Lathe gadgets for shaping tips

My typical overkill solution. Best feature is VERY solid support for your razor blade.

My support plate has a corner cut out without the piece captivating the tip. I am using a piece of high carbon knife steel.I gave up on the ceramic knife.It lasted the longest of anything I have used, untill I dropped it.It was from kitchen and things.Had it 2 years.
Neil
 
My typical overkill solution. Best feature is VERY solid support for your razor blade.

Bob deserves a prize here...
He nailed it... Besides the gadget the support for the tool is something essential. Who needs actually a gadget? :rotflmao:
 
Bob deserves a prize here...
He nailed it... Besides the gadget the support for the tool is something essential. Who needs actually a gadget? :rotflmao:

Exactly..... I would be interested in buying one of these. Imagine one end with a dime radius and the other end with a nickle radius.
 
Exactly..... I would be interested in buying one of these. Imagine one end with a dime radius and the other end with a nickle radius.

Actually, I do make them for sale. Only difference is they are made of 1/2" nylon. It's stiff enough for solid support - and that's what really counts. I make them with a dime radius but to be honest, I never check the radius anyway. I just eyeball it as I'm sure most of you do, too. If anyone is interested, check the bottom of this page.
 
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Actually, I do make them for sale. Only difference is they are made of 1/2" nylon. It's stiff enough for solid support - and that's what really counts. I make them with a dime radius but to be honest, I never check the radius anyway. I just eyeball it as I'm sure most of you do, too. If anyone is interested, check the bottom of this page.

What size ferrule/tip diameter is this set up for? Also can this be cut a little thinner to use with a standard mid size tool post on a mid size lathe. NOTE: I do normally use a quick release toolpost for a taig lathe and the slot is EXACTLY a 1/2".
 
What size ferrule/tip diameter is this set up for? Also can this be cut a little thinner to use with a standard mid size tool post on a mid size lathe. NOTE: I do normally use a quick release toolpost for a taig lathe and the slot is EXACTLY a 1/2".

The nylon is slightly under 1/2". If memory serves correctly, it's about .480" thick, so it should fit easily into your holder. The opening into which your tip/ferrule fit is .600" wide so there's plenty of clearance for any size tip while still providing maximum support under your blade.
 
The nylon is slightly under 1/2". If memory serves correctly, it's about .480" thick, so it should fit easily into your holder. The opening into which your tip/ferrule fit is .600" wide so there's plenty of clearance for any size tip while still providing maximum support under your blade.

PM sent.... Do you take PayPal?
 
I have Chris's fixture, and while I do love it, I only use it for the hard phenolic tips. The softer ones seem to tear more than cut, and get fluffy in the process. I have finally mastered the razor method, trim it in reverse then shape going foward. I really like the fact that everytime I do a tip, I grab a new razor, VERY sharp no question. If you buy the specials at Depot or Lowes, you get 200 for $9-$10. They literally cost .04 and they have a sharp edge and no time wasted trying to sharpen a skew and no money tied to a stone, oil etc. After I use them on a tip, I then put them in a container to be used to scrape off the crap that spills on the bed of the lathe, or floor, on the kitchen table, cut open a bag, anything. If the cost of .04 for a blade is a concern for a $10-$25 tip replacement, then......
As far as safety, how many have cut themselves using a razor to trim? A lot of people have expressed concerns, but I haven't seen any one say they have harmed themselves this way, yet. I'm sure it can happen, but the same can be said for every method. Everytime we turn on a machine, we take a chance. Tools don't make a job safe, our own attention to what we are doing is what decides the saftey factor, IMO.
Not knocking anyone elses methods, just this works for me. The guy that works our APA regionals uses the metal sander while spinning in a lathe. He is from the old school ways, and it works for him, but I can trim a tip in 1/4 the time with a razor.
Another thing I've noticed is, no matter how much time we spend getting the shape just right, the customer takes 2-3 shots, pulls out their shaper or hands it to some that has one, and screws it all up anyway. So in the end none of it matters:D
Dave
 
http://www.porper.com/index.cfm/fus...b94a8d87a-746F9A9B-20ED-7D0A-C0A9BCBACF705D32

Could you put this in your chuck on the tailstock?

I think Joe Baringer uses one of these in a video to shape a phenolic tip. He says that Joe Porper made it for him.
Joe told me that I should call Porper if I wanted one. I emailed and by the tone of the email I got back, they didn't know what I was talking about and probably thought I was nuts. I came to the conclusion that this shaper is probably what Joe is using in the vid.

It works when its in its holder and you spin it over a tip so why wouldn't it work if the tip is spinning and the cutter is stationary.

You can also buy a lot of razor blades for $27.50 too.

I use a razor and made a tool rest from 1/8th piece of square stock which I put in the tool post and bring it along side of the ferulle to trim and shape.
 
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Here is the picture Bob:

IMG_8211a.jpg

I received my tip tool from Bob yesterday and it is the bomb.......:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

It is a little too thick to use in the standard tool post on the mid size lathe. It does fit nicely in my AZTools quick change tool post which is what I normally use.

Thanks again Bob.......
 
I should be getting mine today or tomorrow. Originally when I talked to Bob I told him that the gadjet was for a AZT QuickChange tool post.
 
Update

I will say that Bob's tool has made the job definitely safer when using a razor blade to shape a tip. Talk about a solid and stable platform to work from. Thanks again.......
 
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Taig tools lathe gadgets shaping tips

I am not a cuemaker, but it seems to me that a "Ball Turning" or "Radius Turning" attachement would do the job (both are fairly common names for the tool).

Here is a little one for the Taig lathe (down near the bottom, Stock #1210) :

http://www.positiveflow.com/taigacc.htm

Some examples of home-made ones here :

http://homemetalshopclub.org/news/oct03/oct03.html

Dave

Yes, these are nice sites.
Maybe you should put this in Machinery and supplies forum. Some people sell things just like some of this stuff and they charge more. It would be a help to people while saving them money.
Bill
 
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Yes, these are nice sites.
Maybe you should put this in Machinery and supplies forum. Some people sell things just like some of this stuff and they charge more. It would be a help to people while saving them money.
Bill

Just answering the question with something I might use to cut a specific radius on the end of a round thing being spun in a lathe.

Tools and supplies sold by single-market vendors are often higher priced than the general-market vendors, likely due to the limited demand (lower volume) ... a lesson learned from shopping at golf club building sites but it certainly applies to other hobby-businesses from what I've seen.

Dave <-- spent a few hours and made a ball turning attachement, they are a very common project for HSMs
 
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