Shaft blanks with ferrule for practice?

Practice cues

When I first started, I put an add in our local paper's wanted section.

"Pools cues wanted. Any condition."

You'd be amazed at the number of calls I got from people who had old house cues and some two-piece cues just sitting in their garage that they just wanted to get rid of. It gave me plenty of practice cues and even a couple that I did some work on and then sold :grin:

WillyCornbread said:

Hi all,

I'm planning on learning how to do basic repairs, tips, shaft cleaning etc. I've ordered a Basic Lathe with 4ft bed from Midamerica that will be here in a few weeks...

I was wondering where I can purchase a handful of blank shafts with ferrules on them to use for practice before I get my playing cue anywhere near the lathe.

Also if you guys know of a place to get a set of delrin joint protectors for a variety of joint types (or do you just buy them separately?)

Thanks in advance,

b

Click to expand...

These are well made:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Pool-CUE-Lathe-COLLET-Cuemaker-Set-Delrin-SHAFT-12-13-50-mm-Collets-NEW-/351654981338?hash=item51e0452eda:g:~8wAAOSwniRWOCyK
or these:
https://www.cuesmith.com/shaft-collets.html
HTH,
Gary

I purchased an old cue makers shop when he passed. If you want a handful of his leftovers, I can grab a few.

You don't need shafts. You could buy some dowels to use as shaft simulators.Cut them into 3 or 4 inch lengths, turn them down to 13 mm and put tips on the ends. You don't need ferrules either. Installing a tip on the bare end of a dowel will teach you how to do it without touching a customer's ferrule. Later you use the dowels to learn how to install tenons and ferrules. After you think you know what you're doing, you can move on to real shafts. The first shafts you work on should be your own, of course.
You should also get a good instructional video. I recommend DVDs from Chris Hightower and Joe Barringer.