Does have the benefit of threading
True enuff Bryan. Chris sells a milling attachment.
It enables you to do all the common threads found in pool cues.
Now he has an add on taper bar that will allow you to do points. With all the jigs available these days for the smaller lathes,
you really don't have to make your own like you would if you owned a big lathe.
With Joey's jig, it is much easier to index than messing about with cigarette papers. May have to monkey with it more than a large lathe but it still cuts your time down considerably. Hateful little job it was before.
Your learning curve is much greater with a machine lathe. If you haven't had previous experience with a larger lathe, it would be a helpful to take some night classes for lathes and a mill.
With any of the ready built cue lathes available, just by reading Chris's book, watching the DVDs, you are ready to start using a cue lathe. Working on your cues and bar cues first of course.
Why buy an elephant gun to shoot pop cans off of fence posts.
That said, I know there are many repair men and makers, Dick, KJ, et al that use large lathes exclusively, but for the the average Joe that is going to use this as a hobby and a little extra income, you'd want to start off with a cue lathe.
If after that, you feel that you want to expand, then by all means go for the gusto.