Ambitious idea to "make" a cue with hand tools

[Autist]

Hi all, I know this thread should be under Cuemaker forum, but I figured I would get more attention posting here. If moderators so wish, you can kindly move my thread to the correct forum.

I have a broken cue. The shaft is okay and straight, the joint of the shaft is also okay.

I don't have the funds to buy myself a decent cue at the moment.
I like to work with wood, but I have little experience and minimum tools.

Anyway, as my girlfriend works in a pool hall, I can get an old house cue with a broken shaft.

I also have my uni-loc join part taken off of the broken butt end of my old cue.

I was thinking of cutting the old house cue in half, and in some way drill a center hole into the old butt, and glue the male part of the joint into the hole.

I was also thinking about sanding down the finish on the old house cue. I am also pretty sure that once I connect my shaft and the old house cue butt, they wont match exactly, eg. the butt part will be thicker. I am intending to simply sand down the butt all the way through to evenly match with my shaft part.

Since I am going to sand everything down, I am also removing some of the dents and stuff the old house cue has suffered from.

And then the finish question. Will some layers of spray finishing give me satisfactory results?

I don't have a lathe, but I think I could somehow improvise and use my power drill as a lathe for sanding down the butt end of the cue.

Do you think there is point in this at all? Will I just be wasting my time without a real lathe? I think the most difficult part will be to drill the joint hole exactly into the middle. Any suggestions how to do it with extreme accuracy without a lathe?


I am pretty sure I am going to try this. My dream is to one day build a cue, and this seems like a good place to start, experiment. Any suggestions and advice is welcome.

Once I start, I will be posting pictures of my progress, of my methods, tools, etc.


Thank you!

- Margus

 

[ArizonaPete]

It's an ambitious project and I wish you the best. The biggest hurdle would be drilling the butt exactly in the center and straight. You can do it but it won't be easy. Please do keep us informed of your progress.

 

[Sealegs50]

Interesting viewing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_RJUcyvr_s&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Autist]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_RJUcyvr_s&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Thank you.


I am already aware of this guide and have used it to make a snooker cue.

Unfortunately I was not able to find correct wood to do this properly.

I actually used a real broomstick and made it work. The cue looks alright, but is too light and will break if I use it more than a few shots. My self made cue also had a roll, I didn't use any power tools making it.

But it shoots

 

[Bumpa]

Margus -

Go for it. You will learn a lot and have fun.

I suggest you have a person with a lathe install the pin and match the shaft and butt diameters at the joint. Tough to find center and accurately drill the butt without a lathe.

I have refinished several old cues using a foam brush and water-based clear floor varnish. The finish is satin and not as hard as a two-component urethane, but the cues look, feel, and play good enough for me at my low level.

Good luck. Please keep us posted.

Rick

 

[Autist]

Margus -

Go for it. You will learn a lot and have fun.

I suggest you have a person with a lathe install the pin and match the shaft and butt diameters at the joint. Tough to find center and accurately drill the butt without a lathe.

I have refinished several old cues using a foam brush and water-based clear floor varnish. The finish is satin and not as hard as a two-component urethane, but the cues look, feel, and play good enough for me at my low level.

Good luck. Please keep us posted.

Rick

Thank you for your post!

Unfortunately, we have exactly 0 cuemakers here in Estonia. And I am the only "repairman" I know of. I change tips and clean ferrules.

I think I have to work out drilling the center hole into the cue butt myself.

As I understand, the butt has to be connected to something, but yet the butt needs to spin. That way using a drill, the hole will self center itself more easily?

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

What have you got to lose?
Necessity is the Mother of Invention.

Make a tenon on one side of the joint and bore the other side.
Get a joint pin and install on the tenon side. Drill and tap to accept the pin
on the bored/drilled side.

If you can't make a tenon, bore that side too and insert a dowel for the tenon.

Without a lathe, it will be next to difficult to get everything bored straight but if you're very careful you may end up with something that is workable and hopefully straight.

Good luck with it.

 

[Jal]

As I understand, the butt has to be connected to something, but yet the butt needs to spin. That way using a drill, the hole will self center itself more easily?

I'm not a cuemaker (or repairman), but a suggestion. Instead of worrying about precisely drilling out the butt, work out a way of clamping the entire cue (shaft and butt) straight. Drill the hole in the butt a bit larger than otherwise necessary, assemble the joint pin in the shaft, coat the butt-end of the pin and the inside of the hole with epoxy, insert the shaft and clamp. It will take some effort to work out the clamping method, but methinks this is a lot easier than getting the hole just right.

(For what it's worth, I have repaired the joint on my cue, adding a couple of needed inches to its overall length. I did use a sort of drill (motor and chuck) to "turn down" a dowel with a file and sandpaper. While I did come close to ruining the shaft, it all came out okay...actually straighter than it was before the improvised procedures.)

I'm assuming you have epoxy or some sort of strong wood filler available?

Jim

 

[8onthebreak]

I'm not a cuemaker (or repairman), but a suggestion. Instead of worrying about precisely drilling out the butt, work out a way of clamping the entire cue (shaft and butt) straight. Drill the hole in the butt a bit larger than otherwise necessary, assemble the joint pin in the shaft, coat the butt-end of the pin and the inside of the hole with epoxy, insert the shaft and clamp. It will take some effort to work out the clamping method, but methinks this is a lot easier than getting the hole just right.
I'm assuming you have epoxy or some sort of strong wood filler available?

Jim

JAL, great idea...start by cutting the butt 1" longer than you actually intend to end up with. Do what JAL said, and grease the pin before you connect and clamp. After dry, ...unscrew the pin from the butt. Get a bit EXACTLY the size of the inside diameter of the new epoxy hole, use the new hole as a guide and drill all the way into the wood. Then cut off the 1" end that contained the epoxy threads. You'll be left with a clean wood end with a perfectly centered hole, the exact size ready to tap.

Edit...I would also put a thin tape on the drill bit, leaving only the end of the bit exposed, so the bit doesn't bore the epoxy threads larger while youre drilling thru it, since accuracy will be critical.

 

[Vahmurka]

on a side note, best playing cues for pyramid are made with hand tools without lathes used. (well, okay, the joint is made on a lathe )

 

[Cornerman]

I don't have a lathe, but I think I could somehow improvise and use my power drill as a lathe for sanding down the butt end of the cue.

Do you think there is point in this at all? Will I just be wasting my time without a real lathe? I think the most difficult part will be to drill the joint hole exactly into the middle. Any suggestions how to do it with extreme accuracy without a lathe?

Just for a good read, see Thomas Wayne's post from years ago.

http://www.cuemaster.com/RSB/cuemaking.htm

Freddie <~~~ can only imagine

 

[wontonny]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_RJUcyvr_s&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I was gonna cite this video and say, It shouldn't be nearly as ambitious making a one piece as opposed to a two piece. I wish you luck my friend.

 

[Sloppy Pockets]

Drill the hole in the butt a bit larger than otherwise necessary, assemble the joint pin in the shaft, coat the butt-end of the pin and the inside of the hole with epoxy, insert the shaft and clamp. It will take some effort to work out the clamping method, but methinks this is a lot easier than getting the hole just right.

Three short lengths (maybe 6-8" long) of drill rod placed lengthwise along the joint and wrapped tightly with surgical tubing should do the job.

 

[Tramp Steamer]

What have you got to lose?
Necessity is the Mother of Invention.

I agree with everything Blue has said with one exception. Frank Zappa was The Mothers of Invention. :smile:

 

[Autist]

Thank you all for your posts.

Three short lengths (maybe 6-8" long) of drill rod placed lengthwise along the joint and wrapped tightly with surgical tubing should do the job.

Sorry, but could you explain this method a bit more illustratively, please? I only learned english in school and have little actual spoken experience.
I think I kind of understand, but just to make sure. It would help me greatly.




Anyway, I am going to get started. I e-mailed a local school workshop teacher and kindly asked if he or any of his students would be able to help me and drill a perfectly centered hole for my cue butt.

If it doesn't work out I am going to try the method that is described in this thread.

This is my starting setup, so called, not much

And this is my snooker cue I made a few months ago. Only used hand plane and different sandpapers. It is made of an actual broomstick

 

[Autist]

Sorry for bumping, but I still would use some advice.

Any cuemakers willing to chime in?

 

[Autist]

I am really sorry to bump my own thread AGAIN, but I would sure appreciate your help, people. If I ever make cues that sell instantly at 2k each, you will get a discount if you help me now

But on a serious note, I actually intend to start learning the art of cue making, and this would be my first baby step.

Thank you so much!

 

[Cuebuddy]

I am really sorry to bump my own thread AGAIN, but I would sure appreciate your help, people. If I ever make cues that sell instantly at 2k each, you will get a discount if you help me now

But on a serious note, I actually intend to start learning the art of cue making, and this would be my first baby step.

Thank you so much!

Maybe start small, it worked for me. I started making miniature two piece cues that when screwed together measured ten inchs in length.
I learned more from that then I could begin to tell you.

From that I started converting a few house cues and have made a couple of cues from scratch.

I do have a lathe but not a machining lathe but rather a conventional wood lathe. I would not try to make a cue with out a lathe because.....thats what you need to make a cue:smile:. I have heard of folks that will whittle them with a knife or use a hand plane and I am sure it could be done but I spin wood.