Can I do tip replacement myself?

[JimS]

I use 14mm and Porpers Little Shaver. It's really under-estimated. No nicks.. very sharp. A blade from a plane also works well but the Little Shaver is my favorite because of it's round shape which leaves no 'corners' to have to sand down.

For shaft spinning the crutch tip "lathe" works great.

 

[macguy]

I suppose you could overhaul your cars engine with nothing more than a screwdriver and a pair of pliers from Harbor Freight ... but who would want to?

So yes you can replace your tip with a tube of super glue, an exacto blade, and a piece of sandpaper.

Why the sarcasm? There is nothing better then replacing your own tips. I can't believe any serious player doesn't do it themselves. Even Miz used to do his own tips most of the time. I saw him put on like 4 tips before he liked one. (Back in the LePro days tips seem to be a little better now). People go to a repair guy and often get a tip that turns out to be sour and they are stuck spending the time taking it back, waiting and maybe having to pay again. I don't know any guitar players who take their guitars to the music store to get it tuned. You learn how to tune your guitar. With a little practice anyone can change their own tips and if they want get a small lathe all the better but you can also do it with a minimum of tools.

 

[Arnot Wadsworth]

Why the sarcasm? There is nothing better then replacing your own tips. I can't believe any serious player doesn't do it themselves. Even Miz used to do his own tips most of the time. I saw him put on like 4 tips before he liked one. (Back in the LePro days tips seem to be a little better now). People go to a repair guy and often get a tip that turns out to be sour and they are stuck spending the time taking it back, waiting and maybe having to pay again. I don't know any guitar players who take their guitars to the music store to get it tuned. You learn how to tune your guitar. With a little practice anyone can change their own tips and if they want get a small lathe all the better but you can also do it with a minimum of tools.

I disagree with you. The problem with replacing your own tips is that you cannot face the ferrule properly by hand. The flatter and cleaner this surface the better your new tip will adhere. The results will be a better more consistant hit regardless of the orientation of the cue.

In an emergency it would be necessary to replace your own tip if you only had one shaft.

 

[macguy]

I disagree with you. The problem with replacing your own tips is that you cannot face the ferrule properly by hand. The flatter and cleaner this surface the better your new tip will adhere. The results will be a better more consistant hit regardless of the orientation of the cue.

In an emergency it would be necessary to replace your own tip if you only had one shaft.

I am betting you started messing with cues replacing your own tips. Your right it needs to be done right but the post I responded to assumed players are idiots who can't possibly replace a tip. The is a tiny learning curve and a few tools are needed but I have replaced my own tips since I first started playing and it has always been a real convenience as well as a satisfaction. I was doing all the cues in the pool room where I played when I was like 14. I even made a small disk sander to do the ferrule tops and they came out perfect. All the cutting down was by hand and I got really good at it. Point being though, for the player who is so inclined it should be no problem and within most anyones abilities to do so. On a job scale of 1 to 10, I would put tip replacement about a 2 for difficulty. I would not discourage anyone to at least give it a try on an old cue they can practice on, maybe a few house cues. That was really my only point.

 

[DaveK]

I disagree with you. The problem with replacing your own tips is that you cannot face the ferrule properly by hand. The flatter and cleaner this surface the better your new tip will adhere.

And lots of people can't file a flat surface, but many of us can. It takes knowledge, coordination, and patient observant practice, but hand work can be extremely accurate. As an example, do any of your lathes or mills have hand scraped ways ? Mine do. How can a mere person do that while one cannot get a ferrule flat

For the record I do not sand my ferrule flat, I scrape it spinning the shaft by hand. The inherent straightness of a new razor knife blade is key to my method for surfacing the ferrule.

One more note, it is possible to do sloppy work with a lathe if it is poorly setup or one uses poor technique .... I have first hand experience in that too

Dave

 

[Arnot Wadsworth]

I am betting you started messing with cues replacing your own tips. Your right it needs to be done right but the post I responded to assumed players are idiots who can't possibly replace a tip. The is a tiny learning curve and a few tools are needed but I have replaced my own tips since I first started playing and it has always been a real convenience as well as a satisfaction. I was doing all the cues in the pool room where I played when I was like 14. I even made a small disk sander to do the ferrule tops and they came out perfect. All the cutting down was by hand and I got really good at it. Point being though, for the player who is so inclined it should be no problem and within most anyones abilities to do so. On a job scale of 1 to 10, I would put tip replacement about a 2 for difficulty. I would not discourage anyone to at least give it a try on an old cue they can practice on, maybe a few house cues. That was really my only point.

I just wish you were betting a lot of money. I always had equipment for which I had great respect so that when it needed to be repaired I made sure it was done by a qualified repairman.

 

[greyghost]

I just wish you were betting a lot of money. I always had equipment for which I had great respect so that when it needed to be repaired I made sure it was done by a qualified repairman.

Don't get me wrong...But I did tips by hand for about 4 years while I was in school had a standing offer that if they fell off I'd fix it free no one ever came back with no tip. I made a little device out of wood that is basically a rip off of the cue top sander...I just didn't like the whole metal around my shaft idea. It sands the top perfectly flat and as for putting the tip on...well Untill you scrutinize the tip you can't tell the differience between that an one done on a lathe. I even burnish them and its sweet, but it was time and patience that makes it work

...never say a tip can't be done by hand and be just as good. Would you saying that herceks hand made inlays are not as perfect as CNC? Because that would be a crazy comment...everyone knows that he can out do the cnc lol....BUT I WOULD NEVER DO A TIP BY HAND ON AN EXPENSIVE OR COLLECTIBLE CUE. Not to mention the fact before I had equipment to do it right I had quite a few cue makers put on tips that just FLEW off....

What do I care if Mr. I have a huge atlas lathe and the tip looks perfect and first hit POP'S right off the shaft, uh ummm Petree Cues, Norwela Cue's, just to name a few...just because it looks good doesn't mean its done right, and just because it looks bad don't mean you ain't going to run out with it.

I even had a friend once who had a tip re-done by a highly regarded cue maker...and I ain't saying his name...because its funny and kinda crappy. My friend gets the cue back and comes meet me in town and the first ball he hits the tip pops off and lands by me. I picked the thing up and on the bottom side it said "HAVE A NICE DAY"! My buddy was pissed, but I can't lie I laughed till I almost cried.

G.G.

 

[FAST_N_LOOSE]

I was about to ask about tip size. Would trying to put 13mm tips on a 13mm ferule be too hard, should I use 14mm tips instead?

USE A 14, AND TAKE THE TIME TO CUT IT FLUSH.

THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP IN ALL OF THIS IS MAKING SURE THAT THE FACE OF THE FERRULE IS SANDED FLUSH. DO NOT RUSH THROUGH THAT PART OF THE JOB.

ANOTHER TIP, WHEN YOUR CUTTING THE EDGES OF THE TIP, KEEP THEM DAMP. THE LEATHER CUES EASIER AND SMOOTHER.

BURNISHING FLUID ALWAYS HELPS THE FINISHED PRODUCT. SPIT WORKS OK AS WELL, BUT NOT LIKE A TRUE BURNISHING FLUID DOES.

I DID THEM BY HAND FOR YEARS BEFORE BUYING MY WILLARDS MACHINE. NOW I DO 10 OR SO A WEEK, USING MY WILLIARDS, AND A HOME MADE DRILL SETUP TO SPIN THEM TO DO THE EDGE FINISHING AND BURNISHING.

HAVE FUN,

Marcus

P.S. TWEETEN SELLS ACHEAP KIT WITH A DEVICE MEANT TO SAND THE FERRULE FACE AND KEEP IT FLAT. IT ALSO HAS A TIP CLAMP IN IT, BUT A HALF INCH WIDE RUBBER BAND IS ALL YOU NEED FOR THAT.

 

[poolplayer2093]

Don't get me wrong...But I did tips by hand for about 4 years while I was in school had a standing offer that if they fell off I'd fix it free no one ever came back with no tip. I made a little device out of wood that is basically a rip off of the cue top sander...I just didn't like the whole metal around my shaft idea. It sands the top perfectly flat and as for putting the tip on...well Untill you scrutinize the tip you can't tell the differience between that an one done on a lathe. I even burnish them and its sweet, but it was time and patience that makes it work

...never say a tip can't be done by hand and be just as good. Would you saying that herceks hand made inlays are not as perfect as CNC? Because that would be a crazy comment...everyone knows that he can out do the cnc lol....BUT I WOULD NEVER DO A TIP BY HAND ON AN EXPENSIVE OR COLLECTIBLE CUE. Not to mention the fact before I had equipment to do it right I had quite a few cue makers put on tips that just FLEW off....

What do I care if Mr. I have a huge atlas lathe and the tip looks perfect and first hit POP'S right off the shaft, uh ummm Petree Cues, Norwela Cue's, just to name a few...just because it looks good doesn't mean its done right, and just because it looks bad don't mean you ain't going to run out with it.

I even had a friend once who had a tip re-done by a highly regarded cue maker...and I ain't saying his name...because its funny and kinda crappy. My friend gets the cue back and comes meet me in town and the first ball he hits the tip pops off and lands by me. I picked the thing up and on the bottom side it said "HAVE A NICE DAY"! My buddy was pissed, but I can't lie I laughed till I almost cried.

G.G.

i put my own tips on by hand just like you man. i've actually seen some guy's cue right after he got it back from a local cue maker. i do a better job by hand than he did with his lathe

 

[poolplayer2093]

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=51018&highlight=porper+shaver

if you're really going to do it yourself you owe it to your cue to read the thread i linked. it's a step by step guide. idiot proof really

 

[greyghost]

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=51018&highlight=porper+shaver

if you're really going to do it yourself you owe it to your cue to read the thread i linked. it's a step by step guide. idiot proof really

yea I liked your little guide...i just always had this huge box of super sharp razor blades so never bought the porper gadget...I never knew where I got all those razor blades...

the one thing I will definitely say is the Locktite Super Glue Gel 454 I believe was the number...that stuff is hands down the best glue for tips.

I also have a great trick and people can holler what they want. This is true if you happen to like a soft tip but dont want the mushroom problem. Put on an elkmaster or any soft tip but don't leave it full length. Cut her back 1/2 to 2/3 the original tip thickness. After you get your tip o.d. (outside diameter) where you want it to match the ferrule, wipe on a few layers of the superglue around that tip careful not to get it on the top.

Then just do a little buffing with some light sandpaper to smooth it out, use a little tape so as not to damage your ferrule. Then you can finish it by burnishing it, the superglue shines very nice and it strengthens the shoulders great, and prevents that tip looking like a muffin top. To me just a quicker and easier "milkdud" which I've actually had put on and even made my own and the superglue trick....they all preformed the same. Hope that was helpful for you guys.

G.G.