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alphadog

alphadog

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cuemakers -do you prefer to select wood to work with or do you welcome the customers bringing in wood they have selected? I know the obvious-
stock has to be right size,and in proper state.I ask as I have a cue in mind
and I am looking for the right wood before I approach a artisan.Perhaps
I should rethink this as "artists" may not feel this is the way to go.
Thanks Jack
 
Very few cuemakers will use your wood...VERY few. A better idea would be to pick your "artist" of choice first, then discuss wood choices with him.
 
I will and have used customer supplied wood. I have a local customer who is very perticular. Lets just say that he is always looking for that one of a kind amazing piece of wood. He makes sure that he is buying kiln dried or very well aged lumber thats is dried to 6-8%. Anyways the only problem is some times the wood will check or warp and then he's back on the hunt for another piece wood. But most of the time you can tell if the wood is going to act squirrely within the first couple passes so its not that much time wasted..
 
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wood selection

Frequently the wood a customer brings in will NOT look as stunning when cut down to cue size. In my opinion you might want to choose the cuemaker first for craftsmanship then if he will allow, go through his selection of pretapered forearm wood. This wood will be closer to final dimensions and the final grain pattern will have emerged to view.

Also, the seasoning process is an issue. The wood a naive person might pick may need several years of conditioning/seasoning before beginning turning. The rule of thumb I have heard is it takes a year per inch of thickness for green wood to dry slowly. Kiln dried wood will be drier sooner but depending on kiln processing technique it can have lots of internal stresses and you are back to square one again. A cuemakers wood selection has saved YOU a lot of time waiting and the culled lumber has a better chance of lasting.

I will work with customers lumber, but only AFTER discussing these issues at length. Hope I've helped.
Tom Gedris, Triple Cross Cues:cool:
http://www.triplecrosscues.com
 
This very topic has been discussed a few times, search through older threads for lots of opinions on it....
There are plenty of cue makers that will use customer-supplied wood. It helps put the "custom" in "custom cuemaker". :wink:
 
I will use it if I inspect it and turn on it and it appears to be stable and solid. But I would rather use my own wood as I know how many years it has stabilized in my shop. Rarely will someone bring me a piece of wood that is better than what I already have.
 
Hi,

I have a customer who brought some Jacaranda ( Brazilian Rosewood ) that he purchased from a lumber mill outside of Rio in the back country. It was 2X4 by 30" long. I cut it on the bandsaw and turned the pieces round in the doweling machine.

He paid $ 30.00 us for the piece and I told him I would take $ 100.00 off the price of his cue and he gave me the extra wood. If have been taking light cuts on it and have recently put on the initial taper and am planing to make a fancy 5 point cue for with 4 veneers.

Bottom line is that his cue will take over six months to build and he has agreed to that time line. Most of the wood that I am making cues from dates back to 2005 or older including my shaft wood and I told him that I did not want to rush this process. This rose wood has proved to be stable and after 4 more taper cuts I will cut in the point grooves next month.

If the customer is willing to wait and wants to supply the wood, I am OK with that because like this guy they feel more attached to the process of their personal cue.

Rick Geschrey
 
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Varney Cues said:
Very few cuemakers will use your wood...VERY few. A better idea would be to pick your "artist" of choice first, then discuss wood choices with him.
Click to expand...

I have commissioned about 20 cues to be built for me. I agree with Kevin. Most if not all wanted to use their wood.

I have heard this argument many times, and it always seems that the guy wanting to supply the wood is thinking it will save alot of money. You are really paying for labor and knowledge, not materials.

Only time this is not true is supplying a titlist for conversions.

Ken
 
not in a million years. unless they want to wait years. i will let certin ppl i know into pick wood i have tho. puts the same amount of "custom" in custom...

just isnt worth the problems that may occur
 
I have no problem with the customer wanting to supply the wood. It just has to meet the criteria that I use in all my cues. Which usually means that it will be a couple of years at least before you see the finished cue.

Bob Danielson
www.bdcudsandcomix.com
 
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