5 yrs ago I wanted to be a cue maker...

iusedtoberich

iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
5 to 10 yrs ago I was gung ho about becoming a cue maker. I spent prob 15k on tools and 2 or 3k on wood over a 5 yr period. I lost the desire many yrs ago to persue this occupation. However, I would someday like to build cues for myself and as a hobby only, not as a business.

My question is I have 100 shaft blanks (1" rounds from Blud) and enough maple and exotic wood butt stock to build 100 cues. The butt stock is all square.

This wood had just been sitting in my homevfor 5 to 10 yrs.


1. Should I turn all my butt stock round? Or should I leave it square. I'm not sure if certain point making operations are better done with square stock.


2. Should I hang all my butt stock?

3. I havent touched the shaft stock but I assume it would be best if I take a turn or two and then hang them.

4. My goal for all this is to make sure I don't ruin any wood by it just sitting for yrs in possibly the wrong form. And that when and if I ever get the cue bug again, the wood would be in a good state to be almost ready for assembly.

5. My time frame for assembling a cue might be 2 months from now or 20 yrs from now. I have no idea how my interests might change.

6. I have no interest in selling anything.

7. I'm quite experienced in both woodworking and metalworking and have full shops for both materials.

Thanks for any input.

2.
 
If you made sausage (like I do) for a hobby, would you keep 100 lbs of pork in the freezer (for ever) or would you turn it into sausage, smoke it, and hang it?

I know, its a terrible analogy but I'm hungry.
 
id start turning alot of the wood and shafts now and since your in no hurry take your time and pick out some cue designs, i have a cuebuilder friend that as he hangs his wood he puts eyehooks in both ends of his wood so when hes working on a cue it all hangs together like forearm handle sleeve all connected hanging together, this would be great for you so you dont loose/forget your design ideas and you can turn all the pieces to the cue at the same time, and when its time to be assembled its all there.

good luck, have fun

PS. your gonna ruin wood, it just happens.
 
cue

you need to turn the shaft wood to stress relieve it,when you do decide to start buiding cues the wood will still move when turned,maybe not as much due to the aging but it will still change.this needs to be done in stages over time and you will end up with some very stable wood.
 
iusedtoberich said:
5 to 10 yrs ago I was gung ho about becoming a cue maker. I spent prob 15k on tools and 2 or 3k on wood over a 5 yr period. I lost the desire many yrs ago to persue this occupation. However, I would someday like to build cues for myself and as a hobby only, not as a business.

My question is I have 100 shaft blanks (1" rounds from Blud) and enough maple and exotic wood butt stock to build 100 cues. The butt stock is all square.

This wood had just been sitting in my homevfor 5 to 10 yrs.


1. Should I turn all my butt stock round? Or should I leave it square. I'm not sure if certain point making operations are better done with square stock.


2. Should I hang all my butt stock?

3. I havent touched the shaft stock but I assume it would be best if I take a turn or two and then hang them.

4. My goal for all this is to make sure I don't ruin any wood by it just sitting for yrs in possibly the wrong form. And that when and if I ever get the cue bug again, the wood would be in a good state to be almost ready for assembly.

5. My time frame for assembling a cue might be 2 months from now or 20 yrs from now. I have no idea how my interests might change.

6. I have no interest in selling anything.

7. I'm quite experienced in both woodworking and metalworking and have full shops for both materials.

Thanks for any input.

2.
Click to expand...

Hi,

Is your wood Kiln Dried?

Rick
 
Don't mess with it. It'll be exactly the same when you are ready as it it is right now. Time won't hurt it. Time won't help it (unless it's still wet). Just put it away & forget about it until you're ready for it.
 
I suggest starting to turn on all the pieces except for what you want to save for inlay slabs and point stock. I see no real need to hang the butt stock until it is closer to final size.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top