Maintenance Lathe

H

Highroller54

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello,

Looking for recomendations on a not so expensive cue maintenance lathe. It will mostly be for personal use in maintaining my custom cues, Tips, Ferrule, cleaning, etc.

What do you recommend?
 
I'd recommend buying the Hightower book and Video's first, and study them for at least a month...I would also get the Unique, and the Barringer videos...


Chris Hightower has the best service and support that I know of...but I haven't dealt with Todd or Bassel that much...

I'd definitely stay away from the ebay shaftmaster, it's junk.


Truth be known, there is no inexpensive way into doing repairs...unless you think 3-5k is cheap...and keep in mind, you get what you pay for...and I like quality and dependability.

Good Luck!
 
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If you just want to do tips get a long bed from midamericapool.com the 48" with the 10" rack or the full rack then go to taig online and buy they're head stock and 3 or 4 jaw chuck or you can get he large bore headstock from midamericapool.com then talk to Bassel here and buy a motor and the controller plus the mount for it from him because they are very good quality. Also from taig or eBay get a tail stock with the Jacobs drill. Bassel sells some very nice dual live centers that you will need get 2 of them. Then get collets from Hightower or there is a guy on eBay where I got my collets from for 50$ for 7 of them in different sizes. Harbor freight has some decent carbide tipped lathe bids get those. Get yourself some of Tom hay tips because they are very good quality and pretty cheep per piece. Then start practicing on a broke shaft putting tips on. This is actually the fun part so have fun with it. For super glue I recommend loctite professional or the ultra gel control. Then as you start getting comfortable with putting tips on get a pressure die for ferulles. Ask Tom hay and he can sell you one if he has spares, he is a very nice man and I am sure he can help you. I have never put a ferulle on but I am at that stage now. I hope I will have my first ferrule put on a cue by the end of the next week. You are I the same boat with me buddy.

All this should come under 1000$ and you will be able to do tips ferulles and cleaning from here the price really skyrockets for parts and tool that you need to do other stuff.


O I also forgot you need a steady rest you can buy one already made or you can make one. I made one for pretty cheep from a ballbearing with a leather glued inside and some pipe fittings.



Let me know if you need anything else. I will help if I can.
 
Haha, you go from being without a lathe, asking for cheap hand outs and not knowing how to install a simple pin to telling people how to build a lathe.

Simply Priceless.
 
Blue Hog ridr said:
Haha, you go from being without a lathe, asking for cheap hand outs and not knowing how to install a simple pin to telling people how to build a lathe.

Simply Priceless.
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And that was just last week, next week he's giving a talk on thermo-nuclear power generation based on a PBS special he saw...lol.

All kidding aside, to the Original Poster, You can try Enigmaticul's grocery list but run the risk of things not matching up properly and not knowing how to fix them, and no one person to call and work it out with. Plus you don't really save anything. Buying a complete working unit from a supplier like Chris or Todd, it will work right out of the box, and you can call them up if there's a question or a problem and they'll walk you thru it. There are some other alternatives, if you use the search function, and spend sometime reading, you'll find some really great info. I started with an old Atlas Th-42 from the late 40's early 50's. Made a bunch of mistakes, but got the hang of it. Thjis was way before I knew about AZ Billiards. Now I still own that same lathe, but upgraded it, a deluxe from Chris, and a bechtop microlux 7x14 lathe, 3 wood lathes, plus a few other machines...:D I have a 13'x20' shop crammed with stuff plus a basement filled with wood. It's an affliction once you start.
Dave
 
there is a guy on eBay where I got my collets from for 50$ for 7 of them
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If you have to pay 50 bucks for collets instead of making them yourself, then you are not in the position to tell people how to put a working lathe together.

This just keeps getting better and better.
 
Blue Hog ridr said:
Haha, you go from being without a lathe, asking for cheap hand outs and not knowing how to install a simple pin to telling people how to build a lathe.

Simply Priceless.
Click to expand...

It's pretty simple - this clown, Enigmaticul, is a troll and attention whore.

Could this perhaps be another incarnation of the yo-yo
who wanted to 'buy' a Porper, then 'borrowed'a lathe from Bassel?

Or maybe his twin cousin??

Dale(back to troll ignore mode)
 
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taigstuff006.jpg


I am not that handy and built the tip lathe for about 300.00 plus some spare parts I had.I was using the red HF lathe before for tips and that was under 400.00

stuff005-1.jpg


You can pick up a cheap wood lathe and modify it for cleaning 150.00

taigstuff008.jpg


I made the cleaning/polishing lathe in the back for about 300.00 but the wood lathe I had would have done the same thing
 
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Assembling your own from parts will save you some money. If money is not the restriction here of course go buy one already made and start fixing cues. But if money is a restriction build it from parts and in terms of setup ask around for help here. There are many great people that are willing to help but be ready for the flurry neanderthals that will bash you because you did not go the route they took. I build it from parts slowly as I could afford it and eventually it will be a great lathe.Chuck gave you some great advice in terms on a wood lathe. Let me know of you need anything. Also Tom is a stand up guy that always helped me.
 
Highroller54 said:
Hello,

Looking for recomendations on a not so expensive cue maintenance lathe. It will mostly be for personal use in maintaining my custom cues, Tips, Ferrule, cleaning, etc.

What do you recommend?
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It all depends on the level of the individual and what experience they have with machinery etc.
There is only so much you learn from books,the rest comes from making things.Hopefully, the more scrap you make the more I will not do that again is reinforced.
A basic cue repair lathe is what you should by. One with a variable speed control would be preferable.
The money you spend extra on a made up and delivered machine, will be more than paid back to you with help and support later down the track.
If the repair machine is 1/2way decent, you will be able to make any collets and sleeves that you may need. It just depends on you.
I look at it this way, is saving 3-4 hundred on a machine worth the potential damage to a cue worth thousands.
Neil
I have put together my own equipment, but only because the options I have on my setup is currently not available from any of the Taig based lathe makers.
 
The guys who make ready built lathes don't exactly make a ton on each one. Try buying U channel, a bed, carriage, head and tail stock, steady rests, etc, and you will see what I mean. Then you have to tweak your home built. Many lathe makers also include a few other parts like a couple of collets, live and dead centers to get you started. Depends on the package you choose.

The little bit of money you will save on your first one is not worth it in the long run.

After you have experience with a lathe, then go ahead and build one from scratch. You will be more familiar with the parts, how they work and what you need to build one.
 
Take the advise given here. You can save a nickel now but you will spend time and a dollar later.

Buy a lathe already made for the task. Save your money and do it right. Once you are known as a hack.... your prospective business is trashed.

Curb some of your enthusiasm, don't be in such a hurry. It takes time to do it right.

Kim
 
To the OP: Ignore Enigmaticul - he is not a cuemaker and in fact, has yet to produce a single cue.

The other guys here are very helpful and have been down the road you are setting out on - listen and learn from their experience.

Gary
 
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