I can do a good job putting the radius I want on my tips, but I need some advice on trimming the sides when they mushroom. I thought about a Big Shaver or a Williard Tipper Trimmer, but thought maybe there might be a less expensive route to go and still do a quality job. Any help would be apreciated.
Best Method to Trim a Mushroom?
- Thread starter lstevedus
- Start date
little shaver
I have a Porper little shaver, works real well, you just have to be careful with it. Best tip is not to keep your tip super long.. thats my opinion
I have a Porper little shaver, works real well, you just have to be careful with it. Best tip is not to keep your tip super long.. thats my opinion
Take it to your friendly neighborhood cue repair person.
For a nominal fee, and sometimes nothing at all, they'll make it new again without any nicks in the ferrule, or flat spots on the side. :smile:
For a nominal fee, and sometimes nothing at all, they'll make it new again without any nicks in the ferrule, or flat spots on the side. :smile:
Thanks Eightballjunkie, trimmer sale still goin on.
Anyone interested can pm me for deal. FYI i'm using it to change tip for customers and everyone satisfied! 
Agreed. There are many tasks that anyone can do with a number of tools, and there are other tasks that are best performed by a specific person with a specific tool. IMHO, tips and ferrules are best performed by a cue repairman on a lathe. Yes, I am a little biased on this topic, but I truly believed this before even working on cues. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying any of the other tools described here are bad and/or won't work. I'm sure they'll work ok. Hell, you can do the job with a nail file and a steady hand. I just personally believe a lathe is best.
Trimming a mushroomed tip and re-burnishing the side takes about 1 minute. Any cue repair guy out there that charges more than a couple bucks to do this oughta be ashamed of himself. I do it for free.
This^! I don't bother messing with them myself.
Here's what I do:
1. Lay the shaft (by itself) on a flat surface like a table or counter.
2. Hold a fine flat file so its face is horizontal and resting on top of (the side of) the tip. Position it so only the tip itself is under the file (no overhang onto the ferrule).
3. Roll the shaft on the table/counter under your other palm while holding the file still, pressing the file onto the side of the tip. To be extra careful not to scratch the ferrule, tilt the file slightly toward the tip - this will make your tip slightly conical in shape, which will also help minimize future mushrooming.
4. Burnish.
pj
chgo
TheThaiger
Banned
These are very good, but you need to be careful not to shave the ferrule, which is easy to do. I don't have high value cues, so don't care, but wouldn't advise using on a high value shaft or one you're intending to sell.
Practice with old/cheap shafts first.
I use this method, but add a piece of blue tape or duct tape to the ferrule. I have been thinking of making a collar to slide over my ferrule that stops at the bottom of the ferrule as a guard. I hold the shaft stationary and move the file over the tip sidewall.
Best,
Mike
Be *very* careful with the Porper Little Shaver. (That's the one designed as a sharpened sleeve that you slip over the ferrule, then shave down the side of the ferrule towards -- and through -- the tip, into a little rubber "mat," to make the side of the tip flush with the ferrule.)
The dangers with the Porper Little Shaver are thus:
1. You can shave the side of the ferrule itself, if you're not careful.
2. You can pop your tip off, even against that little rubber mat included in the package.
The Porper Mushroom Grazer and Porper Cut-Rite tools are better, in that they're not stressing or pulling the tip away from the ferrule, but you run the danger of "pencil-sharpening" your ferrule because of their pencil-sharpener-like design. Tim describes it perfectly:
Pat's mill file technique is better, and is the one I like to use. It doesn't place any "pulling away" stress on the tip's glue bond (as the Little Shaver does), but mill files are aggressive enough that you can remove the mushroom overhang in a hurry. You just need to be aware of how you're orienting the file, and have a steady hand to hold that orientation while you roll the cue. Anyone who has done tip maintenance for a while has this coordination to do this nicely.
Additionally, some versions of Tip Tappers -- the ones that have file teeth, and not knurl teeth -- can be used in the same way as a mill file. The file teeth versions are hard to get, since Lou Butera's website where he sold them (http://tiptapper.net/) is now defunct.
Finally, the "el cheapo" way is to use a lady's manicure emery board (you can get a blister pack of a dozen of these at any grocery, drug, or convenience store for a couple dollars). They cut very quickly, and their small size / light weight means you can be very accurate with them.
-Sean
buy my wonderful simplest highly efficient trimming tool !
guy, get some of my amazing efficient trimming tool. guarantee no other tools trim better than this. if you still worry about your ferrule being cut, tape a layer of scortch tape on your ferrule before trim. FYI my trimmer is a powerful tools for tip replacement. Don't be shocked but it true. PM me for better price . take a look at ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/280524653888?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
guy, get some of my amazing efficient trimming tool. guarantee no other tools trim better than this. if you still worry about your ferrule being cut, tape a layer of scortch tape on your ferrule before trim. FYI my trimmer is a powerful tools for tip replacement. Don't be shocked but it true. PM me for better price . take a look at ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/280524653888?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
Exactly right Sean on the Cut Right. There is a correct way to do it which is
what is diagrammed on Andy's little shapers. Still!
The first time I used one, the tip had a cone shape to it.
The Grazer is a much better tool. You can set the blade depth so it won't touch the ferrule.
Or, you could just buy tips like the Ultra Skin and you won't have to worry about re shaping or mushrooming.
The money you save on a 16 dollar gadget will buy you 5 more Ultra Skin tips.
what is diagrammed on Andy's little shapers. Still!
The first time I used one, the tip had a cone shape to it.
The Grazer is a much better tool. You can set the blade depth so it won't touch the ferrule.
Or, you could just buy tips like the Ultra Skin and you won't have to worry about re shaping or mushrooming.
The money you save on a 16 dollar gadget will buy you 5 more Ultra Skin tips.
Last edited:
coned? The right way to use the sharpener is to parallel the blade to your ferrule and cut.very simple. i have.some ultraskin tip. pretty nice to trim cut install. Doesn't mushroom much at all after games. I have tried morakami and i preferred morakami's hit and maintain good shape too.
The right way to use the sharpener is to parallel the blade to your ferrule and cut.very simple. i have.some ultraskin tip. pretty nice to trim cut install. Doesn't mushroom much at all after games. I have tried morakami and i preferred morakami's hit and maintain good shape too. 
I use one of Andy Ho's sharpeners; it is excellent. The risk of damaging the ferrule is very low if you use it properly. It trims the sides of the tip flush and even. Some suggestions on its use:
1) as other posters stated, keep the blade of the sharpener absolutely flat against the ferrule while sharpening.
2) wet the side of the tip before sharpening; I just use a bit of spit. Wet leather cuts more cleanly than dry does.
3) don't push the tip too firmly into the sharpener, just use enough pressure to let the excess leather press against the blade.
Andy, when I received my sharpener from you it didn't have the label on the bottom showing the correct way to use it. I could see how it should work so I didn't screw up any tips. However, if someone else got one without a label they could have used it incorrectly without realizing it. This may be why you get some of these coned-tip complaints. You should double check to make sure that they have that label before you ship them
1) as other posters stated, keep the blade of the sharpener absolutely flat against the ferrule while sharpening.
2) wet the side of the tip before sharpening; I just use a bit of spit. Wet leather cuts more cleanly than dry does.
3) don't push the tip too firmly into the sharpener, just use enough pressure to let the excess leather press against the blade.
Andy, when I received my sharpener from you it didn't have the label on the bottom showing the correct way to use it. I could see how it should work so I didn't screw up any tips. However, if someone else got one without a label they could have used it incorrectly without realizing it. This may be why you get some of these coned-tip complaints. You should double check to make sure that they have that label before you ship them
Ah! thanks for the call up my friend. i should send a menu with it when ever i post item.right away will post a pic now
go to this link and see first picture for instruction buddy.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Professiona...888?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4150928540
buy my wonderful simplest highly efficient trimming tool !
any one would like to.change tip by your own ? Ger this tool.now. PM me for purchase.
any one would like to.change tip by your own ? Ger this tool.now. PM me for purchase.
I believe its cheaper to just get another one. Not sure whether Andy still sells this though.