Tips and glue?
- Thread starter Ak Guy
- Start date
Do you mean one that won't deteriorate?
Super glue gel is what I always used, and most everyone here uses it, as well.
3M was the best when I was doing tips. :smile:
Did you keep it in the 'fridge? If not it goes bad quick.
30 day shelf life...
I use ultra control gel"
i did not care for the go rilla glue at all"
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I would never buy super glue from the hardware store. Go to the local hobby store and buy thick CA. Better quality stuff.
They do make a rubberized (black) CA that may also work and provide additional impact absorption, though I haven't tried it yet.
They do make a rubberized (black) CA that may also work and provide additional impact absorption, though I haven't tried it yet.
Leather cue tips.
Most leather will wick/absorb/suck up the superglue leaving little to none for adhesion which results in the tip popping off so I suggest primer lightly after ruffing it. Also remember leverage is king, the longer you leave the tip the more leverage you have to pop it off.
Also you'll need to read the glue instructions, most CA glues will have the set and cure time on the back label.
A lot of knowledge on these subjects of cue works are mostly aquired with hands on and finding what works best for you, of corse some motor skills is a big plus but don't be afraid of failure. A lot of cue makers are recluse with their info so don't think you can run down to your local library for a cue sport cue building book...
Contact cement works well. It's common overseas, you should experiment with it.
Rob.M
Most leather will wick/absorb/suck up the superglue leaving little to none for adhesion which results in the tip popping off so I suggest primer lightly after ruffing it. Also remember leverage is king, the longer you leave the tip the more leverage you have to pop it off.
Also you'll need to read the glue instructions, most CA glues will have the set and cure time on the back label.
A lot of knowledge on these subjects of cue works are mostly aquired with hands on and finding what works best for you, of corse some motor skills is a big plus but don't be afraid of failure. A lot of cue makers are recluse with their info so don't think you can run down to your local library for a cue sport cue building book...
Contact cement works well. It's common overseas, you should experiment with it.
Rob.M
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Glue
Its not always the glue ,, its how its used and what its being used on.
I use Loctite Super control gel , I will put a puddle on the tip and let it sit for a few minutes before putting the tip on the ferrule .
You can see when the glue starts to soak into the tip , I believe its called wicking the tip .
Like oil soaks up the wick of a oil lamp .
One issue is the guys with lathes can actually squeeze out the glue by pressing the tip on to hard ....
Way back in the day I would slip knot a rubber band around the shaft and loop the end of the rubber band over the tip to hold the tip in place ..
Then stand the cues in the corner upside down on some paper so the glue doesn't run down onto the ferrule..
One other issue is some of the ferrule material is hell to bond to ...
two ways around this is if you have a lathe don't trim off all of the old tip .
The other is to use a carbon fiber pad ..
This is if you are using capped ferrules , which I do not on my cues .
Its not always the glue ,, its how its used and what its being used on.
I use Loctite Super control gel , I will put a puddle on the tip and let it sit for a few minutes before putting the tip on the ferrule .
You can see when the glue starts to soak into the tip , I believe its called wicking the tip .
Like oil soaks up the wick of a oil lamp .
One issue is the guys with lathes can actually squeeze out the glue by pressing the tip on to hard ....
Way back in the day I would slip knot a rubber band around the shaft and loop the end of the rubber band over the tip to hold the tip in place ..
Then stand the cues in the corner upside down on some paper so the glue doesn't run down onto the ferrule..
One other issue is some of the ferrule material is hell to bond to ...
two ways around this is if you have a lathe don't trim off all of the old tip .
The other is to use a carbon fiber pad ..
This is if you are using capped ferrules , which I do not on my cues .
I never had a tip come off, using super glue jell, or the runny kind either.
But, there is more than one way to defur a feline. You can use epoxy if you so desire. I used it when putting tips on house cues. It's more trouble than super glue and takes a lot longer to cure, but it holds extremely well.
I used to keep a piece of plate glass glued to a wood base handy with a sheet of 240 grit sandpaper taped to it. I used it to roughen the base of the new tip. The plate glass is almost dead flat and it would keep the bottom of the tip flat when sanded.
I would also score the ferrule with a cross-hatch pattern after I faced it off in the lathe.
But, there is more than one way to defur a feline. You can use epoxy if you so desire. I used it when putting tips on house cues. It's more trouble than super glue and takes a lot longer to cure, but it holds extremely well.
I used to keep a piece of plate glass glued to a wood base handy with a sheet of 240 grit sandpaper taped to it. I used it to roughen the base of the new tip. The plate glass is almost dead flat and it would keep the bottom of the tip flat when sanded.
I would also score the ferrule with a cross-hatch pattern after I faced it off in the lathe.
I have a crappy Sneaky Pete that I fart around with. No matter how flat I faced the ferrule and tip, the tip would eventually popped. Figured out the ferrule was some cheap soft material, along with the through-tenon of the shaft, so when I try to hit an extreme spin shot with some speed, the tenon would deform, causing the tip to pop off. I have tons of phenolic sheet laying around so I made myself a pad for the tip, and that seems to have solved the issue.
As said before it's a good idea to let the glue wick into porous materials before bonding together. It may require a second application. I also agree that too tight a clamping force can starve the joint. The wicking action we call in woodworking as "sizing" the joint. I do prefer the gel to water-thin CA because the set time is slower, like 15-30 seconds, as opposed to instantaneous with water-thin. If the fit is perfect there is a trick you can do with water-thin CA. Size the tip with water-thin CA, let it almost dry, then lightly press or clamp the tip onto the ferrule dry, and take the tip of the CA applicator and touch the seam of the ferrule and tip. Capillary action will pull the CA into the joint.
I used to build a lot of models, and currently I build acoustic and electric guitars part-time. The hobby store CA (ZAP is a great brand) is far superior, and cheaper, than the hardware store crap... I've used them all and it's no contest. A 1/2oz bottle of thick CA could likely do hundreds of tips, and cost $5.
As said before it's a good idea to let the glue wick into porous materials before bonding together. It may require a second application. I also agree that too tight a clamping force can starve the joint. The wicking action we call in woodworking as "sizing" the joint. I do prefer the gel to water-thin CA because the set time is slower, like 15-30 seconds, as opposed to instantaneous with water-thin. If the fit is perfect there is a trick you can do with water-thin CA. Size the tip with water-thin CA, let it almost dry, then lightly press or clamp the tip onto the ferrule dry, and take the tip of the CA applicator and touch the seam of the ferrule and tip. Capillary action will pull the CA into the joint.
I used to build a lot of models, and currently I build acoustic and electric guitars part-time. The hobby store CA (ZAP is a great brand) is far superior, and cheaper, than the hardware store crap... I've used them all and it's no contest. A 1/2oz bottle of thick CA could likely do hundreds of tips, and cost $5.
Going back to your question... yes, it will deteriorate in 6 months. It will start to deteriorate after opening. It's the nature of the product. You have to store it, keep it dry, etc. I'd say that for tips, once you open that Gorilla Glue, toss it in a month.
Exactly what CM say's ^ stuff goes bad fast know matter how you seal bottle once opened. Have to think it goes bad and gets brittle.
Loctite Gel like Tramp = never 'pop' unless you or your tipster does not know what they are doing or slam cue off rails.
-Kat,
Loctite Gel like Tramp = never 'pop' unless you or your tipster does not know what they are doing or slam cue off rails.
-Kat,
I had a cue repair guy put a G2 Soft tip on my Predator shaft a couple weeks ago.
I had only played with it for about an hour, or so, and, when I went to do a power draw shot, my tip popped off an onto the table.
Luckily I was able to salvage the tip and I had him re-install it and I got it back the following week. I have about 20 hours on the tip now and it hasn't flew off.
I don't know what type of glue he used, either time.
I have put tips on cue hundreds of times and I have never heard of any of them flying off. I have used everything from epoxy to several types of Super Glue. If it wasn't such a pain in the ass to mix and it didn't take so long to dry, I think I prefer epoxy. That is what I used when I first learned to put them on, by hand, as a kid in the pool hall where I worked.
I had only played with it for about an hour, or so, and, when I went to do a power draw shot, my tip popped off an onto the table.
Luckily I was able to salvage the tip and I had him re-install it and I got it back the following week. I have about 20 hours on the tip now and it hasn't flew off.
I don't know what type of glue he used, either time.
I have put tips on cue hundreds of times and I have never heard of any of them flying off. I have used everything from epoxy to several types of Super Glue. If it wasn't such a pain in the ass to mix and it didn't take so long to dry, I think I prefer epoxy. That is what I used when I first learned to put them on, by hand, as a kid in the pool hall where I worked.
I'm not a cue repair guy but I did my own tips and others' tips for years. I only ever used 5 minute epoxy and never ever had a problem with a tip coming off
It used to be the rule that I would trash a bottle after a month and wound up wasting a lot.
The quality of the Loctite Professional I use is so good now that I usually get close to the bottom of the bottle before it starts acting funny.
In fact,out of the last 8 bottles I've bought,the only ones that I didn't get to use 80% of the bottle are the times when the nozzle went bad.
I've had a bottle last 6 months when properly sealed at room temperature.
As long as I do my tip and ferrule surface prep right,the glue is set so well that it would take a pair of pliers or my cut-off tool in the lathe to remove it within 15 seconds and this is consistent with all of the quality ferrule materials out there. Tommy D.
The quality of the Loctite Professional I use is so good now that I usually get close to the bottom of the bottle before it starts acting funny.
In fact,out of the last 8 bottles I've bought,the only ones that I didn't get to use 80% of the bottle are the times when the nozzle went bad.
I've had a bottle last 6 months when properly sealed at room temperature.
As long as I do my tip and ferrule surface prep right,the glue is set so well that it would take a pair of pliers or my cut-off tool in the lathe to remove it within 15 seconds and this is consistent with all of the quality ferrule materials out there. Tommy D.
Epoxy is an amazing adhesive. Also sticky and messy. Be sure to use a piece of blue tape on the ferrule and remove quickly after tip placement. I use blue tape regardless if using epoxy or CA.
The CA I use is by Bob Smith. I use it for pen making and cue tips. Works like a champ. Loctite from Home Depot should be fine.
The CA I use is by Bob Smith. I use it for pen making and cue tips. Works like a champ. Loctite from Home Depot should be fine.