My first tip install

Logandgriff said:
I'm interested in getting a home lathe to do tips but I'm not a great DIYer and the whole idea may crash and burn after I try doing a few tips so I don't want to spend a lot. I looked on Amazon and am bewildered by the choices. Can someone recommend an Amazon or other website or Home Depot/Lowe's lathe I can use to try to do some tips? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Instead of getting a low cost low end maybe
a good condition used lathe is around somewhere.
 
That p
SSDiver2112 said:
There is a cue that I have always admired even before I started working on cues. The Brunswick Titlist cues from the 26 ½ to the Titlist one-piece to the Willie Hoppe Professional. Just something about it I have always liked. Early on I got my hands on a 1940’s Willie Hoppe Pro and a 1970 one made by Adam. Deep down I also wanted a cue made from one. These two are in too good of a condition to mess with so I needed to find an old house cue or one beat up enough to get cheap. Most on the internet are $400 - $1000. Made from different woods, some demand a higher price than others. Ebony being the most sought after. After years of patiently searching, I finally found one.

Here it is next to my WH Pro.

View attachment 842098

An old one-piece Willie Hoppe Titlist with the shaft chopped off. Other than the old yellowed finish and faded veneers it looked to be in decent condition, so I took a chance. Once I got my hands on the cue, I saw some minor cracks in the handle and typical uneven points, but great condition and enough meat to trim it down to today’s butt diameter thickness and even up the points some. The color and chatoyance of the wood made me think it was mahogany at first, but with the old finish I couldn’t be sure yet.

After seeing the veneers on the butterfly conversion come to life. I was not too worried about the veneers on this cue. I offset the center for the points and started to trim it down to see what was under the upper layers and to get it ready to core.

Fantastic! With just the first little bit trimmed off there is a lot more color. I hope even more color as I go deeper in. The wood now exposed was looking more like Rosewood, which was also a plus.

Here is what I saw.

View attachment 842101

View attachment 842104
View attachment 842108

With the cues 1940’s age and the couple of cracks I cored the cue up into the lower points. It sat for a little bit as I thought about the butt sleeve design. Funny thing though. When I went back days later to take some additional pictures, I noticed something that made me very happy. The now exposed wood revealed its true nature. A Purpleheart Titlist! Just what I wanted, and it even has some figure as well. I decided to go with a butt sleeve design similar to part of my current cue using Purpleheart and Ebony. To be continued.

View attachment 842119

View attachment 842124

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View attachment 842121

View attachment 842123
Click to expand...
That pops now!!
 
SSDiver2112 said:
There is a cue that I have always admired even before I started working on cues. The Brunswick Titlist cues from the 26 ½ to the Titlist one-piece to the Willie Hoppe Professional. Just something about it I have always liked. Early on I got my hands on a 1940’s Willie Hoppe Pro and a 1970 one made by Adam. Deep down I also wanted a cue made from one. These two are in too good of a condition to mess with so I needed to find an old house cue or one beat up enough to get cheap. Most on the internet are $400 - $1000. Made from different woods, some demand a higher price than others. Ebony being the most sought after. After years of patiently searching, I finally found one.

Here it is next to my WH Pro.

View attachment 842098

An old one-piece Willie Hoppe Titlist with the shaft chopped off. Other than the old yellowed finish and faded veneers it looked to be in decent condition, so I took a chance. Once I got my hands on the cue, I saw some minor cracks in the handle and typical uneven points, but great condition and enough meat to trim it down to today’s butt diameter thickness and even up the points some. The color and chatoyance of the wood made me think it was mahogany at first, but with the old finish I couldn’t be sure yet.

After seeing the veneers on the butterfly conversion come to life. I was not too worried about the veneers on this cue. I offset the center for the points and started to trim it down to see what was under the upper layers and to get it ready to core.

Fantastic! With just the first little bit trimmed off there is a lot more color. I hope even more color as I go deeper in. The wood now exposed was looking more like Rosewood, which was also a plus.

Here is what I saw.

View attachment 842101

View attachment 842104
View attachment 842108

With the cues 1940’s age and the couple of cracks I cored the cue up into the lower points. It sat for a little bit as I thought about the butt sleeve design. Funny thing though. When I went back days later to take some additional pictures, I noticed something that made me very happy. The now exposed wood revealed its true nature. A Purpleheart Titlist! Just what I wanted, and it even has some figure as well. I decided to go with a butt sleeve design similar to part of my current cue using Purpleheart and Ebony. To be continued.

View attachment 842119

View attachment 842124

View attachment 842122

View attachment 842120

View attachment 842121

View attachment 842123
Click to expand...
What is that core made of?? Type of wood??
 
Mensabum said:
That p

That pops now!!
Click to expand...

I thought I was lucky to just find a Titlist relatively cheap. To get a Purpleheart with figure, is perfectly amazing.

I put the pin in last night.

1754664265532.png


Mensabum said:
What is that core made of?? Type of wood??
Click to expand...

Cored with maple.
 
SSDiver2112 said:
There is a cue that I have always admired even before I started working on cues. The Brunswick Titlist cues from the 26 ½ to the Titlist one-piece to the Willie Hoppe Professional. Just something about it I have always liked. Early on I got my hands on a 1940’s Willie Hoppe Pro and a 1970 one made by Adam. Deep down I also wanted a cue made from one. These two are in too good of a condition to mess with so I needed to find an old house cue or one beat up enough to get cheap. Most on the internet are $400 - $1000. Made from different woods, some demand a higher price than others. Ebony being the most sought after. After years of patiently searching, I finally found one.

Here it is next to my WH Pro.

View attachment 842098

An old one-piece Willie Hoppe Titlist with the shaft chopped off. Other than the old yellowed finish and faded veneers it looked to be in decent condition, so I took a chance. Once I got my hands on the cue, I saw some minor cracks in the handle and typical uneven points, but great condition and enough meat to trim it down to today’s butt diameter thickness and even up the points some. The color and chatoyance of the wood made me think it was mahogany at first, but with the old finish I couldn’t be sure yet.

After seeing the veneers on the butterfly conversion come to life. I was not too worried about the veneers on this cue. I offset the center for the points and started to trim it down to see what was under the upper layers and to get it ready to core.

Fantastic! With just the first little bit trimmed off there is a lot more color. I hope even more color as I go deeper in. The wood now exposed was looking more like Rosewood, which was also a plus.

Here is what I saw.

View attachment 842101

View attachment 842104
View attachment 842108

With the cues 1940’s age and the couple of cracks I cored the cue up into the lower points. It sat for a little bit as I thought about the butt sleeve design. Funny thing though. When I went back days later to take some additional pictures, I noticed something that made me very happy. The now exposed wood revealed its true nature. A Purpleheart Titlist! Just what I wanted, and it even has some figure as well. I decided to go with a butt sleeve design similar to part of my current cue using Purpleheart and Ebony. To be continued.

View attachment 842119

View attachment 842124

View attachment 842122

View attachment 842120

View attachment 842121
View attachment 842123
Click to expand...

skogstokig said:
foam is probably more common. but i wonder if lining the hollow inside of the wood with a thin layer of glue would be beneficial, to make the walls stronger and more stable?
Click to expand...
I've heard of foam. Cotton made me curious. The glue idea sounds smart!!! Leave it to a player to find the best minutiae.
 
SSDiver2112 said:
There is a cue that I have always admired even before I started working on cues. The Brunswick Titlist cues from the 26 ½ to the Titlist one-piece to the Willie Hoppe Professional. Just something about it I have always liked. Early on I got my hands on a 1940’s Willie Hoppe Pro and a 1970 one made by Adam. Deep down I also wanted a cue made from one. These two are in too good of a condition to mess with so I needed to find an old house cue or one beat up enough to get cheap. Most on the internet are $400 - $1000. Made from different woods, some demand a higher price than others. Ebony being the most sought after. After years of patiently searching, I finally found one.

Here it is next to my WH Pro.

View attachment 842098

An old one-piece Willie Hoppe Titlist with the shaft chopped off. Other than the old yellowed finish and faded veneers it looked to be in decent condition, so I took a chance. Once I got my hands on the cue, I saw some minor cracks in the handle and typical uneven points, but great condition and enough meat to trim it down to today’s butt diameter thickness and even up the points some. The color and chatoyance of the wood made me think it was mahogany at first, but with the old finish I couldn’t be sure yet.

After seeing the veneers on the butterfly conversion come to life. I was not too worried about the veneers on this cue. I offset the center for the points and started to trim it down to see what was under the upper layers and to get it ready to core.

Fantastic! With just the first little bit trimmed off there is a lot more color. I hope even more color as I go deeper in. The wood now exposed was looking more like Rosewood, which was also a plus.

Here is what I saw.

View attachment 842101

View attachment 842104
View attachment 842108

With the cues 1940’s age and the couple of cracks I cored the cue up into the lower points. It sat for a little bit as I thought about the butt sleeve design. Funny thing though. When I went back days later to take some additional pictures, I noticed something that made me very happy. The now exposed wood revealed its true nature. A Purpleheart Titlist! Just what I wanted, and it even has some figure as well. I decided to go with a butt sleeve design similar to part of my current cue using Purpleheart and Ebony. To be continued.

View attachment 842119

View attachment 842124

View attachment 842122

View attachment 842120

View attachment 842121
View attachment 842123
Click to expand...

skogstokig said:
foam is probably more common. but i wonder if lining the hollow inside of the wood with a thin layer of glue would be beneficial, to make the walls stronger and more stable?
Click to expand...
I've heard of foam. Cotton made me curious. The glue idea sounds smart!!! Leave it to a player to find the best minutiae.
SSDiver2112 said:
I thought I was lucky to just find a Titlist relatively cheap. To get a Purpleheart with figure, is perfectly amazing.

I put the pin in last night.

View attachment 842695



Cored with maple.
Click to expand...
I bet it was pricey!! Thanks.
 
My homemade lathe spawned from my need to do something in during my house arrest in 2020. My DIY lathe had its limitations, which led to the acquisition of a Mid-America cue lathe. Having no experience or knowledge I simply built a bench top to put my new lathe upon and began working on a bunch of bar cues. Inevitably my workstation evolved as my need, knowledge, and experience grew. Some changes spawned from efficiency improvements, some new tooling, and just “I want its”.

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Now with a few years experience I decided to update the lathe station to better fit what I have learned. I was disassembling the chuck on the head stock to clean, grease, and bore and decided to keep going. I had already been thinking about how to build a box around it to reduce the noise while using the router as well as the dust. I also decided to add a riser under the lathe so I am not hunching over the lathe so much. Simple idea that should only take a few days… yeah right.

My workspace is limited and I don’t have all of the woodworking tools I would like. One piece of plywood required a bank loan and it would be difficult for me to cut, so I made an executive decision while at the depot and switched to a sheet of foam board. Lightweight, easy to cut, and adds some extra sound barrier. I did my best to plan for all contingencies as I built the framework. Missed a couple things, but I was able to adjust as I went.

What a mess I made.
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The plan was to build a riser with a raised back panel for general use and then attach a removable front piece when using the router. Simple. The first part came together nicely. The logistics of the tool bar became an issue. I ended up making the tool bar removable so they are not in the box while the router is running. There is space underneath to put the lathe parts when not in use (cross slides and tail stocks). The side walls clip in and the windowed front gate is on slip hinges to easily attach and remove.


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Sides clipped in.
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The Dynamat dampened the sound down to around 65 decibels making it a little less than my shop vac. No more dust in the air and all over the floor! The lighting is better and the raised height is great. Better on the back and easier to see what I am doing. The extra drawers are a big plus to have more things conveniently at hand. I knew I would have to rewire the switch on the power feed unit so I could operate it outside the box. I put the ShnitPwr (chuckle) power supply in one of the small drawers along with the re-wired switch. The station will probably get a tweak or two as I get back into using it, but so far I am very pleased.

Cleaned back up.
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