Laminated milk duds

desi2960

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am using boar skin laminated tips to make milk duds. They seem to play great.
Any drawbacks or things I should do or dont do ?

I'm sure its been done before, any one know long term results ?
 

Buster8001

Did you say shrubberies?
Silver Member
Possible adhesive breakdown by the milk enzymes/proteins...only thing I can think of.
 

Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Obviously not a cue maker here, but I do have some thoughts.

Pasteurized milk has few if any active enzymes in it. Those that perhaps might exist (I won't bother naming them) would likely have no effect on modern adhesive.

More likely the residual presence of nutrients from the leather could provide a culture media for microorganisms that would break down the leather at the interface with the adhesive. Considering this is leather, it would most likely be fungus.

In addition, the shearing forces generated from compression (pressing) could damage the interface between the adhesive and the leather.

I do agree, the process could threaten the adhesive bond.

.
 

desi2960

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thank you

I think the delamination was my biggest worries.

Doc, I live in mid missouri, I can easily get raw milk.
 

thoffen

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think the delamination was my biggest worries.

Doc, I live in mid missouri, I can easily get raw milk.

I think he's suggesting you should use pasteurized.

If it's not delaminating immediately, I'd reckon that to be optimistic, but who really knows especially if the adhesive is unknown?
 

Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think the delamination was my biggest worries.

Doc, I live in mid missouri, I can easily get raw milk.

I appreciate that.

I don't think I would use it because of all the enzymes it would contain.

You wouldn't use raw leather for tips either. Right?

Stability is key. Just the same as wood. Meaning biologically stable.

Think of a spalted wood. You would prefer a stabilized wood, right?

Same idea. Fewer variables beyond simple physics. Biology complicates the matters.

One wouldn't use green wood or green ivory for the same reasons.

I love biology. It is core to my profession. But if I were making a cue I would want zero biology going on.

.
 

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
Why not just buy the harder one ?
They already did the pressing for you .


There is no such thing as a hard elk master or triangle or lepro.
That's why people soak and press them.

Joey~I don't believe this is a problem with laminated tips ~
 

cuetrip

Rob Hardman Cues
Silver Member
If you do use milk with enzymes, and are concerned about delamination, how about pressing them in a heated environment? It doesn't take much. 118F will kill the enzymes in milk.
 

desi2960

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Joeyincal

I pressed some of the tips not soaked, the tips were soft with about 60 to 62 durometer readings, they were about 9 mm thick, I pressed them over night and they ended up being 6.5 mm thick and had readings after pressed 60 to 62.
 
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