I want to build a specialty lathe to work on pool cues. Rather than having
a chuck and tailpiece, I want to use some ball bearing wheel trucks that go
on the bottom of sliding glass doors. They have neoprene wheels, and the
spacing is perfect. There would be two of them to support the work, and
then in the middle, there would be a sewing machine motor with O ring type
drive pulley bearing down and holding it on the wheels. This would be to
sand, and with another device, trim off old tips and leave a perpendicular
cut.

It would look basically like a six foot long box, about a foot square, with
a rod along the front side where the last board is omitted. The rod would
be superoverkill 3/4" cold rolled steel, making it essentially a very strong
straight support to rest any tool on.

Since pool shafts are tapered, how would I get them to go in there so that
they would be precise? The trucks would have machine screws into steel
bases to fine adjust up and down, and be drilled on the 90 for perfect
vertical.

I need a measuring device to check the cue's proper positioning sometimes.
I'm thinking of a long piece of oak or hardwood that is cut on a precise
taper that can be laid on top of the cue, and the taper would make the top
of the measurement tool exactly level. I do have one of those pendulum
degree finder things that would help in measuring. Is there a device that
is adjustable for setting these long slim wedge shaped cut out lines, or
maybe just have a pivot point, and a level so I could get it pretty close?

Steve

On Wednesday, August 29, 2012 10:46:44 AM UTC-7, Steve B wrote:
I want to build a specialty lathe to work on pool cues. Rather than having a chuck and tailpiece, I want to use some ball bearing wheel trucks that go on the bottom of sliding glass doors. They have neoprene wheels, and the spacing is perfect. There would be two of them to support the work, and then in the middle, there would be a sewing machine motor with O ring type drive pulley bearing down and holding it on the wheels. This would be to sand, and with another device, trim off old tips and leave a perpendicular cut. It would look basically like a six foot long box, about a foot square, with a rod along the front side where the last board is omitted. The rod would be superoverkill 3/4" cold rolled steel, making it essentially a very strong straight support to rest any tool on. Since pool shafts are tapered, how would I get them to go in there so that they would be precise? The trucks would have machine screws into steel bases to fine adjust up and down, and be drilled on the 90 for perfect vertical. I need a measuring device to check the cue's proper positioning sometimes. I'm thinking of a long piece of oak or hardwood that is cut on a precise taper that can be laid on top of the cue, and the taper would make the top of the measurement tool exactly level. I do have one of those pendulum degree finder things that would help in measuring. Is there a device that is adjustable for setting these long slim wedge shaped cut out lines, or maybe just have a pivot point, and a level so I could get it pretty close? Steve

Or buy a lathe

"SonomaProducts.com" wrote

Or buy a lathe

If those morons at the Lotto office would just get the numbers right. Six
numbers. What's so hard about that?

The one I need starts at $2,000. Quite a bit to just do minor work on cue
sticks and change tips.

Steve

On Wednesday, August 29, 2012 3:50:49 PM UTC-7, Steve B wrote:
"SonomaProducts.com" wrote Or buy a lathe If those morons at the Lotto office would just get the numbers right. Six numbers. What's so hard about that? The one I need starts at $2,000. Quite a bit to just do minor work on cue sticks and change tips. Steve

Yikes. Or buld one. Good luck.

I haven't done any lathe work since junior high school a thousand years ago but seems like any lathe that can have the tail stock far enough from the head would work but maybe I am mising something. Don't they have little cheapo lathes that can use any kind of bench or beam as an alignment and be positioned any distance apart?

Like this and just move the tail stock out farther somehow.
http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-...der-67690.html

In article ,
"Steve B" wrote:

I want to build a specialty lathe to work on pool cues. Rather than having
a chuck and tailpiece, I want to use some ball bearing wheel trucks that go
on the bottom of sliding glass doors. They have neoprene wheels, and the
spacing is perfect. There would be two of them to support the work, and
then in the middle, there would be a sewing machine motor with O ring type
drive pulley bearing down and holding it on the wheels. This would be to
sand, and with another device, trim off old tips and leave a perpendicular
cut.

It would look basically like a six foot long box, about a foot square, with
a rod along the front side where the last board is omitted. The rod would
be superoverkill 3/4" cold rolled steel, making it essentially a very strong
straight support to rest any tool on.

Since pool shafts are tapered, how would I get them to go in there so that
they would be precise? The trucks would have machine screws into steel
bases to fine adjust up and down, and be drilled on the 90 for perfect
vertical.

I need a measuring device to check the cue's proper positioning sometimes.
I'm thinking of a long piece of oak or hardwood that is cut on a precise
taper that can be laid on top of the cue, and the taper would make the top
of the measurement tool exactly level. I do have one of those pendulum
degree finder things that would help in measuring. Is there a device that
is adjustable for setting these long slim wedge shaped cut out lines, or
maybe just have a pivot point, and a level so I could get it pretty close?

Steve

They are called a steady rest, do some Google searching on home-brew
ones and see what you find. For what you want they should be
adjustable, not fixed.

PS, people have found that the trucks from skates work, I've never heard
of someone using those door wheel, they are not designed for high speed
movement, while the ones from skates are

Good luck, you would be better off buying a lathe and modifying it

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