Lathe for tips
- Thread starter jtompilot
- Start date
L.S. Dennis
Well-known member
I'm not sure that any of the little lathes that you show will work with cues. You might be able to adapt one somehow, I did with a $200 Sears lathe several years ago but it was not easy. If you just want to install your own tips there are several products on the market that do just that. But if you want to do shaft reduction, ferrules, tips and other cue related repairs you'll probably have to go with a cue specific lathe which are not cheap.
Good luck!
wilhelm
Well-known member
That's what I was thinking. DIY is the way to go; years ago I saw a guy doing repair work in a pool hall with a very simple set-up: two pillow blocks about 16" apart, a small motor on a swivel, some collets, and a rubber belt. He'd mount the shaft on the pillow blocks, the belt drove the shaft and gravity gave it the right amount of tension. A set-up like that can be had for $50.
it's nice to have a cross slide..
the ones you mention in the OP doesn't have a hole through the spindle so that's a non-starter.
nothing less than this type i would bother with, even these need tinkering that becomes a headache
www.harborfreight.com
you can find off brands cheaper on ebay . i had one worked fine, i didnt change tips that often to want to deal with it after the initial fun wore off
7 in. x 10 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe
Amazing deals on this 7In X 10In Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
you can find off brands cheaper on ebay . i had one worked fine, i didnt change tips that often to want to deal with it after the initial fun wore off
I also looked into getting my own lathe coz is is a major pain to find someone to do tips for me.
$1000 seems like the entry fee.
$1000 seems like the entry fee.
At a minimum to have something easier than doing by hand.
I just do it by hand even though there's 3 good tip guys in my area.
By the time I drop off a shaft and drive back home, I could install at least 6 tips on my kitchen counter.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
If you only want to install tips and clean shafts the sharpshooter drill based one on ebay works quite well. You're not going to do any precision work with it but it's a great tool for those in an area without installers. I do mine and tips for friends.
My only gripe is there is no tool rest with it so you have to either freehand it or make one yourself.
My only gripe is there is no tool rest with it so you have to either freehand it or make one yourself.
middleofnowhere
Registered
Here is a very unusual mini lathe. Could be a really nice starter lathe or somebody wanting to do cue work. The interesting part about it is it's
1 1/2 inch spindle bore. You can actually shove the whole butt of a cue through this thing. I just posted this link because I pulled it up off the net. It can be bought quite a bit cheaper than this.
It is actually listed by Walmart.
1 1/2 inch spindle bore. You can actually shove the whole butt of a cue through this thing. I just posted this link because I pulled it up off the net. It can be bought quite a bit cheaper than this.
It is actually listed by Walmart.
Metal Wood Lathe Variable Speed Thread Bench Precision Lathe Metalworking | eBay
Width of lathe bed: 3.94"（100mm）. Lathe sizes: 31.9" 11.8" 13.8"（81 30 35cm）. Note: We provide optional parts for this lathe. Spindle taper: MT5. Swing Over Bed: 8.3"（210mm）. WM210V lathe 1 Chuck Jaw 3 Gear 4 (40/50/60/72).
www.ebay.com
My vote, a Mid America basic repair lathe for $800. I bought one a few years back and it has been a fantastic lathe for not only professionally doing tips, but also ferrule replacements, shaft cleanings, and also shaft size reductions.
Bought it for myself, and to help out friends, as those services weren't available locally, and quite honestly I just like doing things myself.
That said, I am going to be selling this in a couple months as I have ordered a large bore professional version of the Mid America lathe. Thank you SSdiver, your postings have cost me money, but please don't stop posting, I really enjoy what you post.
Bought it for myself, and to help out friends, as those services weren't available locally, and quite honestly I just like doing things myself.
That said, I am going to be selling this in a couple months as I have ordered a large bore professional version of the Mid America lathe. Thank you SSdiver, your postings have cost me money, but please don't stop posting, I really enjoy what you post.
stewie
Active member
I second this. There was another thread recently. 80 bucks on something cheap and not purposely build for pool cues is still wasted money. Without a steady rest, for example, it gets wonky. And putting pins into drills may work for cleaning. But many have no variable speed, or only via the push trigger and are much faster than a specialized lathe.
TCC, what "tinkering" did you require?nothing less than this type i would bother with, even these need tinkering that becomes a headache
7 in. x 10 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe
Amazing deals on this 7In X 10In Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
you can find off brands cheaper on ebay . i had one worked fine, i didnt change tips that often to want to deal with it after the initial fun wore off
Years ago, I got a 7x10 which was a Craigslist Special. I don't know how hard it was run prior to my owning it, but the motor did fry out after only a (cumulative) 2-3 hrs of use--I was doing some house cues for a local bar, and a few required ferrules too, but less than a dozen. I found replacement motors at both LittleMachineShop.com, and Grizzly but never installed one of them (I bought one, then found the 2nd cheap enough that I decided to get it as a spare.) [Side-note, I never installed either, as the bar eventually closed, and I have not had a need to do any other tips...yet.]
I also had to set up a rest on the left side (of the headstock), to support the full cues while having the tip-end through the chuck. I also have a wood lathe, and was actually clamping a skew chisel in the tool post for cutting. Kevin Wright, who makes and repairs cues (I think he lives in Kennesaw), used to have...I think a 7x12 or x14...at a local pool room, and he had added an adjustable rest for his, which slid out from the headstock side. I cannot recall what he used for the rest surface, but I had a thick piece of felt--not table felt, but the kind used for kids crafts.
In general, I agree with the "initial fun wore off", but I still like turning stuff and would set it back up if I had the need.
I don't know if posting from another forum site is allowed, and I'm too lazy to check, but here is a homebuild of about the same thing:
http://www.billiardsforum.com/pool-cue-repair/homemade-cue-lathe-done-dirt-cheap
I like the makeshift "ways" of the tailstock piece sliding in the wood base. Also, he is using the crutch tip to hold the shaft, which I think might be better than a screw-in adapter (basically, a joint protector with a shaft for the drill chuck to hold), I would think that crutch tip self-adjusts to a degree. (I think Fred Agnir posted something years ago, about how a shaft would even stay horizontal w/o any support, when spinning in a crutch tip on a drill. It could have been in the old BD forum though. Also, a support would obviously be needed, in order to bring any cutting pressure int play.)
Of course, the same lack of tool rest issue exists with this, but freehand shaping a tip is not so hard. A ferrule change would be a different story.
[Edit: I forgot, there is more than the one "lathe" on the page.]
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I built one a couple years ago but the motor needs a gear reduction to not overheat/smoke.
The pillow block is large enough to lock in an ER32 holder and uses nylon collets.
The block size simply offers too much resistance for the motor.
I guess I could power it by other means until the break-in loosens it up a bit.
The thing is, after some yahoo knocked over one of my custom cues, I went to CF shafts.
I no longer do any shaft work so the Willard Tipper machine is adequate for my current needs.
The pillow block is large enough to lock in an ER32 holder and uses nylon collets.
The block size simply offers too much resistance for the motor.
I guess I could power it by other means until the break-in loosens it up a bit.
The thing is, after some yahoo knocked over one of my custom cues, I went to CF shafts.
I no longer do any shaft work so the Willard Tipper machine is adequate for my current needs.
Send your tip work to SEYBERTS. They are fair priced and do great work
DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
Here is a very unusual mini lathe. Could be a really nice starter lathe or somebody wanting to do cue work. The interesting part about it is it's
1 1/2 inch spindle bore. You can actually shove the whole butt of a cue through this thing. I just posted this link because I pulled it up off the net. It can be bought quite a bit cheaper than this.
It is actually listed by Walmart.
Metal Wood Lathe Variable Speed Thread Bench Precision Lathe Metalworking | eBay
Width of lathe bed: 3.94"（100mm）. Lathe sizes: 31.9" 11.8" 13.8"（81 30 35cm）. Note: We provide optional parts for this lathe. Spindle taper: MT5. Swing Over Bed: 8.3"（210mm）. WM210V lathe 1 Chuck Jaw 3 Gear 4 (40/50/60/72).www.ebay.com
Other than them putting the word, 'wood' in the description, I see nothing unusual about that. Any lathe that can cut metal can cut wood.
No doubt I would be happy with their work I do heavy easier options in the area, but none are at my house and I'm already short on hours.
bashfulQ
New member
You can also do them by hand with minimal tools. Personally I prefer to send mine to a local guy.
I would consider what @Black-Balled said, as Seyberts is a lot cheaper than $1000.