoplastic, really smooth, with hardly any end grain raise on the them. Greg
 
I find shaft work quite interesting, but know really nothing about it. Out of curiousity and a lack of knowledge.... how many cuts do you take before a shaft reaches final taper (from square)? And how much total time from start to finish before a shaft is complete? It seems a shaft takes a couple of months before its ready to play.

Is it pretty standard to take between 2-4 weeks between cuts? Also, is there anything special you do with the shafts while you are waiting between cuts?

Thanks
 
I normally buy shafts that are already round. They are generally a lot easier to grade at that point, and I buy only the high grade shafts. The theory I subscribe to, is cut them hard at first, then make about 3 more .010 cuts a month or 2 (at least) apart until it hits .540 or so. I use nelsonite after the last really big cut (.580 at the tip), and hang the shafts at all times.
 
Big Thanks

Just a quick thanks to all that provided info. I am glad I asked the question as the result was quite different than what I had expected. I foolishly was under the impression that laminated shafts were bullet proof...
 
Chris Hightowers final sanding shafts .

when it say's ready for final sanding does that mean the shafts have been tapered straight or do they have a pro taper on them ?

I recently bought a chuck from Chris and it was sent to Australia very quickly . I'm thinking I might ask him to send me some shafts and a few lathe accessories too .
 
lignum said:
when it say's ready for final sanding does that mean the shafts have been tapered straight or do they have a pro taper on them ?

I recently bought a chuck from Chris and it was sent to Australia very quickly . I'm thinking I might ask him to send me some shafts and a few lathe accessories too .
Click to expand...



The ones I got from him in the past already had the straight taper, and were ready to match, but you might want to ask him to be sure.
 
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