I am curious, do you cut opposite grooves, or adjacent grooves for each session? I would guess opposite for sure given what you are trying to prevent by doing it this way, but just thought I would ask.
Kelly
Gluing points
- Thread starter josie
- Start date
I am curious, do you cut opposite grooves, or adjacent grooves for each session? I would guess opposite for sure given what you are trying to prevent by doing it this way, but just thought I would ask.
Kelly
Your assumption is absolutely correct. Opposing. In this way you can make your V cut to almost the exact center of the prong and then after gluing the points back in it will be sound for the next cuts. If you want a sharp V at the back this can be accomplished by cutting just one V at a time and going to the exact center of the prong.
Dick
Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking. I quit using surgical tubing for just this reason. I bought a bunch of small plastic spring clamps from HF and use these now with the clamps holding the opposite points, I can get 8 clamps alternating directions giving strong even pressure around the forearm.
just more hot air!
Sherm
Funny you should mention that. Canadian Tire had large bags of spring clamps on sale the other day and I bought 2 of them. Impulse buy but now I know exactly why I bought them.
I guess I am showing my ignorance of term usage again. I thought because it was so thin, and penetrated the surface more than most other epoxies, it was considered a penetrating epoxy. It definitely can soak up into wood and phenolic and leave nothing much on the surface. I consider the Hot Stuff super glue to be a penetrating glue also and use it to harden wood surfaces at times. But maybe I am using the wrong term. Can you suggest a better term to describe West System's thin characteristics? I have not tried Smith's so what do you think the results of using Smith's on the surface of cues for a sealer would be? Would it penetrate the surface enough to harden the surface of the wood and eliminate the need for a finish, kind of like a shallow dymond wood surface?
I wouldn't say West is thin, but that is just me. Smith's is like water and what I consider thin. I have some Loctite 5 min that i would consider thick. We never thinned West to use on boats, but sometimes used Smith's if we weren't laying cloth and just wanted to protect then paint or in repairs. To be honest, I don't know how it would work in a cue application as a sealer. I guess I could try. I do know that West claims it is better than Smith's if it is thinned.
Someone must have tried this already.......I would think..
I also can't comment on it's ability to NOT yellow. I believe West has some that is designed to resist yellowing, but I have heard mixed results. I CAN tell you that regular West is guaranteed to yellow.
All this is coming from someone who has worked on wood boats for the last 20 years, not a cuemaker. What some might consider penetrating epoxy I wood not, so I wouldn't say your statement is really ignorant.
If you pour Smith's on a flat piece of wood it will completely soak in, West would level and harden with only light penetration. Smith's might be used before layup of cloth on bare would, then mat, west, cloth, west, ect. It would all depend on what yah were doing.
If I have screwed up any of this, please feel free to chime in.
Sorry for the long reply.
dave sutton
Banned
watch bobs video on cutting points. notice he holds the forearm to eliminate any vibration causing slop in your v groove. i had the same problem you did and i started holding the same way bob does. it is dangerous but what can you do? i can see the other thoughts about twisting the point . maybe you can try hose clamps or some other clamp as some other makers use instead of surgical tubing. thats what i do. then i wrap in wax paper and use tubing on the outside. i use hose clamps to get everthing into place first
Last edited:
one more oddball thing to check
I know it's a long shot but it happened to me: a brand new 90 degree V cutter I was using to cut the V grooves was actually 92 degrees. As Kelly suggested, three points will seat themselves but one always ends up losing out. I wasted a few forearms before I figured this one out.
Just another example that shows how slight errors can accumulate. Yeah, it's only wood but the closer everything is to perfection, the better the final product.
edit: sorry, I originally typed 88 degrees when I meant 92 degrees. I shouldn't post in the wee hours.
addition: I had a clue to the problem as the points/veneers weren't hydraulically locking into position as they normally do. I just wasn't paying attention. I have a hard time believing that the careless application of the surgical tubing is creating the problem as the points seat themselves VERY well. I have NEVER had a point "rock" out of location due to clamping.
I know it's a long shot but it happened to me: a brand new 90 degree V cutter I was using to cut the V grooves was actually 92 degrees. As Kelly suggested, three points will seat themselves but one always ends up losing out. I wasted a few forearms before I figured this one out.
Just another example that shows how slight errors can accumulate. Yeah, it's only wood but the closer everything is to perfection, the better the final product.
edit: sorry, I originally typed 88 degrees when I meant 92 degrees. I shouldn't post in the wee hours.
addition: I had a clue to the problem as the points/veneers weren't hydraulically locking into position as they normally do. I just wasn't paying attention. I have a hard time believing that the careless application of the surgical tubing is creating the problem as the points seat themselves VERY well. I have NEVER had a point "rock" out of location due to clamping.
Last edited:
What size prong do you guys start with when cutting points?...JER
My forearms are about .070" oversize. After the epoxy cures I take a pass of about .030" and let it sit before installing the handle, then I have two more turns to final size.
When I first started using the West system I had a similar problem. I was told by their Tech folks that my problem was a "glue starved" joint due to absorption of the epoxy into the wood, they recommended coating the parts and allowing several minutes fo soak, then recoat, assemble and clamp. I have also found that the "cureness" of your left over cup of epoxy is not a good test for the "cureness" of the joint. More heat is generated (and therefore curing) based on more epoxy in one spot, your left over cup can be rock hard and the points can fall out if you remove the binding too quick because the amount in the cup generates more heat. Hope this helps.
Mark Smith Custom Cues
Russellville, Arkansas
479-970-0056
Mark Smith Custom Cues
Russellville, Arkansas
479-970-0056
point gap
If you are useing a woodworking router bit it will have a small radius on the tip and if your point stock has a sharp corner they will not seat in the fourarm and will leave a gap on one side.
If you are useing a woodworking router bit it will have a small radius on the tip and if your point stock has a sharp corner they will not seat in the fourarm and will leave a gap on one side.
I am using the one from Brianna Products. I don't think it is rounded but I will check when I get home.
Thanks for the tip.