Ambonya Burl handle question

[Enigmaticul]

I need a expert opinion to chime in. I am attempting to construct a cue with a really high grade ambonya burl handle. The burl is stabilized but should I still core and sleeve it on ? Or just install it as a regular handle with a tennon and bolt?. I am learning towards the coring part. It will be a 2 segment handle with ambonya being about 7-8" long.

Much appreciated.

KrindleKin cues.

 

[JoeyInCali]

Drill both pieces with a 7/8 drill.
You sure you want a 14-16" long handle ?
13" is pushing it.

 

[scdiveteam]

Hi,

Gun drill the wood at under 300 rpm. This reduces heat in a blind hole. I personally gun drill all woods at 260 rpm on my machine.

When I do a burl handle I use a 3/4" gun drill. I also use a 3/4" center drill to about a 1" embedment depth on both sides of the piece to get good start alignment and a clean punch out on the back side of the hole. This is very important with your amboyna burl as it can crack or fail in the back of the hole without the center pre drilled relief.

Remember heat is not your friend so drill slow and make sure you keep the air pressure snd volume consistent. Take your time.

JMO,

Rick

 

[whammo57]

Hi,

Gun drill the wood at under 300 rpm. This reduces heat in a blind hole. I personally gun drill all woods at 260 rpm on my machine.

When I do a burl handle I use a 3/4" gun drill. I also use a 3/4" center drill to about a 1" embedment depth on both sides of the piece to get good start alignment and a clean punch out on the back side of the hole. This is very important with your amboyna burl as it can crack or fail in the back of the hole without the center pre drilled relief.

Remember heat is not your friend so drill slow and make sure you keep the air pressure snd volume consistent. Take your time.

JMO,

Rick

Just an addition........ stabilized burl is probably very heavy and coring it with a maple dowel is almost always the best idea to keep weight down............ 3/4 is the size

Kim

 

[cueman]

Yes core it out.

 

[Dave38]

Gee, KrindleKin Cues, if you bought the books that you now shun(as you explained in your pm to me, you don't need them), this question would have been answered and it would even explain how to do it and a lot more.
Now let me guess, your next question will be....does anyone have a gundrill they want to give me so I don't have to spend my own money?
I laugh at the fact that some people(you) go so far as to make up a company name, but still can't even build a damn thing without someone leading you by the nose...sad

Dave

 

[Lexicologist71]

In case you haven't received enough answers, you may want to post this in Ask the Cuemaker.

 

[Enigmaticul]

Thanks for the advice guys, I was tending towards the coring part myself to. It's just that this is the first time I am working with a really expensive piece of ambonya burl and did not want to mess it up. I have cored burls before with good results. This cue is going to be killer. Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[Cue Monger Ray]

How's the build going. Rick was discussing ambroyna with a client tonight and this subject came up. I havr not seen many cues built with amgroyna but everyone I have seen is killer. I'm ordering a couple piece;s with my next order from Bell Forest. Good luck!
Ray

 

[whammo57]

Core it half way and then turn it around and drill it to finish. If you drill it all the way through, it might shatter when the drill exits............

Kim

 

[Paul Dayton]

Don't attempt to core it from both ends. If there is and wandering of the bit in either of the two holes, there will be a ledge where they meet and a properly fitted dowel won't be able to get past that point. If you do drill a hole at the far end of the burl, drill it with a bit that is one size smaller than the gun drill in case the hole you are drilling turns out to be not absolutely perfect in every way. They seldom are. Bore through an oversize burl dowel, insert a core turned between centers with the centers taped off so they don't fill with glue and after turn the glued up handle between centers. Viola, perfect every time.

 

[bdcues]

Don't attempt to core it from both ends. If there is and wandering of the bit in either of the two holes, there will be a ledge where they meet and a properly fitted dowel won't be able to get past that point. If you do drill a hole at the far end of the burl, drill it with a bit that is one size smaller than the gun drill in case the hole you are drilling turns out to be not absolutely perfect in every way. They seldom are. Bore through an oversize burl dowel, insert a core turned between centers with the centers taped off so they don't fill with glue and after turn the glued up handle between centers. Viola, perfect every time.

Sometimes it is the little things that count. I have been filling the center with paper towel and removing after sliding the piece over the core, then trying to wipe off any excess glue that might still be there. Never once thought about using tape. Thanks.

 

[Brickcues]

I step core all my work. First I use a .625 gun drill and then I go back and use the .750 gun drill. Doing the smaller first seems to be easier going thru than using the .750 first. After coring with .625 the .750 gun drill goes through with less heat buildup as it is cutting less and the chips go out the hole instead of back in your face.

 

[cueman]

Core it half way and then turn it around and drill it to finish. If you drill it all the way through, it might shatter when the drill exits............

Kim

I do this, but only drill about 3/4" in the one side and flip it around. It stopped all the splitting out problems.

 

[qbilder]

Sometimes it is the little things that count. I have been filling the center with paper towel and removing after sliding the piece over the core, then trying to wipe off any excess glue that might still be there. Never once thought about using tape. Thanks.

I use the 3M blue masking tape. I stretch out a band of it on a wood top bench & use a razor blade to cut the strip into little squares. I peel off a square as needed to cover the center hole, and the rest of the tape stays on the table until it gets used up.

 

[qbilder]

I step core all my work. First I use a .625 gun drill and then I go back and use the .750 gun drill. Doing the smaller first seems to be easier going thru than using the .750 first. After coring with .625 the .750 gun drill goes through with less heat buildup as it is cutting less and the chips go out the hole instead of back in your face.

^ What he said

 

[bdcues]

I use the 3M blue masking tape. I stretch out a band of it on a wood top bench & use a razor blade to cut the strip into little squares. I peel off a square as needed to cover the center hole, and the rest of the tape stays on the table until it gets used up.

I made a little holder for tip installation that goes in the tailstock. Some tips are just a tad smaller diameter than the Kamui I made the tool for so I lay some blue tape on the metal bench top and cut a narrow strip as needed to wrap around the tip and make it tight in the holder... Sounds familiar. Will add center hole covering now.

 

[qbilder]

I made a little holder for tip installation that goes in the tailstock. Some tips are just a tad smaller diameter than the Kamui I made the tool for so I lay some blue tape on the metal bench top and cut a narrow strip as needed to wrap around the tip and make it tight in the holder... Sounds familiar. Will add center hole covering now.

That's pretty much what I do with retipping cues. I put a band of tape around the ferrule with about 1/16" of it hanging over all the way around. It auto centers the tip while at the same time keeping glue from getting on the side of the ferrule.

 

[Enigmaticul]

I finished the cue long time ago. The cue was posted and sold about a week later.
I ended up step coring to 3/4 of a inch. All and all it went ok.
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