I made this little indexing fixture a few months back to allow me to index and reindex (if thats a word) buttsleeves and forearms for inlays, points, and recutting points. The fixture allows me to quickly throw it on my CNC router for inlays or throw it in the vise on my mill for cutting/recutting points. Cuemaking is just a hobby for me and most of the time my machines are used for my business. I needed a multi purpose fixture that would allow me to setup quickly and accurately but was not permanent.
This pic shows the fixture on my router cutting inlays in a buttsleeve.
This pic shows the indexing feature with a 16 position plate
Some inlays I cut for this buttsleeve
Buttsleeve with pockets, the inlays, the aluminum indexing sleeve, and some cues in proccess
Finished buttsleeve and a better pic of the indexing sleeve. The sleeve has two 1/8" dowels that key it to the indexing plate. It is 1.750" long with the last .250" (unseen) turned to .250" diameter. This shoulder is slip/light press into a .251" reamed hole in the buttsleeve. A screw holds it in place.
This pic shows the fixture mounted to it's base and held in a vise on my mill. I made up a few different indexing plates for quick and easy indexing. The plates can be switched out with one screw and are doweled for indexing.
This pic show the fixture mounted at an angle for cutting points. The quick release pin on the right is for setting the angle from 1.3 degrees to 2.7 degrees which covers most 4, 6, and 8 point cues. The fixture can also rotate up to 7 degrees.
This fixture was my first prototype and I have plans to improve on the idea. The next one will have a dovetail bar for sliding the tailstock. Also I plan on making a longer one to hold an entire cue. Overall though it has worked great. I do also have a 5c indexer but craved something more, but without spending $4k plus on a Haas indexer.
Any thoughts or improvement ideas would be great?
Thanks,
Troy
This pic shows the fixture on my router cutting inlays in a buttsleeve.
This pic shows the indexing feature with a 16 position plate
Some inlays I cut for this buttsleeve
Buttsleeve with pockets, the inlays, the aluminum indexing sleeve, and some cues in proccess
Finished buttsleeve and a better pic of the indexing sleeve. The sleeve has two 1/8" dowels that key it to the indexing plate. It is 1.750" long with the last .250" (unseen) turned to .250" diameter. This shoulder is slip/light press into a .251" reamed hole in the buttsleeve. A screw holds it in place.
This pic shows the fixture mounted to it's base and held in a vise on my mill. I made up a few different indexing plates for quick and easy indexing. The plates can be switched out with one screw and are doweled for indexing.
This pic show the fixture mounted at an angle for cutting points. The quick release pin on the right is for setting the angle from 1.3 degrees to 2.7 degrees which covers most 4, 6, and 8 point cues. The fixture can also rotate up to 7 degrees.
This fixture was my first prototype and I have plans to improve on the idea. The next one will have a dovetail bar for sliding the tailstock. Also I plan on making a longer one to hold an entire cue. Overall though it has worked great. I do also have a 5c indexer but craved something more, but without spending $4k plus on a Haas indexer.
Any thoughts or improvement ideas would be great?
Thanks,
Troy
