# 3 Jaw Chuck, work through steady rest



## vin421 (Mar 16, 2018)

I do relatively simple work on pool cue tips and ferrules.  Right now I have a steady rest that is not actually very steady.  It is three rollers in which the bearings have significant play.  Consequently, I am not able to work as precisely as I would like.  I want to mount a 3 jaw chunk on bearings but it must allow the cue shaft to pass through from behind. The cue will collet is about 16 mm diameter.  I would prefer just purchasing this assembly but will build it if I must.  Any ideas would be helpful.  Hopefully you can picture what I am trying to describe,  If not, I will provide pictures.


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## dlane (Mar 16, 2018)

A pic would help me anyhow, 3jaw chuck on bearings ?


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## mikey (Mar 16, 2018)

Could you not just change the bearings in the arms of your current steady rest?


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## vin421 (Mar 16, 2018)

dlane said:


> A pic would help me anyhow, 3jaw chuck on bearings ?






  4:19 - 4:26.  That is exactly what I need.


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## vin421 (Mar 16, 2018)

mikey said:


> Could you not just change the bearings in the arms of your current steady rest?


Yes, I have ordered some higher end bearings and hopefully that will reduce the throw out.  Problem no. 2 is centering the work all the time.  I can do it but it requires patience and I do it by eye.  I was thinking a 3 jaw chuck might make it easier and more accurate.


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## vin421 (Mar 16, 2018)

Thanks for the replies.  I have discovered the item I am looking for at a billiard supply house.  I guess that is the obvious place to have looked.   It can be observed in action on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwMm0cdhdQo&feature=em-comments at 4:19 - 4:26.   Problem now is...$150 plus about $100 shipping to Thailand.  I think I can build one for a lot less considering I can get a decent Chinese made chuck for less than $50.   So, starting with the standard 3 jaw chuck.....  

 If anyone has any advice on what I need to complete the project I'd be interested in hearing.


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## jrkorman (Mar 17, 2018)

Glad to see you found the right place - Now that I've seen what you are looking for I realize your need. If you are doing
quality cues you may want to go for the quality tool.


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## vin421 (Mar 17, 2018)

jrkorman said:


> Glad to see you found the right place - Now that I've seen what you are looking for I realize your need. If you are doing
> quality cues you may want to go for the quality tool.



Yes sir!  No substitute for quality tools.  I went ahead and forked out the dough.  

Now I have to deal with the stress of checking the mail for a delivery notice every day for the next three weeks.  I have some virtues.  Patience ain't one of 'em.


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## mksj (Mar 17, 2018)

vin421 said:


> I was thinking a 3 jaw chuck might make it easier and more accurate


Not really unless you have a means to set the chuck so that it runs true. A few things to consider, and it partly depends on your lathe, size and how you use it. What is most commonly used is a spider which is a round tube that attaches to your spindle/chuck or you could use a bearing in your steady rest with a spider running on the bearing. A spider usually has 4 Allan screws to adjust/center the position. The tips of the screws are often brass tipped or can have fingers. You use a dial indicator or test indicator to set center very quickly, this is very commonly done with 4J independent chucks.

The other alternative is to get a mini chuck in the 100mm range either 3J scroll or 4Jindependent, turn a backing plate to fit a bearing that would be secured by your steady rest or fabricate a steady rest block. Not a difficult task, but at the end of the day this approach will probably be more expensive. The price of a chuck with shipping, a bearing and materials will be in the $150-200 range.


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## vin421 (Mar 17, 2018)

Thanks! Very informative.  You're second suggestion is what I had planned to do.  That is until I saw the item I was looking for being used on YouTube:  



 and it is available at Cue Man Billiards.  

https://www.cuesmith.com/steady-rest-with-deluxe-chuck-mid-size.html

I guess a cue supply parts house was the obvious place to look.  With shipping from the US to Thailand, it will be around $250 but, it will be much better than what I have which is little more than a skate board wheeled steady rest.


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## Mitch Alsup (Mar 18, 2018)

The cue stuff is derived from the Taig line of micro lathes.
Here is a parts list::
http://www.super-tech.com/root/grp.asp?p1=taig-products


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## whitmore (Mar 18, 2018)

vin421 said:


> Yes, I have ordered some higher end bearings and hopefully that will reduce the throw out.  Problem no. 2 is centering the work all the time.  I can do it but it requires patience and I do it by eye.  I was thinking a 3 jaw chuck might make it easier and more accurate.



In theory, you could make a few centered bushings, centerhole-tapered to match the cues, to fit something like a
20mm bore of a steady-hold bearing.   Saw (split) the bushings, and they'd act like collets to center the work
in the bore.   The problem then is just how to mount a bearing where the steady rest is, and that only
requires a block to mount the bearing (pillow block and some shims, maybe).

So, if it were my problem, a bunch of Delrin/acetal collets would be getting cone tapered centered holes.
Chuck jaws wouldn't be in the way of the work.


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## vin421 (Mar 18, 2018)

Yes thanks.  I was looking at that combination of things.  The pillow blocks are certainly a lot less expensive than most alternatives.  I'd have to accumulate a large collection of collets since cues vary from 12mm to almost 14mm but it would be very do-able.  Or.... I could set it up so that the pillow blocks slide to the point where they are snug on the cue.  I often use shrink tube as a collet.  It seems to work well and can fit any size cue.  I just have to be careful not to overheat the wood.

I think I am fairly convinced that I need this item:   




I made the mistake of buying cheap stuff in the first place and it's not the first time I've made that mistake.


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## whitmore (Mar 19, 2018)

vin421 said:


> I'd have to accumulate a large collection of collets since cues vary from 12mm to almost 14mm but it would be very do-able.



Depending on the taper of the cue, and the number of slots cut, you could finger- tighten a simple collet (by sliding it up the
tapered cue) in the cylindrical bearing bore, and might only need two or three to get good coverage of that range.
This place <http://www.cuestik.com/store/product.asp?ITEM_ID=6196>  only stocks one-slot collets,
so their compliance range isn't much.


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## vin421 (Apr 1, 2018)

OK, I have installed my 3 jaw work thru steady rest, which works beautifully in the sense that once centered properly, it has reduced throw out and virtually eliminated the problem of having to constantly re-center each job.  

But.......... now I have a new problem:

My small 1/3 hp motor just won't get the 6 lb 3 jaw chuck up to speed.  The motor is definitely overloaded, gets very hot and is just a matter of time before electrical failure takes place somewhere along the line.  I am looking to upgrade to about 3/4 hp, say in the 500 - 600 w range.

So any suggestions for a new motor?  Brushed, brushless?  Brand? Necessary controls? etc.


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## whitmore (Apr 1, 2018)

vin421 said:


> OK, I have installed my 3 jaw...
> My small 1/3 hp motor just won't get the 6 lb 3 jaw chuck up to speed.
> 
> So any suggestions for a new motor?  Brushed, brushless?  Brand? Necessary controls? etc.



Capacitor-start AC motors are faster-starting than the capacitor-less ones with a centrifugal switch, so
if your motor doesn't have a capacitor (bulge on the side, or maybe a can under the endcap), that would
be a step up.   If it IS a capacitor motor, maybe the capacitor is in need of replacement.   The motor
will typically have a dataplate specifiying  the capacitor (if any) in "MFD" units.


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## vin421 (Apr 2, 2018)

whitmore said:


> Capacitor-start AC motors are faster-starting than the capacitor-less ones with a centrifugal switch, so
> if your motor doesn't have a capacitor (bulge on the side, or maybe a can under the endcap), that would
> be a step up.   If it IS a capacitor motor, maybe the capacitor is in need of replacement.   The motor
> will typically have a dataplate specifiying  the capacitor (if any) in "MFD" units.



It has no capacitor.


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