Anyone have any questions pertaining to cuemaking?
Any questions?
- Thread starter Teddy Harris
- Start date
I do Ted.Ted Harris said:
What do you think of butts cored with a 3/4" dowels?
Doesn't that leave too thin of a wall near the joint? That would leave like .05" each side of the sleeve near the joint?
Wouldn't .625" be better?
Thanks Ted.
If you are referring to the fronts being cored with 3/4 " dowels, that is the way I do mine. Well, my cue has a joint on it that is 1.350" long, and is phenolic that is bored out to .625", so it is down into the core. The diameter at the base of the joint is about .860, so the wall thickness is about .060" on each side, not that .010 thousandths makes a difference anyway. That being said, once it is all glued together it is now stronger than before it was cored. The only way the front sleeve will break is if the core is broken anyway. I have not had any problems with this so far, and I know other cuemakers who use 3/4" dowels with no problems.Joseph Cues said:
I'm curious also. That seems like quite a long distance to make a hole that is straight and of a consistent diameter. I assume you use a boring bar, but isn't that too long of a depth for a chatter free and precise hole?
Once the hole is made, do you then hold the front between centers, placing the centers in the hole just made, so that the outer diameter is concentric with the inner?
When are the points installed? Before the front is bored for the core, after the front is bored for the core, or after the core is glued into the front?
Once the hole is made, do you then hold the front between centers, placing the centers in the hole just made, so that the outer diameter is concentric with the inner?
When are the points installed? Before the front is bored for the core, after the front is bored for the core, or after the core is glued into the front?
Joseph Cues said:How is it done? Here you go.
I'm still leery of drilling the forearm at .750".
I might go .625 or .675 so the walls on the top of the forearm is a little thicker and I can thread the top.
I cored a handle at .750 yesterday though. The handle is much thicker than the forearm. It's around 1.050" at the top and 1.200 at the bottom.
Forearms fall in the .850 to 1.050 range top to bottom.
Joseph,
I have been thinking about getting a gundrill, but i was just wondering (seeing as i haven't ever used one), to you have to have a smaller starter hole, or will the gundrill just go right through it (with a center drilled hole... i think i have one big enough... i think) and does the air hookup keep the forearm cool enough? And i'm having trouble finding one at 5/8" (0.6250) at a good price, they are usually a little below or above that, above would be good...
Thanks
Jon
P.S. only 1.200 at the butt... man... that's a tooth-pick... lol mine is 1.310... i like a beefy cue lol...
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First, not a toothpick. lol . The bottom of the butt is around 1.220 to 1.250. The bottom of the HANDLE is a little less that 1.2" actually.BiG_JoN said:
I don't have a gun drill either. I used a carbide tipped drill bit at Z's shop. I just made a small center hole and the self-centering drill bit went in for 6 inches, then I flipped the wood. The wood ( cocobola) was still round, no taper. I had to keep blowing the chips out and still had to back out and clean.
Yup, gun drills are expensive but are the best. All is needed is a small pilot hole supposedly then you whale at it. I don't know how oily woods like coco would react though as those chips become sticky.
Maybe Ted can answer that. If he's not mad at us for giving too many secrets and invading his tread.
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Coring question
Another question on coring. I have done a lot of research in the last couple day and think I have learned quite a bit. Initially I don't want to go off for too much and order several bits sense they are expensive. To start what size should I get? I was thinking of 5/8 although I read many of you use 3/4. Also how much does the coring speed up process in building the cue? I assume that is some of the attraction of the coring as well.
Another question on coring. I have done a lot of research in the last couple day and think I have learned quite a bit. Initially I don't want to go off for too much and order several bits sense they are expensive. To start what size should I get? I was thinking of 5/8 although I read many of you use 3/4. Also how much does the coring speed up process in building the cue? I assume that is some of the attraction of the coring as well.
macguy said:
There are 2 reasons for coring:
1. To be able to use exotic hardwoods with great figure but unfortunately are structurally unstable (warps easily).
2. To lighten exotic hardwoods (ebony) that may make a cue too forward biased.
Hard maple weighs roughly about 42 lbs./cu.ft at 8%MC while Gabon Ebony averages at about 66 lbs./cu.ft at 8%MC. A cue's forearm (just the wood) in BE maple at 6%MC weighs about 4.75 ozs. while ebony of the same dimension weighs 7 ozs. If a 0.75" diameter core is used and we roughly estimate that it ends up comprising 50% of the cue's volume then coring an ebony forearm with straight grained hard maple drops the ebony forearm's weight drops to roughly 5.875 ozs. This is a more acceptable weight for the forearm.
i use .75" dia. core as I find that the .625 doesn't give me the maximum benefit of using a core.
I don't even cast an eye on the quicker cue construction time benefit of coring. I hope this helps.
Edwin Reyes
Ed, that helps a lot. Great insite. This will save me a hundred dollars if I order the gundrill. Thanks.bandido said:
