lathe where abouts
- Thread starter zn418
- Start date
http://www.taigtools.com/
Fleabay has them used quite often.
If the pic you have is the one listed on Ebay, someone on the board sells one, upgraded with a longer bed, for about the same price. It is much better than the $530 cart the guy on ebay is selling with the lathe.
You can always go with a HighTower, which is better for the money, anyway. You don't get a nifty cart, but the customer service is supposed to be superb.
Brian
www.nittanyleather.com
Fleabay has them used quite often.
If the pic you have is the one listed on Ebay, someone on the board sells one, upgraded with a longer bed, for about the same price. It is much better than the $530 cart the guy on ebay is selling with the lathe.
You can always go with a HighTower, which is better for the money, anyway. You don't get a nifty cart, but the customer service is supposed to be superb.
Brian
www.nittanyleather.com
Last edited:
http://www.uniqueinc.com/travel_tipperzn418 said:
zn418 said:
Chris Hightower posts on the board quite often. I had at one time (and still am in the future) planning on getting one of his lathes.
Here is the link to his site. I'll let him answer questions...
http://www.cuesmith.com/index.php?menu1=menu_lathes&page=cue_lathe_micro_3
Brian
www.nittanyleather.com
The Micro Taig lathe is not set up for cues. You will have to buy extras. I do use some standard Taig parts, but many are not standard. Most are custom made to my specifications for building a cue specific lathe. You are looking at $850 up for my lathes. My most popular models are the Midsize Cue Smith $1395 and the Deluxe Cue Smith set up for building cues at $2800.zn418 said:
Chris
www.hightowercues.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
zn418 said:
A Cue Companion or a MidSize CueSmith lathe will do everything that you have listed and perhaps a little more
Chris is understating
If you start with a basic Taig, or even a large metal lathe you must begin adapting it to cue work. Now if you have already done this a few times it is not so daunting, but if this is your first time you will have an interesting journey where you will follow many blind leads and remake many jigs until they do the job just right. This is further complicated by not having an array of indicating tools to line everything up near perfect.
Chris makes a turn key unit to take all the months of planning and struggling away from you. He has spent many hours working out the bugs, making collets and redesigning the basic Taig to make it into a very cuemaker friendly self contained unit. It is neither more machine nor woefully less machine than needed to do the job intended.
I personally use larger metal lathes, they do a great job, but I will pick up one of Chris's if I ever run across one. There are times it could be very handy for someone with several large metal lathes.
I do have his inlay machine, and I am impressed with the simplicity and functionality of it. I can see that he takes a very pragmatic approach to all this, and his stuff works! No, I am not related to him, we never met or even talked on the phone. My machine was purchased used. I do hope to meet him someday and talk about some ideas for new jigs. I am sure he can illuminate the pitfalls that await me.
If you start with a basic Taig, or even a large metal lathe you must begin adapting it to cue work. Now if you have already done this a few times it is not so daunting, but if this is your first time you will have an interesting journey where you will follow many blind leads and remake many jigs until they do the job just right. This is further complicated by not having an array of indicating tools to line everything up near perfect.
Chris makes a turn key unit to take all the months of planning and struggling away from you. He has spent many hours working out the bugs, making collets and redesigning the basic Taig to make it into a very cuemaker friendly self contained unit. It is neither more machine nor woefully less machine than needed to do the job intended.
I personally use larger metal lathes, they do a great job, but I will pick up one of Chris's if I ever run across one. There are times it could be very handy for someone with several large metal lathes.
I do have his inlay machine, and I am impressed with the simplicity and functionality of it. I can see that he takes a very pragmatic approach to all this, and his stuff works! No, I am not related to him, we never met or even talked on the phone. My machine was purchased used. I do hope to meet him someday and talk about some ideas for new jigs. I am sure he can illuminate the pitfalls that await me.