Shafts

whammo57

whammo57

Kim Walker
Silver Member
Ok... I have some more questions.

First of all I would like to thank you all for the information and guidance I have received here so far. It allows me to advance much faster than those that have had to self educate by trial and error. I literally have a thousand years of combined experience to draw from. Thanks to all the craftsmen that openly share their knowledge.

I scan around the net for cue shafts. I see 1in squares, 1in dowels, slightly cut shafts, nearly completed shafts, and finished shafts. I bought one shaft square that was dated 2005.

Should I:

1. buy a shaft square and periodically cut on it and hang for a year to a year and a half.

2. Buy a dowel and periodically cut on it and hang it for a year to a year and a half.

3. Buy a slightly cut shaft and cut an hang it for 3 to 6 months.

4. Buy an almost finished shaft and cut and hang for 4 weeks.

5. Buy a finished shaft and use it.

Personally I feel that I can buy an almost finished shaft from an established and reputable supplier and in about 4 weeks I can attach it to a butt and shoot with it. Why should I have the wood in my pipe line when for $15 to $20 I can have a very nice shaft in a month.

I realize there are better and more expensive shafts available. But at my stage of development I feel I am doing ok.

I have used a few of the "almost finished" shafts and they have been excellent. I bought a purple heart shaft for $16. It was already .575. I cut it and rolled it around for a couple weeks then I finished it and screwed it on. It's was and remains perfect.

I fully realize the importance of properly aging and stabilizing the materials that go into a cue. But, I think that for a few bucks more I can have someone else do most of that for me.

So go ahead..... slam me or guide me.... I welcome it all...

thanks

Kim
 
Personally I feel that I can buy an almost finished shaft from an established and reputable supplier and in about 4 weeks I can attach it to a butt and shoot with it. Why should I have the wood in my pipe line when for $15 to $20 I can have a very nice shaft in a month.
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Which reputable supplier would that be ?
Would you want to buy a shaft from a builder who made it in a month ?


Squares or rounds, doesn't matter as long as they are cut and seasoned right.
Get some now, then 3 years from now when they are down to around 13.5MM tips, you'll have a few almost ready to see the real world.

I have used a few of the "almost finished" shafts and they have been excellent. I bought a purple heart shaft for $16. It was already .575. I cut it and rolled it around for a couple weeks then I finished it and screwed it on. It's was and remains perfect.
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That was purpleheart, not maple.
 
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If you are looking to do it faster and cheaper, then cue making and repairing is NOT for you.
 
I think it is nice to have the guidance of ATCM at your disposal, but there is a considerable amount of learning that you need to do on your own in order to find the answers you're looking for.

There is a reason Joey said what he said, and if you don't have the patience to take your own shaft from start to finish, maybe Ryan is right as well.

If it just so turns out you are itching to get a cue pumped out, I don't see anything wrong with buying an almost completed shaft. When I first started out, I had some warped shafts I got at no charge just for practice from Jennifer at Prather. I made a couple of practice cues and the rest was history after that. I just so turned out to get in touch with whom I feel is the best shaft wood supplier in the industry, so I feel very fortunate but not every piece of shaft wood is alike. During the process you will learn how to read the wood and understand it's behavior. This is one thing that is essential to a good cue maker. These are things you would not pick up if you were buying nearly finished shafts.

Just something to think about.
 
Who is the best and most reliabile shaft supplier for the following:

3. Buy a slightly cut shaft and cut an hang it for 3 to 6 months.

4. Buy an almost finished shaft and cut and hang for 4 weeks.

Thanks, Vincent
 
why not just buy a couple of Players sneekys and sign them...that way you don't have to do much of anything
 
SK Custom Cues said:
...maybe Ryan is right as well.
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Maybe? :(

There is nothing wrong with buying shafts from a supplier like Prather, for example. I mean, we all have to get shaft wood from someone right? You can also turn a shaft to size in a month, if you want. Don't base your future on the result of ONE shaft staying straight. Joey and I are giving you advice based on years of experience.

Turning wood is just as much of an art as the actual building of the cue.
 
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Vincent said:
Who is the best and most reliabile shaft supplier for the following:

3. Buy a slightly cut shaft and cut an hang it for 3 to 6 months.

4. Buy an almost finished shaft and cut and hang for 4 weeks.

Thanks, Vincent
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Vincent,

I'm not trying to be a jerk or the "forum cop" here - but you'll likely not get any answers to your question.

1) It's against the rules of this forum to advertise suppliers or prices.

2) The CM's here are VERY helpful and freely give out advice. But most still keep a few secrets to themselves and their wood supplier is often one of those.

Gary
 
wow

WOW!

I guess I struck a nerve in most of you!!!

All points well taken....

The supplier I was referring to was Cue Components. I have read the bashing that Joe gets on this forum and maybe he earned that through those specific transactions. In my experience, everything I have received from him has been quality. He says that the shafts that he sells that are turned to .750 are 2 years old and dipped in nelsonite. I used a couple of them and they were excellent.

I guess I will start the river of shafts hanging in the ceiling. I appreciate the comments even the bashing..... it all comes from experienced people.

thanks

calm down

Kim
 
Quality

Sure you can get finish sanding shafts, but you never know what you are going to get, unless you order several hundred, you get what you get. It may have 5 growth rings, or 12. Now if you really want to build something people want, you don't want to leave one of the most important pieces to chance. if your not sure what you want, you will get it every time!
 
Don't be sad Ryan, I wasn't trying to dis u. I agree with just about everything you post, just the same as I agree with Joey's view points.

What you said in your earlier post is most certainly right, not necessarily right for the OP. I don't know the OP and his intentions to say if what you said pertains to his case. That's why I said maybe.


ratcues said:
Maybe? :(

There is nothing wrong with buying shafts from a supplier liek Prather, for example. I mean, we all have to get shaft wood from someone right? You can also turn a shaft to size in a month, if you want. Don't base your future on the result of ONE shaft staying straight. Joey and I are giving you advice based on years of experience.

Turning wood is just as much of an art as the actual building of the cue.
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To the original poster. I am sure you can get good quality "finished or nearly finished shafts" from quality suppliers, just like you can purchase full splice blanks. However, most Cue Makers prefer to personally "control" the quality of there products and the process as much as possible from start to finish.
 
SK Custom Cues said:
Don't be sad Ryan, I wasn't trying to dis u. I agree with just about everything you post, just the same as I agree with Joey's view points.

What you said in your earlier post is most certainly right, not necessarily right for the OP. I don't know the OP and his intentions to say if what you said pertains to his case. That's why I said maybe.
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Its ok. I still love you.:thumbup:
 
whammo57 said:
I appreciate the comments even the bashing..... it all comes from experienced people.
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I didn't take any of it as bashing. Its all good advice so read it for what its worth and nothing more. Its hard to get the vibe through the written word. As you read more from everyone, you'll get to know our personalities.



<~~Sarcastic
 
whammo57 said:
I will succumb to the pressure.

It is all taken as solid advice.

Kim
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LOL
there's another aspect of your original post

you only have to please YOU,
doesnt matter what anyone else thinks at this point

do you want to be able to say, "i built that cue"
or " i built 1/2 of that cue" , "1/3 of that cue"

when i first started, i was in the same boat,
i didnt have the equipment or the know how to cut my own shafts.
i made it my first mission to change that

brent> has personality no matter what ryan says :D
 
Just chalk all this up to a positive learning experience. What you should look at is this. How do you know the shafts are two years old? Just because he told you so? The truth is, you don't know and will never really know for sure. Personally, I would want to know for sure, that's why it's better to take it from start to finish. Someone can take a shaft, and cut it right down to a certain size in a matter of weeks, dip it, hang it, and mail it and you might never know the difference, especially since you are inexperienced.

I would get in touch with a couple different suppliers just to compare and make sure you discover what good shaft wood is. It is crucial that you get the shaft to turn out right and the only variables you want in that equation is your raw materials, your knowledge, and your equipment.

You can go back and read up on some suppliers as they have been talked about on this forum extensively. You can also read up on nelsonite, resolute, and the pros and cons of using them.

Oh, and Ryan, I don't think I could handle it if I found you didn't love me anymore....... :crying: :D

whammo57 said:
WOW!

I guess I struck a nerve in most of you!!!

All points well taken....

The supplier I was referring to was Cue Components. I have read the bashing that Joe gets on this forum and maybe he earned that through those specific transactions. In my experience, everything I have received from him has been quality. He says that the shafts that he sells that are turned to .750 are 2 years old and dipped in nelsonite. I used a couple of them and they were excellent.

I guess I will start the river of shafts hanging in the ceiling. I appreciate the comments even the bashing..... it all comes from experienced people.

thanks

calm down

Kim
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BHQ said:
LOL
there's another aspect of your original post

you only have to please YOU,
doesnt matter what anyone else thinks at this point

do you want to be able to say, "i built that cue"
or " i built 1/2 of that cue" , "1/3 of that cue"

when i first started, i was in the same boat,
i didnt have the equipment or the know how to cut my own shafts.
i made it my first mission to change that

brent> has personality no matter what ryan says :D
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I heard you plant your own maple now.:grin-square:
 
Back in the early 90's, Sherm and myself were buying some 3rd turn, almost completed shaft blanks from a well known, top supply house for shaft blanks. When our dowels ere finally aged long enough and we were going to start making our own blanks i asked the supplier what were their turning schedule for shaft blanks that they were selling. I was told that they made 3 passes waiting 1 week between passes. I was kind of shocked and told Sherm and he said that I must have heard it wrong. A couple of months later I asked the same question and once again I got the same answer.

Few turns with a short rest period between such turns may be fine but I trust my parameters much more. By turning my own blanks from dowels to finished product, in my own shop, I know what I have and what to expect. I don't want to trust my reputation on someone else's turning parameters or whims at the time of filling orders.

Dick
 
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