Some starter lathe advice please...

D

dsd5150

New member
Need some advice on a lathe purchase. I only need the lathe for refinishing butts, shafts and tip replacement. If this model is capable of eventually doing wrap replacement, that is a bonus.

Any advice is appreciated... If there is a similarly priced model out there that any of you have used with good results, let me know.

here's a link.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38515

There is also a link to the manual on their site if you need to see any of the tech specs....

Thanks in advance...

Dan
 
I'm not a cuemaker but....

The money you save by getting this "inexpensive" HF lathe will soon be eaten up by machining time creating adapters,guides, and tooling for cue-work. You won't be able to get collets, centers, and jigs "off the shelf" to fit this model. This model also does not have the speed-range necessary for cue work. You'd have to rig up a speed-contol to slow it down. When you run a motor that wasn't designed for that- you will quickly burn up the brushes.

I have a "Total Shop" lathe/saw/sander/drill press combination - (similar to the Shop-Smith Mark V) that I thought about adapting to do tips/shafts and the same sort of thing you are thinking about. I'd have to fabricate all my own tooling. I "may" get to that eventually, but the task is daunting for only a few personal and friend's cues.

The best thing to do would be to spend the money- get a true cuemaker's lathe, start with an inexpensive one, or try to find a used one from a cuemaker looking to move up in equipment.

Search the forum for Chris Hightower- he can help. http://www.cuesmith.com/

Also search for "Cue Lathe"
http://www.uniqueinc.com/
Porper:
http://www.poolndarts.com/product.cfm?sku=RS60




Ray
 
Dan, dont go "on the cheap" with cue repair machinery.

You will never be sasitified with a machine that can not do what you want it to do.
Look around for a used CueSmith, A Porper B, or a Unique Cue Companion.
I doubt that you will find one.
When buying a machine look for complete tooling, jigs, speed controls, and instructions.
Talk to the machine maker and see how willing he is to spend time with you answering questions and solving problems.

I think the Unique Cue Companion would be a perfect fit for you and what you want to do.
It is very well thought out and engineered.
It is light weight and portable enough to take to a pool hall and set up on a table.
(get permission first) <grin>
It comes with everything you will need except the repair parts.
It also has the abaility to do other things that you may want to do in the future.

If you buy one of these machines new and later decide to sell it you wont have a problem finding buyers.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the info from both Willee and Baker... Have done the bulk of my repair work by hand and did not want to make the mistake of buying something useless.

If anyone out there has a used unit like the ones mentioned here drop me a line.

Thanks much and see y'all at Valley Forge...

Dan
 
dsd5150 said:
Thanks for the info from both Willee and Baker... Have done the bulk of my repair work by hand and did not want to make the mistake of buying something useless.

If anyone out there has a used unit like the ones mentioned here drop me a line.

Thanks much and see y'all at Valley Forge...

Dan
Click to expand...


I've been using a cuesmith deluxe as My main repair lathe for a while now, and have been very happy with the performance. I use It just about everyday out of the year. It cost more then the smaller versions, but has easily more then paid for It'self in repair work alone, as well as ease of operation. You could also build a cue on the same machine should you feel the need. I have not used the other models, but see no reason why they should'nt get the job done also, as many people have successfully done repair work on them. It really depends on what all you want to get out of a machine as to which one to choose. I already had customers, and did'nt want to outgrow the lathe too soon, before I got other nessesary equipment setup for tasks I wanted to do, so I went for broke and got the top of his line-up. That was a desision I do not regret, and I can always see the lathe having a place in My shop or out in the field, no matter how much other equipment is added.

Greg C
 
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