Wood Lathe...

Zims Rack

Zims Rack

Promoting the Cueing Arts
Silver Member
I've been wanting to build a sanding, sealing, wrapping station for a few months now, but have been waiting for the right lathe to come along. Below is a photo of my Mid-Size Cuesmith lathe that I used for all repair work at tournaments. Everything folds up into the portable box (made by a friend of mine.

After doing some search on wood lathes, recommended by Elbeau (forum member), I came across this... http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38515
I'm considering using this lathe for my sanding, sealing, wrapping station and build a similar wood box that houses my Mid-Size lathe. Of course I'd have to add a chuck on the headstock and make a few other inexpensive modifications, but what do you think?

Thanks,
Zim
 

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I have been thinking of doing the same thing. I am just not sure what kind of live center will fit in that tail stock and what chuck will mount to the head.
 
Zim, I use a different model Harbor Freight lathe for the same purposes that you are talking about.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45276

The model that you listed has a non-removeable live center in the tailstock. The one that I bought about 5 years ago has a 2MT live center that opens up a lot more options. There is not a lot of precision in either of them but you can work and adjust them into useable tolerances.

I used the face plate that came with mine to attach a flat-backed chuck. I was dissed by a lot of folks on here and elsewhere when I suggested using a cheapo wood lathe in the cue building/maintenance field; but it works for me.

There was only problem that kept re-occuring: the thing didn't weigh enough,,,had the shakes when a cue was not quite straight. I cured that by attaching the thing to a piece of 10" channel iron. The extra weight made everyting run smooth.

Later on, I bought another one and used the rails (ways) to extend mine to work on house cues. I also made a steady rest and follow rest using skateboard wheels. Skateboards are cheap at Wal-Mart and the wheels are slightly tapered so they conform nicely to cues . You need to touch them up lightly with some 22 sandpaper and keep them clean of debris.

Hope I was some help to a fellow member.
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Zims Rack said:
I've been wanting to build a sanding, sealing, wrapping station for a few months now, but have been waiting for the right lathe to come along. Below is a photo of my Mid-Size Cuesmith lathe that I used for all repair work at tournaments. Everything folds up into the portable box (made by a friend of mine.

After doing some search on wood lathes, recommended by Elbeau (forum member), I came across this... http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38515
I'm considering using this lathe for my sanding, sealing, wrapping station and build a similar wood box that houses my Mid-Size lathe. Of course I'd have to add a chuck on the headstock and make a few other inexpensive modifications, but what do you think?

Thanks,
Zim
Click to expand...


Zim, Heres the one I went with. Its more expensive but it weighs a lot more and not having to fool around with belts to change speeds(like my old wood lathe). I added a scroll chuck and it works awesome. Dave
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34706
 
For doing wraps you need a foot switch and idealy it would control speed.
Without any way to control speed the lathe would jump when you stepped on the foot switch and it is very hard to get a smooth wrap like that.
It needs to start off slow and then speed up as you wrap down the cue.
I think that lathe uses a DC motor (like a router motor) and a router speed control would work with it.

For sanding and other tasks like polishing that lathe will work just fine.
If it had a speed foot pedal it would be the nuts!

BTW:http://www.pennstateind.com/store/TCLVSKIT.html
is selling a DC motor and speed control for $109.

Willee
 
Last edited:
WilleeCue said:
For doing wraps you need a foot switch and idealy it would control speed.
Without any way to control speed the lathe would jump when you stepped on the foot switch and it is very hard to get a smooth wrap like that.
It needs to start off slow and then speed up as you wrap down the cue.
I think that lathe uses a DC motor (like a router motor) and a router speed control would work with it.

For sanding and other tasks like polishing that lathe will work just fine.
If it had a speed foot pedal it would be the nuts!

BTW:http://www.pennstateind.com/store/TCLVSKIT.html
is selling a DC motor and speed control for $109.

Willee
Click to expand...

Rats! I just bought the reversible motor for the cue companion.
 
dchristal said:
Rats! I just bought the reversible motor for the cue companion.
Click to expand...

Well you got a very powerful motor that requires no added modification.
I doubt you ever have any problems with it.

Just as a side note I did have problems with a DC motor unit from Unique Inc.
I took it apart and observed the commutator had come loose and twisted to the point of breaking some of the wires. I ruined it trying to repair it.
So I called Unique Inc and asked if they would sell me a new motor for their cost cause I had totally ruined this one when I should have just sent it back with out taking it apart.

No ... they sent me a new motor at no charge.
Now that is customer service above and beyond what you would expect.

Point is you did good buying it from Unique Inc.
 
> Mine is very similar to that. On mine,the spindle threads were 18mm-2.5,same as the tailstock bolt. I had to have an adapter made for both ends,one drive end holds a 3/4-16 thread Hightower 3-jaw,just like his lathes,the other end has a 1/2-20 Jacobs drill chuck on it. Mine is set up to run about 1500 RPM.

Make sure all the bolts are tight,and even then you are gonna get vibration.

The pointed live center that is mounted on the tailstock can be pulled off along with the bearing it rides on by the use of an arbor press,even a correct size nut and a good solid vise will let you torque it right off.

I'm planning on removing the adapters on mine and cutting new threads on the spindle and tailstock bolt so it works better. Tommy D.
 
nbll01 said:
Zim, Heres the one I went with. Its more expensive but it weighs a lot more and not having to fool around with belts to change speeds(like my old wood lathe). I added a scroll chuck and it works awesome. Dave
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34706
Click to expand...




I've seen that lathe on sale a few times over the years and came close to buying one. I have a couple of woodlathes now that I don't use, but I really like the solid cast bed on that one.


I use to use a old craftsman woodlathe for My cleaner. Got It used in new conditon, with the bench and drawers setup, and tools for around 100 bucks. I think the tailstock was MT1, but don't remember what the headstock was, might have been MT2, not sure, but anyway, I had a drill chuck mounted on a tapered arbor that fit the headstock, and I used the chuck to mount My drive pins in. It was cheaper then mounting a big lathe chuck, but got the job done. The MT1 live centers for the tailstiock were easy enough to come by too.
 
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