Novice question about cue lathes
- Thread starter DJ14.1
- Start date
They are lighter and more portable and have atleast 30" between centers.
Other than portability and size a dedicated cue lathe has nothing on a big metal lathe.
Big safety difference
I've banged my knuckles on numerous occasions with my Hightower lathe
The machine shop lathes can take your hand/arm off
I've banged my knuckles on numerous occasions with my Hightower lathe
The machine shop lathes can take your hand/arm off
I've banged my knuckles on numerous occasions with my Hightower lathe
The machine shop lathes can take your hand/arm off
I get too close to the spinning chuck jaws and split a finger nail.............. just glue it back together with CA....................
LOL
Kim
My Weiss lathe has a 38mm through bore, the same as my Deluxe Cue Smith lathe.
The Weiss is actually quite compact for a metal lathe. It's about 200kg, but it only has 700mm between the centers, so It's purpose is mostly thread cutting, boring and such jobs.
Grizzly has a 12 x 36 lathe for about $2600 that's what I would get if I had a tight budget and had room for it.
The Weiss is actually quite compact for a metal lathe. It's about 200kg, but it only has 700mm between the centers, so It's purpose is mostly thread cutting, boring and such jobs.
Grizzly has a 12 x 36 lathe for about $2600 that's what I would get if I had a tight budget and had room for it.
Only way I can explain is this:: would you use a sledgehammer on a nail for a picture in your living room? Or vice verse tack hammer to bend 1/4" plate...
It all depends on the level cue lathe you are looking at. A large metal lathe will do heavier metal work better than a lighter cue lathe. But a quality cue lathe will be set up to hold the cue easier than non modified metal lathes. For instance the Cue Smith brand of cue lathes all have the bed going to the left of the headstock and a steady rest that holds the left hand end of the cue. The chucks are faster to open and close. The tailstock has a speed lever for faster drilling. The bed is a dovetail for easier taking on and off of special fixtures. They are designed to work on cues and metal lathes are designed to work on metal rods. As both come out of the box or crate the metal lathe is easier to work on metal and the cue lathe is easier to work on cues. The metal lathe can be modified to do most cue work, but those modifications are not all that easy for non experienced machinists.