Tip shape

[daphish1]

What are your thoughts on tip shape? My tip naturally seems to take a nickel shape. I can give the tip more angle of a dime but doesn't take long and the tip is back to nickel.

Do you tend to play the shape of the tip that your play creates or do you grind down the tip frequently? Am I losing something by not using a dime shape and changing out my tip more frequently?

 

[JoseV]

I always played with Nickel radius tips, what tip hardness do you play with ? I always favor the harder tips, after a few hundred shots i check the radius and it usually never changes.

 

[RichSchultz]

nickel for me; my shaft is 13.1 and I just think nickel fits it better. As for whether you lose anything not using dime shape, I am a firm believer that it's all about your stroke, not tip shape.

 

[Cocoa]

nickel for me; my shaft is 13.1 and I just think nickel fits it better. As for whether you lose anything not using dime shape, I am a firm believer that it's all about your stroke, not tip shape.

Rich,

When applying enlish or draw or follow the smaller radius of a dime makes contact further from the centerline of the cue ball than a larger nickel radius when using the same "shaft centerline" offset.

Examples:

A 15mm shaft/cueball centerline offset with a dime makes contact 11.43m mm from the centerline of the cue ball.

A 15mm shaft/cueball centerline offset with a nickel radius makes contact 10.53 mm from the centerline of the cue ball.

So in this example the dime radius tip contacts the ball almost a millimeter further out than the nickel.

Less english = less squirt, less curve, less adjustment regardless of the shaft type.

None of this matters if you hit the cue ball in the exact center every time.


Cocoa

 

[ctyhntr]

Yep, this has been my experience on as 12.25-13mm tip. Trying to maintain it as a dime means I go through tips at a faster rate, especially with layered tips.

I moved on and concentrated on other parts of my equipment and game.

What are your thoughts on tip shape? My tip naturally seems to take a nickel shape. I can give the tip more angle of a dime but doesn't take long and the tip is back to nickel.

Do you tend to play the shape of the tip that your play creates or do you grind down the tip frequently? Am I losing something by not using a dime shape and changing out my tip more frequently?

 

[john coloccia]

With layered tips, I maintain a dime radius at all times. The ones I prefer seem to glaze over a lot anyhow, so I just gently touch it up two or three times a session, it's always a dime and always holds chalk.

For solid tips, I shape it to a dime and then leave it alone until it flattens out too much or stops holding chalk. Usually, neither one happens for a while, but when it does I reshape it to a dime and start over. After a few times doing this, it tends to hold the dime radius on the edges, and the center gets a tiny little flat spot...which is perfect, actually. A little forgiveness in the center, but everywhere else is lively.

 

[RichSchultz]

Rich,

When applying enlish or draw or follow the smaller radius of a dime makes contact further from the centerline of the cue ball than a larger nickel radius when using the same "shaft centerline" offset.

Examples:

A 15mm shaft/cueball centerline offset with a dime makes contact 11.43m mm from the centerline of the cue ball.

A 15mm shaft/cueball centerline offset with a nickel radius makes contact 10.53 mm from the centerline of the cue ball.

So in this example the dime radius tip contacts the ball almost a millimeter further out than the nickel.

Less english = less squirt, less curve, less adjustment regardless of the shaft type.

None of this matters if you hit the cue ball in the exact center every time.


Cocoa

understood Cocoa...i guess my point is, nickel or dime, if you have a good stroke you can still work the cue ball effectively.

 

[Tramp Steamer]

What are your thoughts on tip shape? My tip naturally seems to take a nickel shape. I can give the tip more angle of a dime but doesn't take long and the tip is back to nickel.

Do you tend to play the shape of the tip that your play creates or do you grind down the tip frequently? Am I losing something by not using a dime shape and changing out my tip more frequently?

This is the most amazing thing I've ever heard. A magic tip.
My advice would be to first: Have you friendly neighborhood cue repair person turn a nickle shape on to your cue tip. Second: Buy yourself a Willard shaper (the nickle one). Third: Use the Willard at least once a week to keep it shaped. Twice if you play every day, and only shape it enough to take the old chalk off and bring it to bare leather. Fourth: If you break with it you will tend to flatten it sooner.
Glad to help. :smile:

P.S. What ever you do don't place the Willard on the floor, hold it with your feet, then stick the cue down into it, and grind the living crap out of it. Just hold the shaper in one hand and the shaft in the other, and rotate back and fourth. Thirty seconds, or less, and you're done. Don't forget to chalk up before you make the first shot of the day. If you don't you're liable to embarrass yourself.

 

[daphish1]

I always played with Nickel radius tips, what tip hardness do you play with ? I always favor the harder tips, after a few hundred shots i check the radius and it usually never changes.

Currently, playing with a Kamui Black Soft. I've used Everest and Triangles in the past and haven't noticed any difference in the shape of the tip. I see the same, after initial break-in seems to adopt a nickel shape.

 

[daphish1]

This is the most amazing thing I've ever heard. A magic tip.
My advice would be to first: Have you friendly neighborhood cue repair person turn a nickle shape on to your cue tip. Second: Buy yourself a Willard shaper (the nickle one). Third: Use the Willard at least once a week to keep it shaped. Twice if you play every day, and only shape it enough to take the old chalk off and bring it to bare leather. Fourth: If you break with it you will tend to flatten it sooner.
Glad to help. :smile:

P.S. What ever you do don't place the Willard on the floor, hold it with your feet, then stick the cue down into it, and grind the living crap out of it. Just hold the shaper in one hand and the shaft in the other, and rotate back and fourth. Thirty seconds, or less, and you're done. Don't forget to chalk up before you make the first shot of the day. If you don't you're liable to embarrass yourself.

I've got multiple tip tools, Willard, Ultimate Tip Tool, Tip picks, Kaumi scuffer thing. I normally just scuff the tip vs reshaping the tip.

 

[Ak Guy]

Shape

I think mine always end up being close to the nickel shape. I long ago quit giving it much thought and just lightly scuff it after a few hours of play/

I think once a tip is "settled" into it's shape most of us can't tell the difference.

One of my shafts has a Kamui Black Soft that seems to last forever. I put one of PoolDawg8's Milk Duds on my other shaft a week ago and it plays well for me and seems to be a nickel shape.

 

[PoolChump]

Nickel or Dime Tip Shape

The shape of a tip really depends on the diameter of a shaft. It is rather difficult to shape a tip as a dime when the diameter is 13-14 mm. Other than that, it is a personal preference. Work on a perfect stroke and the and forget about the tip shape.

 

[HawaiianEye]

Make it the same shape as the cue ball.

 

[dr_dave]

What are your thoughts on tip shape? My tip naturally seems to take a nickel shape. I can give the tip more angle of a dime but doesn't take long and the tip is back to nickel.

Do you tend to play the shape of the tip that your play creates or do you grind down the tip frequently? Am I losing something by not using a dime shape and changing out my tip more frequently?

FYI, this topic is covered in great detail here:

tip shape and size effects resource page

Enjoy,
Dave

 

[Tramp Steamer]

FYI, this topic is covered in great detail here:

tip shape and size effects resource page
Enjoy,
Dave

I read that a long time ago, and it's good info.
Dave, how many times do you think the subject of tip shape has come up on this forum?
:smile:

 

[dr_dave]

FYI, this topic is covered in great detail here:

tip shape and size effects resource page

I read that a long time ago, and it's good info.

Even if you and others have seen my resource pages before, that shouldn't stop you from looking at them again. I literally add info and make improvements to the resource pages on a weekly (often daily) basis.

Dave, how many times do you think the subject of tip shape has come up on this forum?
:smile:

... lots, as do many topics on my Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Various Billiards and Pool Topics page. That's why I started creating the resource pages in the first place ... because I started seeing the same questions posted frequently. Although, I often learn something new (and add stuff to the resource pages) when an "old" topic is revisited ... so, I am often glad they are re-posted.

Regards,
Dave

 

[Tramp Steamer]

Even if you and others have seen my resource pages before, that shouldn't stop you from looking at them again. I literally add info and make improvements to the resource pages on a weekly (often daily) basis.

I been kinda busy. :thumbup:

 

[Black-Balled]

Why no willards upside down? It works way faster and more importantly, accurately, like that. I agree it doesn't need much pressure, but hard to beat it for a-shaping.

This is the most amazing thing I've ever heard. A magic tip.
My advice would be to first: Have you friendly neighborhood cue repair person turn a nickle shape on to your cue tip. Second: Buy yourself a Willard shaper (the nickle one). Third: Use the Willard at least once a week to keep it shaped. Twice if you play every day, and only shape it enough to take the old chalk off and bring it to bare leather. Fourth: If you break with it you will tend to flatten it sooner.
Glad to help. :smile:

P.S. What ever you do don't place the Willard on the floor, hold it with your feet, then stick the cue down into it, and grind the living crap out of it. Just hold the shaper in one hand and the shaft in the other, and rotate back and fourth. Thirty seconds, or less, and you're done. Don't forget to chalk up before you make the first shot of the day. If you don't you're liable to embarrass yourself.

 

[Tramp Steamer]

Why no willards upside down? It works way faster and more importantly, accurately, like that. I agree it doesn't need much pressure, but hard to beat it for a-shaping.

The best example I can cite, and one I happen to have seen occur, is the potential for a tip to come off. That's quite a lot of stress to be putting on a small piece of leather.
In addition, the little pieces of diamonds that are glued to the inside of the Willard, that do the actual cutting, tend to fill rapidly. After that they are virtually useless.
As you can see BB, I've done extensive studies on this matter. It's one of the reasons my third wife left me. :grin:

 

[Dave-Kat]

Shape

I carry my Willard's nickel and dime tools and roll shaft across my thighs sitting down minimum pressure keeping tool at 90 deg flat. When cue is assembled I hold it tip up holding horizontal/square and roll cue on bumper. Never used the floor 'grinder' method.
with Willard's plus they are round on bottom so how do you keep at 90 deg?

Simple and easy. I use nickel always cause I play about 12.5mm unless for some reason am playing a skinny shaft then its a dime. I find my variety of tips I have on shafts are not close to perfect nickel, and flattened after 10 racks. I have breaker so not breaking with player.

I generally use one piece MD's, Triangles, LePros but am playing a Super Pro I had stashed now. Touching up Med/hard re-shaping every time I head out after 4-5 sessions

These Willard's radius Jigs always having me check before I head out. Never paid as much attention before I started using them a few years ago.

Brass or SS small brush works good once in awhile lightly to um-clog diamond cutting knives.

Nite,

-Kat,