I’ve played with a lot of different cf shafts and made my own for awhile. The MCDermott Defy is probably one of my least favorites. BeCue,Tiger, Mezz, Predator, and Jacoby all make superior shafts to the Defy.
I have a couple of Tina blades from Tiger and use my cheap Kiridashi blades to trim the ends of my stacked leather wraps.I like the way they work and their size better. I tried them for trimming tips but like my utility knife setup better.
I use 50% Behlen’s, now Mohawk Woodturners finish, 40% Lacquer thinner and 10% boiled linseed oil.
I wouldn’t buy anything from that a**hole from Cue Components. If you don’t believe me, do a search here.
I’m selling a brand new open box Toolmex 8” 6 jaw Set Tru Chuck. It is made in Poland like the Bison chucks and retails for $2000. I want $old shipped in the USA. I also have a Toolmex D1-6 Set Tru back plate for $250 shipped. If you want pics, message me and I’ll get them to you.
I think a older 13x40 or 12x36 is a better choice and if you’re on a budget get a Techtongda 8x31” lathe. The Porper B’s are nice cue lathes but you can get a lot more lathe for the money with a big lathe imo.