How to retip cues...... without a lathe

I also use blue painters tape. No glue residue. Good idea to go all the way down the shaft. When you tape part of the shaft...the tape removes chalk stains and it looks weird. So wrapping the whole shaft cleans the whole shaft! haha
 

Klopek

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I use a similar method to you with a few variations. I actually want glue to squirt out from unbder the tip because it means there'll be no gaps between the tip and ferrule outer edge.

Before I use my cuetop sander, I apply painters tape around the end of the ferrule leaving some sticking above the face. I trim it close to flush and then sand it flush with the ferrule. When I glue the tip on, any glue that squirts out sticks to the tape and not the ferrule.

Another trick I picked up from a Bert Kinister video is to use drywall sandpaper to take the old tip down and rough up the ferrule/tip. It works quickly and leaves just enough of a rough surface for a perfect bond. I've used this for putting on phenolic tips and haven't had any pop off. It looks like screen door material, a mesh. Doesn't clog up.
 

Klopek

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Deadon said:
After the tip is applied and dried. Take a smooth block of wood and hold the shaft vertically tip down on the wood. Use a razor blade or a good utility bland and trim down from the ferrule to end of the tip. Using the edge of the ferrul as a guide. Take small pieces and rotate the shaft as you cue through.
This is how I trim my tips flush. I use a blade from a wood plane. It's straight across and has a flush one sided blade (flat on one side, bevelled on the other). Works great for trimming perfectly flush. Might invest in a porper Big Shaver but I really didn't like the mushroom grazer.
 

The Piper

Get Ugly...
Silver Member
Ok the Porper's big shaver is kinda a dent in the wallet. what other tool is as efficient or as easy to use as that one? The Cut rite shown on Seyberts retipping package? The Willards Tip Tool is definitely out the question. That was the one that my local pool hall used until they closed.
 

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The Piper said:
Ok the Porper's big shaver is kinda a dent in the wallet. what other tool is as efficient or as easy to use as that one? The Cut rite shown on Seyberts retipping package? The Willards Tip Tool is definitely out the question. That was the one that my local pool hall used until they closed.
Avoid the cutrite....... cuts at an angle, and can cut a chamfer on the end of the ferrule. You can use a razor knife to rough cut the sides, but you will still end up having to sand it down. On layered tips, I would be hesitant of cutting with a razor knife etc against the layers for fear of delamination problems.
The Big Shaver is so nice because it is adjustable, and makes quick work out of the task, with pretty much no fear of damaging the ferrule. After years of experimenting with exacto knives, mushroom grazers.... hell even dremel tools :D I feel it is well worth the investment!
Other than drying time, it takes me about 10-15 minutes to do a tip. Half hour if you include the drying time of the glue.
Chuck
 

Tommy-D

World's best B player...
Silver Member
> I did my own tips for years with my own variations on the techniques and materials here,and it CAN be done well enough that unless a full-time cuemaker or one of the top repair guys does the work on a lathe,it won't cosmetically look any nicer. I developed my style well enough that the other 2 guys in my immediate area that do repairs on a semi-regular basis were losing customers to me before I even had a lathe. One of them has one of the first Porper repair lathes,the other has the small headstock Deluxe Cuesmith. People could look at my work,done by similar methods,and theirs,done on a suitable machine,and tell the difference. I won't say I can put a better tip on like this than Joe Blackburn or Varney for example can on their lathes,but there are a lot of people that have decent equipment to work with and can't put a decent tip on to save their lives. The guy locally that has the Porper was using a piece of leather to burnish a tip,on a Predator ferrule which are notoriously thin and soft,and I swear melted the damn thing all the way to the core.Then,he tried to replace it with the soft paper fiber/epoxy house cue type ferrule,at an additional cost of 25 bucks. I was handed the shaft 20 minutes later. Tommy D.
 

Jack Madden

John Madden Cues
Silver Member
catscradle said:
I would suggest practicing on a shaft you don't particularly care about or an old house cue until you know exactly what you're doing. I have done my own tips on less expensive cues and do a pretty good job, but I maintain it is a rare person who does as good or better job by hand than a cuesmith with a lathe does. I've watched Mike Webb do tips amazingly fast and always perfect, my tips done by hand are never perfect.
It can be done, but it takes patience to do a good job. Rivercity probably has the patience and this is a good post, but if you find you don't have the patience don't try this on your good cue. Of course, it is also true that having a lathe doesn't guarantee a good job, it takes practice and skill.
I have heard good stuff about Mike's work from a mutual customer - practice, skill and a lathe do make it look easy. But if you don't have a lathe, you can use a regular drill motor. Years ago, I couldn't afford a lathe and lived in a condo so couldn't buy one if I wanted. So I mounted a drill motor to the dining room table (kids swore they wouldn't tell their Mom;) ;) ) - used it to clean my shafts and put on tips. Most cuemakers have some funky piece of equipment - one of mine is from a motorcycle.:D
Jack
www.johnmaddencues.com
 

rackem

SUPPORT CLUB MEMBERSHIP
Silver Member
The Piper said:
Ok the Porper's big shaver is kinda a dent in the wallet. what other tool is as efficient or as easy to use as that one? The Cut rite shown on Seyberts retipping package? The Willards Tip Tool is definitely out the question. That was the one that my local pool hall used until they closed.
I have show these Pencil Sharpener looking trimmers before. They work great for me. I got my original one at a trade show a couple of years ago. These reproductions came of ebay from Germany. My original which was black and also says Germany. It is made little better made. I have never seen them from an USA supplier I have some extras but I really don't think its worth the shipping. Like I said before, One of the blue tip trimmers is a freebie while they last to any one who purchases a cue or case from me. please check my FS threads.
 

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catscradle

<< 2 all-time greats
Silver Member
Jack Madden said:
I have heard good stuff about Mike's work from a mutual customer - practice, skill and a lathe do make it look easy. But if you don't have a lathe, you can use a regular drill motor. Years ago, I couldn't afford a lathe and lived in a condo so couldn't buy one if I wanted. So I mounted a drill motor to the dining room table (kids swore they wouldn't tell their Mom;) ;) ) - used it to clean my shafts and put on tips. Most cuemakers have some funky piece of equipment - one of mine is from a motorcycle.:D
Jack
www.johnmaddencues.com

Actually I also use a drill though I don't mount it on anything. Cornerman turned me on to creating a "bit" to hold the shaft out of a crutch tip. Works pretty darn good.
I was thinking of getting this drill mount to mount it, but I'd have to go down in the basement to a bench (my wife wouldn't let me mount it to the kitchen table:rolleyes: :D ).
 

catscradle

<< 2 all-time greats
Silver Member
rackem said:
I have show these Pencil Sharpener looking trimmers before. They work great for me. I got my original one at a trade show a couple of years ago. These reproductions came of ebay from Germany. My original which was black and also says Germany. It is made little better made. I have never seen them from an USA supplier I have some extras but I really don't think its worth the shipping. Like I said before, One of the blue tip trimmers is a freebie while they last to any one who purchases a cue or case from me. please check my FS threads.

I've seen those advertised in Mueller's catalog I think, but that looks like quite a significant taper.
 

The Piper

Get Ugly...
Silver Member
I have the mushroom grazer but had a bad incident where I grazed my ferrule, and I know that wouldn't be something I would want to use to bring down the tip.

On the Big Shaver do you have to use special colletts like the Willards? Or is it pretty much it does all differernt shaft diameters and tapers?
 

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The Piper said:
I have the mushroom grazer but had a bad incident where I grazed my ferrule, and I know that wouldn't be something I would want to use to bring down the tip.

On the Big Shaver do you have to use special colletts like the Willards? Or is it pretty much it does all differernt shaft diameters and tapers?

No collets, it has an adjusting screw (plastic, that rides on the ferrule when the tip is in the shaver). I havent measured it, but would guess you could go up to about 14.5mm through the bore.
Chuck
 

catscradle

<< 2 all-time greats
Silver Member
RiverCity said:
No collets, it has an adjusting screw (plastic, that rides on the ferrule when the tip is in the shaver). I havent measured it, but would guess you could go up to about 14.5mm through the bore.
Chuck

This guy came in a room I used to frequent and his ferrule had this huge, deep groove in it. I knew that it had to be from tightened that adjusting screw up more and more each time he changed or trimmed a tip. I was always very, very careful how much I tightened it when I used the big shaver. I have the Willards tipping machine now, kind of expensive but works great.
 

Rod

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a crutch tool a drill and a dremmel. Putting on tips is no problem and I never touch the ferrule except for some 4000 to polish. It takes some patience but if your good with your hands, no problem.

I should add those rapid top sanders (which I never use) cut down your ferrule and sands at a slight angle if your shaft is not a straight pro taper.

Rod
 

Hidy Ho

Missed 4 rail hanger!!!
Silver Member
RiverCity said:
No collets, it has an adjusting screw (plastic, that rides on the ferrule when the tip is in the shaver). I havent measured it, but would guess you could go up to about 14.5mm through the bore.
Chuck

Nice write up.

I use very similar method when doing my own tip.

I use useless business cards rolled up instead of post-it. Top sander, I don't use the holes as mine is not exactly 90 degrees. I use my hand to turn the sander and eye ball it for flatness.

I also pre-glue the tip (to make sure the glues are soaked) and use blue painter's tape to tape around the ferrule for any glue over-runs. I also use Gel loctite .. way easier to use than the runny stuff.

Thanks for taking the time to post the photos and detailed instructions.
 

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Glad you liked it!

Big thanks go out to everyone. Im glad the pictorial went over well!!
Chuck
 

jondrums

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
sanding fixture

I am surprised nobody has mentioned this easy and free alternative to those fancy sanding jigs. All you need is access to the ceiling joists in your basement. Or if you don't have that, a little imagination, a clamp, and a kitchen cabinet over a flat counter will do.

Just take a scrap piece of wood and drill a 1.5" hole in it with a hole saw. If you don't have a hole saw, then take two scrap pieces clamp them together and make a "v" cut more than halfway into them. Now flip one of them over and you'll have an adjustable square hole. either nail this to the ceiling over your workbench, or clamp it to the top shelf in a kitchen cabinet. Make sure its about 50-55" off the table/counter surface.

Then tape down some sandpaper and go to work - the attached sketch should tell you the rest. Just make small circles with the ferule on the sandpaper.

For the ocd amoung us - you can use a plum-bob to find the exact center below the jig's hole and mark that on the sandpaper. Then stay within a half an inch of that spot during the sanding.

Jon
 

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billyjack

Registered Loser
Silver Member
I’ve used the Porper Mushroom Grazer on a bunch of tip installations, but it’s tricky to get right. Best way I found is to clamp the tool to a workbench or tabletop and turn the shaft while keeping it aligned parallel. It’s also important to precisely set the depth stop to keep the blade from contacting the ferrule. Forget it for super hard tips like WB or Sumo. A much better way to go, IMO is what I’ll term the “Tape guide method”. Get yourself a 2 or 3 inch dia. Disc sanding mandrel with 100 to 120 grit discs. I use a drill press, but you can also use a hand drill motor with a trigger lock, clamped in a vise or to a tabletop. However you set it up, orient the disc so you can hold the shaft perpendicular to the disc and rotate it smoothly.
After cutting off the old tip and cleaning and squaring the ferrule, I wrap 2 layers of tape around the ferrule. First layer is Scotch tape, 2 laps around. Over that goes 2 layers of blue masking tape. Once all the tape is on, trim it all even to the tip end of the ferrule with a razor blade. Go ahead and glue on your tip. I use Gorilla Glue for all my installs, so the tape protects the ferrule from the inevitable glue squeeze-out. Once glue is set, you ready for tip sizing.
Set your drill for rpm in the 500-1000 area. Rotate the tip smoothly against the disc until you are lightly scuffing the blue tape all around. Go slow and keep the pressure light, so you don’t generate too much heat. Remove the masking tape, and clamp the shaft horizontally in a vise to a tabletop with the ferrule overhanging the edge. Cut a 1 inch wide strip of 320 to 400 grit sandpaper and loop it over the ferrule in an inverted “U”. Pull it back and forth “shoe shine style” to bring the tip down to the level of the scotch tape. Rotate the shaft about a quarter turn at a time and repeat as necessary, being careful not to sand through the scotch tape. Now you’re ready for the final steps.
Peel off the scotch tape, and repeat the above procedure with some 1500 to 2000 grit paper. You want to bring the tip down the last little bit in size to match the ferrule, and polish the ferrule in the same step. Grits this fine won’t remove any measurable amount from the ferrule, but will bring the softer tip material down to size. Spray a few drops of water on the paper and polish until dry. Wipe it down, shape the tip and you’re finished. Done well, you’ll have a burnished tip, nice and even with the now-polished ferrule. Total time to size and finish a glued tip is about 15-20 minutes. I can do it faster than it took to write this, and you can’t tell any difference from a job done on a lathe. If you have a usable drill, total investment of all the materials needed should still leave you change from a $20 bill. I hope this helps those who would like to do their own tips. Any questions, shoot me a PM.

Bill
 
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