24 Slot RailRoad Track Rings

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
F

farmer

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2012
Messages
807
Location
NV
24 position indexer, 1.250 od saw blade 0.030 width mounted on a dremel.
0.030 to 0.035 white veneers .
Kingwood dowel cut 24 times like a spline on a axel or a input shaft on a manual transmission .
Cut 24 slots, and check every slot with a strip of veneer, then super glue in 5 or 6 pieces of veneer a spray with a activator until all 24 slots have veneers glued in them.

Then cut into washers or rings .

Sorry I don't make many pens, I do enjoy wood working but I make very few pens.
I thought I would share this with you.
You must have a engine style lathe, a indexer and a live tool post cutter that you can cut a 0.030 width of a slot.
Finished product is a billiards chalk holder.
This is made out of Elk antler and Gabon Ebony.
hope this gives a few of you guys some ideas
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
F

farmer

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2012
Messages
807
Location
NV
Lathe

KenV said:
Looks like a Taig -- well set up. Nice work
Click to expand...

Thank you,
Yes it is a Taig based lathe that has been modified.
Large bore headstock
Using the lathes mainly for wood with live cutters takes very little energy to turn the lathe.
I still use the bigger motors ( 1/2 HP DC ) because they are extremely quiet.
I have three of these Taig Lathes and a large wood router 75 x 24 x 8.5 CNC that I can mount one of my Taig lathes on it so I can do tapers on pool cues.
The live cutters are like a whole new world of cutting wood on a lathe.
The router bit doesn't load up the pours in the wood with saw dust, so you can have ebony next to maple and not transfer the ebony dust into the pours of the maple wood.
 
F

farmer

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2012
Messages
807
Location
NV
UP date for making rail road track style rings

I have a project that I needed some rings with the ID of 0.250 or 1/4 inch.
and the OD about 0.380 - 0.0400 of a inch.

All the other rings I have been making I was using 0.030 veneers .
But the new blades I got in from China came in with the blade think ness of
0.038.

I told myself I can figure this out, even though the only way for me to get a different saw blade was to order one and the same goes for the veneers if I could find some that is 0.038 - 0.036.

I Have a 14 in Ridgid band saw with a Kregg fence , so I took a block of cocobolo and cut some coco veneer strips, and I think I did a fair job of it.

So I am all set up to cut 24 slot rings , after about five or or six slots
I noticed the splines or the wood that was left between the cuts was loose .
Sorry I will post a picture of the wood later.
Point being the 0.038 thick blades x 24 cuts in that small of a piece of wood was to small to handle 24 slots.
I got out another piece olive wood and cut 12 slots in it.
And inlayed the cocobolo wood.
After I cut them into rings I hand file them flat, but because I use a technic I can live cut them to any think ness.

The small ring in the picture is 0.481 OD 0.250 ID .
The OD can be sanded or live cut down to about 0.380 which would be minimum OD before the inlays are sanded out.
It would be pushing the envelope to make rings for a slim line pen.
but from 0.380 OD and up it can be done in a 12 slot ring.

The middle 24 slot ring is 5/16 ID and 0.650 OD and can be trimmed to 0.525 .

The large is 5/16 ID 0.930 OD and can be trimmed to 0.525 .

These rings are made with Olive wood with cocobolo veneers .
It will be a couple of days before I can post a finished product .

 
F

farmer

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2012
Messages
807
Location
NV
taig lathe

WriteON said:
Nice job. I have that same lathe. Have not realized much of its potential yet.
Click to expand...

Todd has great customer service.
If go live cutters on your lathe you can $hit can the pen mandrels.
If you are a AZB'er pm me.

Ps the DECO Cues make the best ridgid live cutter mounting bracket.

I like the lathes allot, thinking of making a auto feed system for one of the 3 I own.

I have 3 of these lathes , one of them is set up on my CNC so I can do my tapers on pool cues

These rings are pretty much a given on a pool cue.
I bounce around looking at different peoples inlays to pick up ideas for my own work.
 
Last edited:
WriteON

WriteON

Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2013
Messages
3,294
Location
Florida & Pa
Beautiful cue. Love that wood. My AZB handle is GoldCrown. I'm not quite ready for live cutters. I'm still green with the lathe. Currently working on tips,tenons,ferrules,cleaning/refinishing. My next step is JP's.
Also want to design/make pool cue pens. I will get in touch if I do have questions. I appreciate the offer. Your work is absolutely beautiful. Thanks for posting. Frank
 
F

farmer

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2012
Messages
807
Location
NV
J/P's

WriteON said:
Beautiful cue. Love that wood. My AZB handle is GoldCrown. I'm not quite ready for live cutters. I'm still green with the lathe. Currently working on tips,tenons,ferrules,cleaning/refinishing. My next step is JP's.
Also want to design/make pool cue pens. I will get in touch if I do have questions. I appreciate the offer. Your work is absolutely beautiful. Thanks for posting. Frank
Click to expand...

I made J/p's for a while, very important you get all your wood pre cut before you start to assemble when you only have one lathe.
You chuck up and center your piece once, and leave it in the lathe....

Do not do Jp's with metal rings without a live cutter, You will learn to hate life.....
 
F

farmer

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2012
Messages
807
Location
NV
WriteON said:
You should frame it and hang on the wall.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much.
I don't know I think some of my work looks like it could be refined.

Making these rings for a pen is pretty precise cuts, and the saw blade and arbor that I am using is not the best quality.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Previous Next
Top Bottom