Best personal tip Mushroom tool?

MacGyver

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A little while ago I re-shaped my tip to Dime radius(from nickle) and I'm really happy with the results!!!!

The only problem is that the tip is SLIGHTLY mushrooming near the end where the new tip material was exposed, and I'd like to trim it up a bit.

I only have a willard dime and nickle shaper and a shadow tip pik and nothing else, and I'm wondering which tool to get.

What can you use to burnish the sides of the tip, what do you gain from burnishing and should you even burnish?

What tool is best for just trimming the sides(I have no lathe), is the porper tool good? I've heard to stay away from Ultimate Tip tool...

I should also mention my tip is 12mm, if that makes any difference but I'd obviously like a tool that could handle up to 13mm for friends or a new cue or whatnot.

I had a fellow pool player, after hearing of my problem offer me his "ultimate tip tool" and told me to press it over and twist, that it would push the tip back and burnish it, however I only feigned doing it as I've heard bad things about them scarring your ferrule so I just faked it and thanked him....

Can you really push a tip back, I was under impression you had to trim it and then burnish, that burnishing didnt actually move the tip back.

So in short, i'm clueless on the trimming/burnishing end of tip care and would like advice on what to buy and how to go about it!!!

THANKS!!!!!!
 
PoolSleuth said:
New $1.00 BILL work well to remove a Mushroom....

Crazy man! No paper is gonna fix a mushroomed tip. What has happened is that the tip has compressed and sperad out. it must be trimmed.
 
The porper little shaver works fine for me. You can also just use razor blades from the hardware store. I've also got the porper tip burnisher and it works well too. Seybert's has some videos of the porper stuff in action replacing tips. Link
 
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I don't know what gadget is available for a mushroomed tip, but the simplest and best way I know is to use sandpaper.

The technique is you first tape the ferrule with Artist's tape. You can use something like masking tape, but I prefer a tougher tape that will resist scratching better. Then take #320 or #400 wet/dry sandpaper, fold it 2x. Now curl it to approximate the radius of the tip's side. Sand with up and down stokes, while constantly rotating the shaft. At first, keep the sandpaper strokes parallel to the shaft.

When you have the tip nearly flush with the ferrule, remove the tape and re-tape. But this time apply the tape about 1/16" below the ferrule. Resume sanding, but now angle the sandpaper to avoid hitting the ferrule. This will slightly bevel the tip's side. If you go slowly and you are careful, you can trim the tip flush with the ferrule without scratching it.

Once you have it shaped properly, remove the tape, wet the sides of the tip with saliva, and burnish it with something like the back of a business card or a non-printed matchbook. I do not like to use dollar bills or other printed material because they can leave ink stains on the ferrule.

This probably sounds more complicated than it is. I do it about every two months to my Moori M tips, and it takes me about 5 minutes to complete.

One other consideration, if the tip you are working on is badly mushroomed, I would choose a courser sandpaper of #200 grit to start. Otherwise, you'll be all day. Once you get it in the ballpark, switch to a finer grit.
 
Black-Balled said:
Crazy man! No paper is gonna fix a mushroomed tip. What has happened is that the tip has compressed and sperad out. it must be trimmed.





U R 1/2 Correct, but Mushroom do not happen like Freak Rain Storms, they start Slow. The Dollar Bill will fix em if you notice em when they first Start...
 
I noticed in those video's they use the Porper Mushroom Grazer AND the cut-rite...

Do you really need both or will one or the other work better?

Or would you recommend the little shaver? I guess it comes down to porper, but not sure which of his 3 tools to get(remember I have 12mm tip but want to do 13mm too).

Thanks if anyone can clarify it a *bit* more.
 
What I know about the ultimate:

Works great for reshaping tips dime and nickel radius available. Tip pick function also works good/great.

There are two anti/mushroom functions on the ultimate. First ist the small strip of sandpaper on both sides, imo meant for "bad mushrooms". This I would not recommend using, cause you´re always going to be pressing metal against your shaft/ferrule which is going to leave traces (allthough not `scars`when used properly) on it.
Second is the concave (not sure if this is the right word, I mean it gets narrower from bottom to top) opening at the bottom of the ultimate. This works great for getting rid of a starting or not too bad mushroom. If you use it carefully (which you´ll have to be woth every tool you use on your cue) you won´t touch the ferrule or the shaft at all. All you´ll do is press the tip back in to shape.

Overall I´d say it´s definitely worth my 20 euros.

gr. Dave
 
Truth is...
Be very careful with any hand held tip tool. Very easy to destroy a laminated tip. Most laminated tips will only mushroom once...unless you are breaking with them. Best to take it to a professional and let him correct it on a lathe properly and you're all set. I know that with my customers, if I installed the tip...I offer for free to make the tip/ferrule look like new again...only takes 30 sec. on the lathe...and makes for happy customers. That being said...try the Sniper tip...many, many players think it plays the best...and it won't mushroom, so you have no worries. If you have no access to professional cue repair...then I'd use no tool. Any of the hand held tools run a very high risk of causing the layered tips to delaminate. Instead I would use a piece of sandpaper, taking my time & ultimate care to just sand the mushroomed part of the tip. Then wet the tip edge slightly (spit works fine) and instead of a dollar bill, business card or match book...use a thick piece of brown cardboard (make sure it has no writing/ink) or leather. Rub the tip edges fairly hard until they shine nice. A big key to no mushrooming is keeping the edge burnished. I actually keep a piece of cardboard in my case and I'll moisten my tip edge & burnish often (like every day)...I like it to shine & look new. By doing this often & keeping it burnished...you'll really have no mushroom issues. Again seriously...try the Sniper..you'll thank me.
 
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