Rebuilding a vintage cue

galipeau · Oct 26, 2020

So I saw a viking on an auction site recently and I'm 90% sure the forearm was an old Titleist blank. Due to the age the rings and plastic were distorted and shrinking or loose possibly. How do you guys feel about rebuilding something like that? Would you attempt to keep it true to the original or would you take it in another direction all together? If I had won the auction I would likely strip all the plastic off and retrofit with modern materials that will last longer. I know some people care about originality but I'd rather have a cue that I can trust will hold up. Would be cool to "restomod" an old cue imo

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jayman · Oct 26, 2020

galipeau said:
So I saw a viking on an auction site recently and I'm 90% sure the forearm was an old Titleist blank. Due to the age the rings and plastic were distorted and shrinking or loose possibly. How do you guys feel about rebuilding something like that? Would you attempt to keep it true to the original or would you take it in another direction all together? If I had won the auction I would likely strip all the plastic off and retrofit with modern materials that will last longer. I know some people care about originality but I'd rather have a cue that I can trust will hold up. Would be cool to "restomod" an old cue imo

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Viking does a fantastic job of restoring their oldies.

Michael Webb · Oct 26, 2020

galipeau said:
So I saw a viking on an auction site recently and I'm 90% sure the forearm was an old Titleist blank. Due to the age the rings and plastic were distorted and shrinking or loose possibly. How do you guys feel about rebuilding something like that? Would you attempt to keep it true to the original or would you take it in another direction all together? If I had won the auction I would likely strip all the plastic off and retrofit with modern materials that will last longer. I know some people care about originality but I'd rather have a cue that I can trust will hold up. Would be cool to "restomod" an old cue imo

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You have to think outside the box.
Like making collets to hold the old rings and such, bore them true then make phenolic bushings to go under them.

Type79 · Oct 26, 2020

galipeau said:
So I saw a viking on an auction site recently and I'm 90% sure the forearm was an old Titleist blank. Due to the age the rings and plastic were distorted and shrinking or loose possibly. How do you guys feel about rebuilding something like that? Would you attempt to keep it true to the original or would you take it in another direction all together? If I had won the auction I would likely strip all the plastic off and retrofit with modern materials that will last longer. I know some people care about originality but I'd rather have a cue that I can trust will hold up. Would be cool to "restomod" an old cue imo

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

I send out vintage cues to be restored quite often and unless a piece is broken or missing, I have never substituted modern materials for original. In fact when materials need to be replaced I make every attempt to source original period material.

Since you mentioned Viking, I attached two pictures of Vikings that required work to their rings, some of which swelled and some whose windows had shrunk even if slightly.

EDIT: The cues in the second picture are purpleheart. The cue on the right is a Titlist.

Rebuilding a vintage cue

galipeau

AzB Silver Member

jayman

Hi Mom!

Michael Webb

AzB Silver Member

Type79

AzB Silver Member

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