What's the best tool to shape a tip while the shaft is mounted on the lathe? Sandpaper (course??), toolbit, metal file or wood file?
Shaping tips on a lathe??
- Thread starter karambolista
- Start date
It depends on how the shaft is mounted. If the shaft has just the ferrule end stuck out in front of the chuck then shape the crown of the tip with a utility blade resting on top of your regular lathe tool or tool rest. If you don't have a spindle bore on your lathe large enough to run the chuck through then use course sandpaper.
Chris
www.hightowercues.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
Chris
www.hightowercues.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
madison bob
chris how are you ? Hey i agree on your ideal,s but there,s also a radius cutter you can mount in the tail stock that cut,s a perfect dime radius everytime. But i,am like you chris the old utility blade is the best all around if if your lathe will allow.It let,s you put on any radius and let,s you keep from having that little nimp in the center of the tip. And the old utility blade also work,s great for cutting the side of the tip down to match the ferrule while putting on a tip. And there cheap you can put on 5 to 10 tip,s with one blade .what some people don,t know is leather can be very abrasive to carbide tool,s and will dull it in a hurry if you use your carbide tool bit,s to cut the side,s of the tip down to your ferrule dia. chris take care and keep posting if anyone know,s how to build cue,s and repair them it,s you. MADISON BOBcueman said:
> I use the method Chris outlined,laying a flat utility blade on the cutting tool in the post and using it as a radius tool. There IS a radius cutter with a #2MT available that will fit the tailstock in your lathe,but have no clue whether it can be set for a radius that small. I usually cut mine to slightly more than a dime for most customers,this way when they mushroom,it comes back to about what they asked for. One way you can do this is to order some 1/2 HSS cutting tool blanks,spray them with layout fluid or "Dykem",or even a black magic marker will work,let dry,and set a dime on top and scribe 1/4 of the diameter out close to the tip,then grind it until you get it close. Bring something to drink,this may take a while. Using my digital calipers,a dime measures out at .700,a nickel at .8325. Tommy D.
Razor here also. I use a thick, higher quality break away or standard utility knife to trim the last part of the tip flush with the ferrules, and a utility blade on top the tool in the post as already mentioned. I just buy those 100 pack of blades that come in a plastic holder, so I can hang them on a peg by the lathe, and take one as I need them.
With the demple in the middle, You know, I never really had many problems with that until recently, when I noticed it happening on a few tips I was shaping in. Turned out the tool I rested My blade on was a little thicker then the one I usually use, therefore the height was not hitting dead center with the tip. Seems Like that can occur if the shaft has alot of runout that's hard to get out or shim also. Ofcourse if that happens, then usually can easily tell from the side of the tip, and going to have to do more work on it anyway.
I wanted to get a radius cutter for phenolic, but found a good skew worked fine for that, basically just use it simular to a razor. Could probably build a radius cutter, but for what little they cost, not really worth the hassle, easier just to buy one. GC
With the demple in the middle, You know, I never really had many problems with that until recently, when I noticed it happening on a few tips I was shaping in. Turned out the tool I rested My blade on was a little thicker then the one I usually use, therefore the height was not hitting dead center with the tip. Seems Like that can occur if the shaft has alot of runout that's hard to get out or shim also. Ofcourse if that happens, then usually can easily tell from the side of the tip, and going to have to do more work on it anyway.
I wanted to get a radius cutter for phenolic, but found a good skew worked fine for that, basically just use it simular to a razor. Could probably build a radius cutter, but for what little they cost, not really worth the hassle, easier just to buy one. GC
Welcome aboard Bob. I am doing okay. Staying real busy. I do make a small radius cutter that mounts on the toolpost, but I like the utility blade better myself. Alot of people use my Auto Tip Shaper and like them, but I feel the utility blade cleans the leather off nicer. I am a poor salesman as you can see. Thanks for the kind words.bob griffin said:
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
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