Finish?

skinnymg1 · Aug 4, 2011

GEBrown said:
Joey,

Given the recommendation of Chroma Clear, didn't you leave out 1) a Respirator, and 2) a Spray Booth with an outside exhaust? :smile:

On a more serious note, finishing is indeed one of, if not THE most difficult, of the MANY skills that go into building a cue.

Skinny, since you've got a SATA gun, I'm going to guess that you have some finishing or painting experience. It should be no surprise to you that you can't just spray some canned clear over the top of your already finished cue and get a guaranteed result. Some finishing compounds simply don't get along with others - no matter how long the base has dried/cured out. It may work out fine, but it may gum up and be a disaster.

But you've already received some great advice here, so pick what seems the best to you and go for it.

But, I agree with several others, you could be more humble/polite given that you're the one asking the questions.

My 2 cents,

Gary

Thank You, these are the kind of answers I was looking for in the first place. As to how I am disrespectful, sorry maybe it's just me. I speak what I feel no matter who I am dealing with. If by any means I offended anyone, SORRY. I will not ask to take the thread down though. I was simply trying to ask a question that took me pulling teeth to get answered. It's not like I am trying to take work from anyone. I am trying to refinish an old cue, my cue. As for asking anything else I am pretty sure none of you will be willing to answer another one for me. It's ok, I was simply wanting an alternative to the clear coat I mentioned in my original post. Once again, sorry to those that was offended. I am plainly being myself.

manwon · Aug 4, 2011

qbilder said:
I don't think he actually has one or even knows what one is. He was just returning the sarcasm to Joey. Probably did a quick google of SATA & referenced a model. Dave was right on. The guy was being abrasive.

Everybody finishes cues differently so there's no real solid answer for the guy's question. Heck, when I began, I went to an auto paint store & bought some Chroma Clear and sand paper, went to the hardware store & bought a cheap syphon gun, hose, & compressor. I got myself a respirator mask & hood, built a spinning spray booth out of a shelf & some fire truck turret control parts, a fan & filters for exhaust, and started spraying cues. It was powered with a car battery charger. $500-$600 & some old junk parts lying around and I was finishing cues. They looked great, too. Heck, I even finished some cues with West System & rubber gloves on an old Shop Smith wood lathe and those finishes still look awesome 10-12 years later. Point being, the best way to learn is to jump in and just do it. Try something, anything. Nothing is really wrong if it works. But at least TRY something.[/QUOTE]

Nothing could be more true.

Great post Eric

Canadian cue · Aug 5, 2011

If you are only refinishing one cue and want an easier approach my sugestion would be to use a hardware store polyurethane. It is cheap and dries slow. Find a way of spinning the cue between centres and slowly brush it as it is spinning. It would be a good idea to practice on some scrap doweling. You can get some cheap at the hardware store try and find some maple. When you are confident enough start on your cue, Make sure you have prepped properly first. I would make sure you scuff it up good with some 400 and wipe it down before starting. The advantage of hardware store poly is it will cure slow so if you leave the cue spinning for a couple hours it will smooth out nice. Now if you let the cue sit long enough after about a month it will be hard enough that if you want to wet sand and polish you can. Using this method you wont have to buy expensive equipment and it wont be as dangerous. The disadvantage is that cheap poly's are not as clear they have a amber tint to them so if there is white in your cue it will now have a slight tint to it. Having said all that if you are only doing the one and your goal is to have best finished product and not to try and learn some new skills. Then just send it to a pro you will be much happier with end result. I know that is what everyone has told you but some times when enough people tell you the same thing then maybe there is some truth to it.

whammo57 · Aug 6, 2011

skinnymg1 said:
Thank You, these are the kind of answers I was looking for in the first place. As to how I am disrespectful, sorry maybe it's just me. I speak what I feel no matter who I am dealing with. If by any means I offended anyone, SORRY. I will not ask to take the thread down though. I was simply trying to ask a question that took me pulling teeth to get answered. It's not like I am trying to take work from anyone. I am trying to refinish an old cue, my cue. As for asking anything else I am pretty sure none of you will be willing to answer another one for me. It's ok, I was simply wanting an alternative to the clear coat I mentioned in my original post. Once again, sorry to those that was offended. I am plainly being myself.

I think the push back you received was because the finish is the last thing that goes on a cue and the first thing a customer sees. When I pick up a new cue, I look at the finish first and then slide my hand up and down the butt to see if there are ripples, nibs, or I can feel the rings . Cue builders wrestle with finish for some time until they each find a method the gives the repeatable results that show off the cue in every detail. The finish is probable one of the hardest parts of building a cue to get perfect and it is the part that must be perfect.

Everyone that has ever sanded the finish off a new cue and put it on again is thinking how hard it was to get right. It can't go out the door with my name on it if it isn't right. I had a cue that I sanded the finish off twice and refinished it before I has happy with it.

So the resistance to you method has a reason. That is not to say that you cannot refinish a cue using your method and have it come out looking good. It is a DIY method and not what a professional cue builder would do. Most don't like giving advice on a DIY project as others might get the idea that they build cues that way.

Do it and have fun.

Kim

Finish?

skinnymg1

Registered

manwon

"WARLOCK 1"

Canadian cue

AzB Silver Member

whammo57

Kim Walker