Got tips for making tenon by hand?

[Paul_#_]

I am repairing a shaft that had a slip-on ferrule. There was no tenon. I am making a tenon.

What advice do you for doing this by hand --- for cutting the shaft to make the tenon, and, especially for ensuring the ferrule placed on the tenon is flush with the shaft?

I cut the shaft first by placing blue tape around it so that the tape edge was straight --- so that where the ends of a strip of tape met were straight. I cut into the shaft at tape edge around the shaft only a few millimeters with a small hack saw. I finished with a knife to whittle down the shaft and make the tenon. Some sanding to complete.

I try to check whether the the tenon bottom that meets the shaft is flush (at right angle to shaft) with a razor blade by seeing if the flat razor blade is flat against the tenon bottom. I also try to see if the tenon is flush by noting where the ferrule rubs against the shaft. I do this by sprinkling flour on the tenon and seeing where the ferrule scrapes on the shaft. I magic markered the tenon bottom, turned the ferrule on the tenon many times, and saw where the wear marks were after turning the ferrule on it.

I think the tenon is OK using these methods but suspect much better methods are available.

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[chuckpilegis]

Drill,plug and then turn down the plug to fit? I think the way you did it would make the shaft shorter

 

[Paul_#_]

Drill,plug and then turn down the plug to fit? I think the way you did it would make the shaft shorter

Yes, it would.
This work isn't really done for customers. It makes little difference to the players that use these cues (this cue happens to already be a little-used shorty --- a one-piece 52" cue). That repair would be more work than what I am doing. Nonetheless, to keep cue length the same (and all that comes with it --- cue balance) is important.

 

[boogieman]

For doing it by hand I think you're probably on the right track. It's kind of a just nitpick the living hell out of it til you're satisfied type thing.

Measure 500 times, cut/epoxy once.

 

[Paul_#_]

I think the method the dentist uses to detect whether a tooth filling is flush with the opposing teeth could work---whatever the hell they do.

I tried cutting out a piece of softer paper, put hole in middle, placed over tenon, kept in one position, and pressed and moved ferrule over it. I couldn't get much of an impression on the paper, though.

I did something similar using 300 sandpaper placed over tenon and between shaft and ferrule. I rotated shaft against the ferrule and sandpaper held in my hand. That seemed to wear down those parts of shaft edge that rubbed against ferrule. Seemed a little slow. Maybe 200 sandpaper next time.

t's kind of a just nitpick the living hell out of it til you're satisfied type thing.

That's right or nitpick until you're fed up with it.

 

[Chopdoc]

Drill,plug and then turn down the plug to fit? I think the way you did it would make the shaft shorter

That's what I was thinking.

 

[triley41395]

I just have to throw this in here. I can't remember where I seen it but years ago someone had a pencil sharpener type tendon cutter. I hate to even say this but I think it was Eddie Wheat. I believe this use to be a common tool for house cues.

 

[boogieman]

I fixed a bunch of "Viper" brand house cues for the local hall for practice. They were drilled out in an attempt to make them LD. They were really shitty wood and didn't hold up to the abuse of the environment. They basically split out the first 2-3" of the cues. I talked with the owner before doing so, but I had to just cut them past the hollowed part as the wood was cracked or just missing. The result was the house cues are about 2-3" shorter than normal but it was about the only way to do it. The people are so hard on them and disrespectful with the equipment he didn't want to invest anything in them. $2 worth of ferrule/epoxy/lepros and they were playable again. It was invaluable experience for putting ferrules on and finishing them up. They have all held up however the unbroken original ones are now broken. It's about time to get them and fix them.

Attempting to make a cheap house cue LD by drilling them out was/is a terrible idea.

 

[Chopdoc]

I just have to throw this in here. I can't remember where I seen it but years ago someone had a pencil sharpener type tendon cutter. I hate to even say this but I think it was Eddie Wheat. I believe this use to be a common tool for house cues.

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