Repurposing Pool Cue Lathes?

[Rich Sloop]

Looking into options for tapering and finishing masts and yards.  I see the Sherline extended bed lathe is used by some builders, but it’s through hole may not allow larger build at 1:48 or larger - plus it’s expensive.  I see less expensive American and Chinese pool cue lathes offered at half or less that a Sherline with a much larger diameter through hole. The base on most is long and allows reordering of the support, motor and cutter elements. Seems like a possible option. Does anyone have experience with any of these?  Short comings or limitations?

[druxey]

Why any ship modeler would spend serious money on a long bed lathe simply for turning a few spars mystifies me. For a start, parts of a mast are often foursquare in section, and sections of yards are eightsquare. You would also need a four jaw self-centering chuck for this.

 

Real mast and spar-makers don't use a lathe. They cut the spar to a foursquare section including any taper, then eight. For models, it's then easy to round off the spars using sandpaper strips.

 

The secret - if secret there be - is in accurate marking out and making a spar holder that will support the stick at 45 degrees. A lot cheaper than a lather, unless you plan on turning a lot of wood!

 

Some samples of spars at 1:48 made without a lathe in sight:

[Y.T.]

20 minutes ago, druxey said:

making a spar holder that will support the stick at 45 degrees

The way you describe it is exactly how I make the masts and spars. With exception of the note quoted above. I do not get it. For final rounding the sections of mast / spar with a sandpaper I hold one of the ends in electrical drill. I wrap that end with a masking tape quite a few turns so drill chuck does not damage the wood.

[druxey]

I simply pull a coarse sanding strip back and forth with the spar held in a vise. Rotate the spar about a quarter turn after every few pulls. Finish with fine sandpaper.

[Dziadeczek]

Undoubtedly, manually shaping of the masts/spars from square to round, is the more authentic method, but I always use my old Sherline long bed lathe for this task. Also, I use a Steady Rest to prevent wood deflection during turning.

Still, for my French 74 1:48 by Boudriot, for some very long spars, I had to turn them in halves, drill holes in their ends and connect them together with a dowel & glue. You cannot see the joint now.

Using a lathe is quite faster and more accurate than doing it manually, I think.

In the end, it is a matter of personal preference...   🤔

Edited Thursday at 07:08 PM by Dziadeczek

[paul ron]

i put my belt sander in my bench vice and square or round n shape my dowels to plan. then using a scraper i carefully finish them. its faster than the lathe, takes minutes to do. no centering, adjusting chucks n tool rests... etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Monday at 08:10 PM by paul ron

[palmerit]

10 hours ago, druxey said:

Why any ship modeler would spend serious money on a long bed lathe simply for turning a few spars mystifies me.

I looked onto getting one hoping to use one for other things - putting a mast or yard in the end of an electric drill (covered to protect it) has worked well for now. A challenge is finding a lathe that can do small pieces and larger ones too - not that I’ve looked too hard yet (maybe when I retire). 

[tmj]

I might be seriously missing something here, 'but'. Why not just chuck a round wooden dowel into an electric hand drill, wrap some sandpaper around it, then pull the trigger and make a taper? I could make a 36" long mast or yardarm like that, easily! 

  

Edited Tuesday at 01:17 AM by tmj

[palmerit]

My older son had taken a "wood turning" course in high school - with only 4 students (all seniors) taught by the high school principal because they had only 4 lathes. I thought about getting one just to have something to play with - adding another wood hobby - that I could also use potentially with model ships (even if knowing this wasn't a need, but yet another toy to play with). Ultimately, I think it's pretty clear that a lathe is a want, not a need. I thought it was a need before discovering (i.e., reading about, seeing recommended) the electrical drill trick. I'd imagine even for scratch building, you might put a mill or nice scroll saw ahead of a lathe. 

[tmj]

14 minutes ago, palmerit said:

I think it's pretty clear that a lathe is a want, not a need.

Depends on what you want to make. Long skinny parts that easily flex in the middle, like masts and yards... maybe not so much. Short stanchions, etc... needful. 

Mind you. I'm only saying this right now because I'm bidding on a small lathe on eBay! LOL 😏

[druxey]

Chacun a son goût: Each to their own. If you plan on lots of turning or have deep pockets, well, it's another nice toy to have. 

[Dr PR]

I used to use my drill as a "lathe" and turn masts and spars with files and sandpaper. But when I started my topsail schooner build I decided to get serious about mast construction.  Sailing ship's masts were not cylinders or cones and had a lot of faceted sections.

 

 

Here is a link to the traditional method of mast making:

 

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/19611-albatros-by-dr-pr-finished-mantua-scale-148-revenue-cutter-kitbash-about-1815/?do=findComment&comment=908539