Would this be an ok starter lathe?
- Thread starter EasyEJL
- Start date
The problem with wood lathes is that there is no chuck for clamping down on the work piece. and there is no thru bore which means you cannot put the shaft through the headstock. Some have converted wood lathes to work for shaft sanding and suck but it will be tough with tips.
My opinion go with a Todd lathe (tsp&b on here www.midamericapool.com) or a hightower lathe. I currently have todds lathe and it is awesome, plus awesome support from him.
Adam
My opinion go with a Todd lathe (tsp&b on here www.midamericapool.com) or a hightower lathe. I currently have todds lathe and it is awesome, plus awesome support from him.
Adam
Could be turned into a cleaning lathe as long as you have the room between centers. Far as tips go, I would not put that much money needed to convert this in a wood lathe trying to get it to do tips. Check with Todd on here or get a HF mini lathe with a rear rest from Chuck. Cheap in the beginning usually turns out to be more money in the end.
tips..NO...
I think that would make an excellent sanding, cleaning and polishing lathe though. You would just need to add a chuck and some maintenance arbors....I'd buy it as long as it worked properly......
I think that would make an excellent sanding, cleaning and polishing lathe though. You would just need to add a chuck and some maintenance arbors....I'd buy it as long as it worked properly......
2cents
Hi just to say a little about that way. It can be done! I have made a few cues on a lathe like this. But everyone on here will say it can't but it can. Down side your going to spend way more money doing mods on it to make it work. And even than its going to be one big pain in the butt!
If your looking to do it this way PM and I will cut you a sweet deal on most of the stuff you will need. I am not using it because I went with a Hightower deluxe and I modified a micro II to do all my other stuff.
But if your going the wood turning way lathe buy the time your done buying all the stuff you need you could have saved a few more bucks and got a sweet used one to build cues and repairs.
Just my 2 cents
Hi just to say a little about that way. It can be done! I have made a few cues on a lathe like this. But everyone on here will say it can't but it can. Down side your going to spend way more money doing mods on it to make it work. And even than its going to be one big pain in the butt!
If your looking to do it this way PM and I will cut you a sweet deal on most of the stuff you will need. I am not using it because I went with a Hightower deluxe and I modified a micro II to do all my other stuff.
But if your going the wood turning way lathe buy the time your done buying all the stuff you need you could have saved a few more bucks and got a sweet used one to build cues and repairs.
Just my 2 cents
tips and cleaning only
IF all you want to do is tips and cleaning, you need to talk to someone. I suppose Chris, Hightower , Or Todd are you best choices. Not sure if Chris makes one as low end as Todd. Easy to find out...both are great guys...and make good machines for that. Other people make cue lathes, but I don't think they make low end for tips and cleaning only. The lathe you viewed is a wood lathe, I have one and use it for sanding, spraying, cleaning, and you can probably wrap with it too.
Bill
IF all you want to do is tips and cleaning, you need to talk to someone. I suppose Chris, Hightower , Or Todd are you best choices. Not sure if Chris makes one as low end as Todd. Easy to find out...both are great guys...and make good machines for that. Other people make cue lathes, but I don't think they make low end for tips and cleaning only. The lathe you viewed is a wood lathe, I have one and use it for sanding, spraying, cleaning, and you can probably wrap with it too.
Bill
If you are looking for a lathe for tips and ferrules go to Harbor Freight and pick up a mini-lathe. I believe Central Hardware has the same thing. You will have to get some delrin to make collets but you have a lathe so you can with a boring bar. You will also have to get a tripod and bearing to support the shaft as the mini-lathe will not do so. Joe Blackburn has this setup and has used it for years. Very easy to move from place to place. You will also need a wood lathe simular to the one you are looking at to clean shafts and to do wraps. I prefer the ones that run 3600 to 4000 rpm top speed as this makes short work of cleaning shafts. The slower ones do all right but to get the dings out the faster ones generate more heat and allow you to work faster.
My entire rig at this point consists of an Enco mini lathe and a Chinese wood lathe.
It's kind of funny that Alex posted here,because the whole reason I have that Enco is because Alex started making cues. He started in the back of Players in Memphis,and this was the machine that did all the repairs there before him.
Visually,it's seen better days. Functionally,it kicks ASS.
It's paid for itself about 75 times too
.
The wood lathe I got from a traveling tool sale for 100 bucks. I had to have 2 35.00 adapters made to attach common thread 3-jaw chucks to,plus the 100.00 Hightower/Taig chuck,but for 270.00,it couldn't have worked out better. It too has paid for itself many many times.
The Enco has only given me problems ONCE,and the controller was at fault. I got a used but BETTER controller on eBay for 75.00.
The wood lathe has had 1 switch go bad,and one start capacitor in 14 years.
3 problems in 14 years is pretty sporty in my book.
Sears lathes used to be really nice,esp the Atlas stuff. Tommy D.
It's kind of funny that Alex posted here,because the whole reason I have that Enco is because Alex started making cues. He started in the back of Players in Memphis,and this was the machine that did all the repairs there before him.
Visually,it's seen better days. Functionally,it kicks ASS.
It's paid for itself about 75 times too
.The wood lathe I got from a traveling tool sale for 100 bucks. I had to have 2 35.00 adapters made to attach common thread 3-jaw chucks to,plus the 100.00 Hightower/Taig chuck,but for 270.00,it couldn't have worked out better. It too has paid for itself many many times.
The Enco has only given me problems ONCE,and the controller was at fault. I got a used but BETTER controller on eBay for 75.00.
The wood lathe has had 1 switch go bad,and one start capacitor in 14 years.
3 problems in 14 years is pretty sporty in my book.
Sears lathes used to be really nice,esp the Atlas stuff. Tommy D.