New Law.... Did you know??

Toy's designed spacifically for children 12 and under... I don't think a custom cue falls into that catagory.

JesPiddlin said:

How many of you know about this new federal law about to go into effect? This could mess with a lot of small businesses... Cuemakers included!

http://www.fox23.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=36385@video.fox23.com&navCatId=5

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I would say that the manufacture of the components that go into the toys in the news story would be the responsible parties. With cues the parts would have to be certified by those manufactures, tips, bumpers, screws wrap and so on. Cue makers don't make the parts they assemble them. That law will be so full of holes it will be unenforceable. If anything all cue makers have to do is label the product with an age requirement. Do you realize the amount of parts that say a car has that would have to be tested because children may come in contact with them. Every bit of the interior of the car, not to mention every product that is in any household a child may come in contact with. It's a joke.

Interesting, how the US lawmakers don't protect the domestic businesses. This law should only be aimed at Asian imports. You know, the ones guilty of lead in paint on toys.

JesPiddlin said:

How many of you know about this new federal law about to go into effect? This could mess with a lot of small businesses... Cuemakers included!

http://www.fox23.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=36385@video.fox23.com&navCatId=5

Click to expand...

A little reality check. To be honest, most of these cue makers don't even have business licenses of any kind. They don't pay taxes, don't have sales tax numbers, or exist anywhere beyond the small subculture of the pool world. Most probably violate dozens of zoning codes now working out of their houses, not to mention their home owners insurance that if they had a fire, resulting from their illegal business being run out of their house, they would probably not get paid. This law to the average cue maker means nothing.

Sounds like I will be giving cues away if you buy a custom made hat...

RocketQ said:

Sounds like I will be giving cues away if you buy a custom made hat...

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didn't know you sold hats, John...lol.

My 2 cents worth sez we ain't got nothing to worry about. that news story with the "mom & pop" business is hype. we buy wood, paints, thinners, phenolics, etc. As long as we have MSDS sheets on anything not normally grown in nature, cuemakers should be in the clear.

ain't been any dyes, paints, etc. available for years with lead in the mix. problems can arise if some cuemaker is using a hazardous material in a fashion in which it was not intended. all the chemicals that cuemakers use have been through rigorous testing at the manufacturing level. this doesn't mean that cuemakers can't be sued in a larger group to "get to" the offending party, manufacturers. but,,,,, lawyers generally don't waste time with little fish w/shallow pockets or no pockets.

even the exotic wood from faraway lands has to be heated enough to kill any parasites/bugs before it is allowed into the country. (ref: the wood pallet business)

the news story was just some whining "mom & pop" who prolly aren't paying taxes anyway. the law would never bother them either unless they buy some offending chemicals/products from foreign countries who are following our safety guidelines.

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J....just my opinion, I have lots of them.

JesPiddlin said:

And, here is a link to the law.....

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsia.pdf

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I just read the whole thing and there is no way shape or form a cue stick falls anywhere into any of their classifications. I can see how though a small mom and pop toy making company may be impacted. It seems that on a level it will take nothing more then an affidavit saying you have not used lead in any of your manufacturing process to will be acceptable. The testing seems to be aimed more at second and third party sellers. It also says
Quote

(2) EXCEPTIONFORINACCESSIBLECOMPONENTPARTS.?
(A) INGENERAL.?The limits established under sub-
section (a) shall not apply to any component part of a
children?s product that is not accessible to a child through
H.R.4040?4
normal and reasonably foreseeable use and abuse of such
product, as determined by the Commission. A component
part is not accessible under this subparagraph if such
component part is not physically exposed by reason of
a sealed covering or casing and does not become physically
exposed through reasonably foreseeable use and abuse of
the product. Reasonably foreseeable use and abuse shall
include to, swallowing, mouthing, breaking, or other chil-
dren?s activities, and the aging of the product.
----

It seems to be aimed at mostly paint that a child may chew or teeth on. It also uses the escape clause term of "Reasonable" and "Foreseeable". Is it reasonable that a $1000 cue stick will be given to a child to chew on? Or the cue was in any way built or intended for that purpose.? The answer is no, where as a toy made for a child, it may be not only reasonable but expected the child will chew on it. The wording throughout the document as wordy as it is, is actually vague. This law is full of holes. It is a knee jerk law that is such a mess as to be unenforceable.