As a new Cue Maker ...

[WilleeCue]

Or as a Cue Assembler ... which ever ... what direction do you want your Hobbie/Business to go.
In other words what are your plans?

Is it just a part time thing for you that might become full time some day?

Do you want to expand into a larger shop with other employees helping you make cues or do you want to stay small making a few each year?

Is it a retirement thing that you see providing some extra cash income?

Where do you see your cue making biz being at five years from now?

 

[JoeyInCali]

I want my cues to be known for their distinct hit and look.
It'll just be part-time for me for a long time to come.
My employment subsidizes it right now.

 

[TripXQ]

cue building plans

I plan on making it my retirement objective. Hopefully in two years I can be full-time. It's going well so far. The shop is currently expanding. CNC on the way. Several cue orders in house. Regular repair schedule. Also some fine customers with their feet on the ground and realistic. We shall see what happens in the future.
Tom Gedris, Triple Cross Cues

 

[dave sutton]

i dont even mind distinct look. i love the classics. my goal is to make the best hitting HAND MADE cue i can make. thats why i havent even purchased an inlay machine yet. panto

 

[ugottha8]

Becoming a cuebuilder

First & foremost as a new cue builder, which I hope to be able to call myself in the next 12-18 months, is to be respected by all you cue builders out there, the new ones, the hobbyists, the small timers, the lesser knowns, the more knows, the AZers, & THE GREATS!!! I want to be know as a stand up, honest, trustworthy cue builder that builds a great hitting cue. I will stay simple in my cues so I know I will not be know as Masterpiece cuebuilders like Schick, Black, Ginacue, Kersenbrock, Mottey, TAD, Dishaw, Drexler, & Im sure many others that I have left out, definately no disrespect to the ones Im sure I left out, Im a bit new to the pool world, and even newer to the Artists that build them. You guys that can look at a cue, notice a few points, & influences & tell who made it with never seeing a name attatched to it simply amazes me, thats awesome & one day I hope to at least learn as much as some of you have already forgotten about cue building & identifying.

I want cue building to reamain something that I love doing and never get to the point that I feel I HAVE to get out there in the shop and start WORKING, once I get on my feet and get started, I seriously doubt I will reach more than 10-15 a year, and I am perfectly fine with that. I really wanna learn the art of building my own full-splice, I have seen the pics that Travis with Blackcreek has posted and they are awesome.

In 5 yrs I want to have nice shop with several lathes, and other machinery needed in the industry. I want to have a nicely stocked "wood room", I also want to be as knowledgable about the woods as alot of cue builders are, I dont know about employess, dont think my cue building career will reach that extent, but wouldnt mind having a few friends or just someone interested in cue building with the same passion I have for it, that contacts me because he just got one of my cues and loves it, being in the shop, helping me do repairs, working on their own or whatever.

I dont wanna re-invent the wheel, I just want to build a great hitting cue, fairly simple in design that gets my name out there, but then again what cue builder doesn't want that. I probably havent said anything all the other cue builders are gonna say or even the GREATS said when they started, but that is my dream in being a cue builder. So give me all your best wishes & I hope to one day be worthy enough to meet with you all and talk Cues into the night. Im open to all suggestions, opinons, and just general knowledge about the industry as long as it doesnt involve the bashing of another cue builder.

Thanks to all that took the time to read about my passion and dream!!!

 

[Tony Zinzola]

Or as a Cue Assembler ... which ever ... what direction do you want your Hobbie/Business to go.
In other words what are your plans?

Is it just a part time thing for you that might become full time some day?


I have no idea. I have a real job that pays good money, although with the economy the way it is, I am very slow. I'm always slow during the summer, but this year is worse than ever. I'm also very lucky that my job allows me a lot of free time. I set up my office in my workshop and I can do both at once during slow times.

I've also been very lucky as far as cue building goes. I stated this a a hobby and it has steamrolled pretty quickly.



Do you want to expand into a larger shop with other employees helping you make cues or do you want to stay small making a few each year?

A larger shop would be nice, but I do not want anybody helping me with my cues. My cues are built 100% by me and it will stay that way forever.

Is it a retirement thing that you see providing some extra cash income?

Every time my wife asks me about retirement, I tell her I have my cues. Although, I don't know how you could consider that retirement. It's a full time job no matter how you look at it. I have cues on my mind 24 hours a day.

Where do you see your cue making biz being at five years from now?

I don't plan that far ahead.

 

[masonh]

i started it as a hobby,but it has now become full time for as long as i can keep it up without having to get a second job.i would like to be able to just make cues and so far it is getting me by,but it is tight.if the economy were better i think it would be easier.

i would like to get into a big shop loaded with bada** machines,but i don't really want any employees.i really enjoy building them and the only area where i would want help is the finishing department and it would be tough to find someone who "finishes cues for a living" and does it perfectly.i will probably work on my own cues by myself for as long as can continue to build them.

i guess you could keep doing it into the later years and use it as retirement money,but i can't imagine standing hunched over that metal lathe all day at 70.


in 5 years i want some really nice machines,all top of the line stuff.

 

[ratcues]

I want cue building to remain something that I love doing and never get to the point that I feel I HAVE to get out there in the shop and start WORKING.

This is most important to me. I do not want a job.

I also want young cue makers to someday look at me the same way I look at Stroud or Black when they walk into a show. I look up to those guys, and others, for what each has done for the art and the sport.

 

[macguy]

Or as a Cue Assembler ... which ever ... what direction do you want your Hobbie/Business to go.
In other words what are your plans?

Is it just a part time thing for you that might become full time some day?

Do you want to expand into a larger shop with other employees helping you make cues or do you want to stay small making a few each year?

Is it a retirement thing that you see providing some extra cash income?

Where do you see your cue making biz being at five years from now?

I think most don't venture much beyond their own local market, even many full timers. With that said, your popularity will be based on the quality of what you are doing. You do good work and treat people right and they will beat a path to your door.

 

[dave sutton]

i have a really good job. its very easy. i make more then 75K a year and work less than 32 hours a week. i dont know that i will ever quit my job bc i love it as well as cuemaking. sometimes i feel i NEED to go into the shop. ppl call me off the hook and i cant play pool for 5 minutes without answering a question. sometimes it gets annoying but overall when i see the finished product i smile everytime

 

[Matt_24]

10 Year Plan

I retire from the USAF in 10 years. At that time I would like to be building custom cues.

I've been blessed with an artistic eye and know what I like. I also know, I have a lot to learn over the next 10 years and will be starting from the ground up.

Initially I want to become "excellent" at your basic cue repair/re-finishing/assembly (sneaky petes). I just want to learn what makes a good playing - fundamental cue.

From there I would like to advance into learning more about the different woods, their characteristics, how they "move" etc. Just a good fundamental knowledge in how wood works along with more experience in machining wood --- from a square block into a fully turned forearm, butt,e tc.

Later, I would like to get into more advanced forms of cue construction - building my own point blanks, learning how to properly construct nice ring work, butt designs, etc.

Once I have all of this good fundamental knowledge to build on -- I feel I will be ready to expand into more custom designs.

This could all take 10 years, or easily more...but I feel like with enough dedication I can advance pretty far in 10 years. At least far enough into producing a solid playing, good looking custom cue...and can only improve from there. Of course, over that time I will also be slowly purchasing lathes/equipment/etc...tooling up. I would like to have a good engraving machine (panto) or CNC by that time as well.

It is just all so fascinating, and inspiring, and something I really want to do - and hopefully supplement my retirement income with.

That is my plan at this point. Truly only thoughts in my head - but thought I would share them with you for the purposes of this thread.