How long to build a cue?

Try not adding them up.
You'd find out you can make more at Starbucks.

Depending on the build for me it's around 20-30 hours so you're not far off.


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My basic cues have about 40 hours in them.

Larry

Just wondering if I am way off base or maybe extremely slower than some others

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Very low level amateur cuemaker here. Lots of blanks in the loft, not so many finished cues. Slower than you, so your post makes me feel like maybe i'm near the ballpark, anyway.

Kind of depends if machines are all set up and left that way between builds.
Mine are general purpose, heavy duty woodwhacking and metal machining tools, set up for cues on intermittent basis.

If the machines are all set up, i can probably make 1/2 dozen FS 4 point blanks including choosing the wood, in 8 or so hours including glue up. Longer for 6 point. Whether the wood is all sorted , defected, cut to size, and chosen as how & where you want to machine it, takes a lot of time for some of us. Machining itself is pretty straight forward.

Takes about the same (for me) to make 6 - 10 shaft cones. There's even more defecting and sorting on shaftwood. My first "production" run made at least a dozen blanks (cones). ended up rejecting all but 3 or 4 by the time they were ready for cues. Getting a little better at not even bothering to process "maybe" wood. I drill shafts, so some are lost that way, though.

Basic as it gets on finish - nothing but French polish.

Blanks made, basic finish, still takes me more than 20 hrs to make a simple sneaky - probably 30 most of the time. Thank goodness for SS!

smt

63Kcode said:

My basic cues have about 40 hours in them.

Larry

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I also use 40 hours as a yardstick for a basic cue.

Alan

Build time less than 40 hrs

I build mostly very simple cues, so cutting wood, and gluing parts together, less than 40 hrs.

BUT, and the big part, imo, is the years it takes, for the wood to be right.

the hours are about 30 ........... but the total time is 8-12 weeks......... after the main assembly, I hang for 2 weeks.... after the epoxy base coat is on... I hang for 2 weeks......... and after the finish coat is on I hang for 2 more weeks before wet sanding and buffing it out

Kim

Ed P said:

Thanks all. And yes, I agreed waiting for the wood to season is the longest. However, I was referring to just labor. I think Joey said it best when he told me to quit counting hours as I would realize I could make more working at Starbucks lol. Good thing I have a full time job.

Mr. Kim Walker, thanks for your reply and very interesting to read how long you hang between processes. Reading this make me think you are not using Solarez for all your finishing. Have you gotten away from using it? If so, how come?

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Yes I do use Solarez for all my finishing........... the Solarez finish is the last process....... and I let that rest for 2 weeks before I wet sand and buff it..........


Kim

Ed P said:

Thanks all. And yes, I agreed waiting for the wood to season is the longest. However, I was referring to just labor. I think Joey said it best when he told me to quit counting hours as I would realize I could make more working at Starbucks lol. Good thing I have a full time job.

Mr. Kim Walker, thanks for your reply and very interesting to read how long you hang between processes. Reading this make me think you are not using Solarez for all your finishing. Have you gotten away from using it? If so, how come?

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Cue making is a full time gig for me. If I was making as much money as a barista I’d find something else to get into.


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