cue maker questions

Chris. I think the mod is the best idea. I was thinking about that during my last post.

I just don't Luke to see the negitiveness. I for one am very thankful for this site. I would not be the cuemakers I am today with out it. For this reason I like to contibute as much as possible. I don't know how long the cuemaker section has been around but I know this. The old school guys had to learn the hard way. No help. Maybe knew a few other makers but overall trial and error. The newer makers can come here and have a plethora of good info to sift thru. For me I feel the 6-7 years I've read this section it has been extremely helpful saving me alot of time,$$$, and heartache.

For bman. I didn't read one word of that touch up points thread. I knew it would be open season. I chose bot to contribute. However I will say this. There are many many top makers with cues out there today with touched up points. However nieve the public wants to be it is the truth. The ultimate goal is to get to use no filler it touch ups of any kind. However none of us buy a lathe and instantly become Dennis searing. It takes decades of work and learning.
 
I guess it's like a whole lot of other things now. One bad apple ruins the whole bunch. For whatever it may be worth some of us non cue makers enjoy reading this forum as a way to be informed consumers. There is no better way to learn than to sit down, shut up, and listen to those who have a vast wealth of knowledge on a subject you want to know about.
Reading this forum has helped me pick the cue makers that are currently building cues for me, and decide who I would like to build my future projects. Unfortunately it looks like there may be fewer cue makers on here in the future. I have learned things from some of you that will really influence what cues I want in the future (the entire discussion on the tone of a cue really has influeced these decisions.)
Thank you all for sharing what you know with the general non cue making public. I hope you continue to post here. I understand the frustration you feel dealing with some of us who are less knowledgable. If you choose not to post here it is our loss.
Well it was a bit long winded, but I just wanted to toss in what I believe is the average non cue maker's view.
Thanks again for all of your posts.
 
dave sutton said:
Chris. I think the mod is the best idea. I was thinking about that during my last post.

I just don't Luke to see the negitiveness. I for one am very thankful for this site. I would not be the cuemakers I am today with out it. For this reason I like to contibute as much as possible. I don't know how long the cuemaker section has been around but I know this. The old school guys had to learn the hard way. No help. Maybe knew a few other makers but overall trial and error. The newer makers can come here and have a plethora of good info to sift thru. For me I feel the 6-7 years I've read this section it has been extremely helpful saving me alot of time,$$$, and heartache.

For bman. I didn't read one word of that touch up points thread. I knew it would be open season. I chose bot to contribute. However I will say this. There are many many top makers with cues out there today with touched up points. However nieve the public wants to be it is the truth. The ultimate goal is to get to use no filler it touch ups of any kind. However none of us buy a lathe and instantly become Dennis searing. It takes decades of work and learning.
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dave i think you r right.also right for not touching the thread i started as i have learned.its funny you brought up dennis searing cause i have a new customer who knows him well and i have been putting tips on his searings.he found out i was a cuemaker and started to boast about his cues and knowing dennis and his shop what a great cuemaker he is.he wasnt putting me down but kinda talking down to me in a nice way.a guy walks in with one of my cues and showed it to me and was asking about the cue i made for him.he saw it and was shocked.this is a beautiful cue.lol made me feel good.no inlays just nice wood.nothing fancy,except the wood.and with that said,i aint no searing.he is a great cuemaker no question about that!
 
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I may be in the minority, but I like input from everyone. Its always nice to have a fresh set of eyes look at something that cue makers have been doing a certain way and coming up with a technique we may have never thought of. I also feel that sometimes a non-cue maker has a better ability to see the forest through the trees. They are not clouded by experience, if that makes any sense.

What I do not like, and I suspect the root of the problem is, is when people start arguing over which process or technique is correct, especially when one is not a cue maker. I'll tell you that I have worked on cues from just about everyone and one thing is certain, no one does anything the same. Their techniques are honed over many years and through trial and error.

With that being said, when a thread is started, post if you want but also read and learn. Ask if you do not understand but do not criticize what is different or what you do not understand. Try what you read and you may learn the "whys" of cue making as opposed to the "whats." The day you think you know it all is the day you should stop making cues.

<~~~~Ancora imparo
 
I recently ran this by an IT Tech. AZB forums are powered by VBulletin.
VBulletin has a feature known as 'Groups' and it was suggested that I look at that avenue. The possibility is that once you are assigned to 'the group', you and others in that group are the only ones that are allowed to respond to a post. It sounds pretty simple. Will there be a cost? I don't know, probably. Nobody works for free. Will there be a cost if we do nothing? Absolutely, how many qualified/experienced CMs do you think that this site can afford to loose before the quality of the responses starts to degrade?

The newbies will pick-up the slack as best they can but in most cases, they are the ones ASKING the questions. It all boils down to the quality of the responses. I know that when I have a question, I want the response from the most knowledgeable source I can find.

At the end of the day, I don't know what the solution is. I'm pretty certain that the one I've offered has potential and VBulletin has the features already built-in to make it happen. The only thing I haven't gotten my head around yet is how to allow the OP to continue to post in his own thread. That's essential.
If we are going to be offering assistance to an OP, we need to make damn sure that he has his question answered to his complete understanding. He needs to ask all the questions he needs to until he understands.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that when this forum was in it's infancy, the mods didn't foresee this problem coming up. The forum was probably set-up as a totally 'open' forum to encourage involvement. Things change. This forum has grown out of it's infancy to become the world's largest source of cue building information available anywhere on the planet.
It may be time for the forum to make adjustments to it's new found status.

Addition :
Ryan, I like your answer a lot. It makes perfect sense and if everyone adhered to that philosophy, we wouldn't be having this discussion.
The only problem that I see is that it's like telling a child not to touch something because it's hot. Anyone got burn ointment?
 
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Just moderate it

It would be a simple matter to make this forum moderated. Even lots of moderators shouldn't be a problem. AZ is probably not too interested in spending money developing a cookie solution, but surely they could be convinced to tighten things up just a hair.
 
IMHO, it's all about moderation, or the lack thereof.

I think that the senior builders need to volunteer to help moderating. Give them the ability to edit/delete content. With moderation the point thread could have been steered in the correct direction early on by focusing on helpful replies, or issuing warnings on combative behavior. Instead the bickering is allowed to escalate.

While being relatively new here I don't want to step out of line and only offer advice that I have experience on, but I feel that everyone is overreacting a touch. It is fairly apparent who has pertinent knowledge on any given subject and who doesn't. If this site can't be moderated accordingly just do your own. You should have the option to ignore any poster here.

Another thing that should/could be considered is using the reputation feedback to a more focused result. Instead of having it be only 3 results (single green, many green, or many red), have it actually represent the level of respect as given by everyone reading.

There is much more I'd like to say on this, but I'm texting from my phone and it's my match next.

Regards,
Frank
 
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> I can't remember me bickering with anyone,and would like to think I've helped some along the way.

If I see a new post,and one of the real-deal cuemakers hasn't caught it yet,which is rare,and I know something about the subject at hand,I try to help.

I've probably saved myself 1000s of dollars in mistakes in tooling choices and other unforseen headaches once I get my shop up and running,thanks to this forum. In return,I do what I can to contribute,and sincerely hope to be able to continue to do so,without causing or perpetuating childish crap. Tommy D.
 
Tommy-D said:
> I can't remember me bickering with anyone,and would like to think I've helped some along the way.

If I see a new post,and one of the real-deal cuemakers hasn't caught it yet,which is rare,and I know something about the subject at hand,I try to help.

I've probably saved myself 1000s of dollars in mistakes in tooling choices and other unforseen headaches once I get my shop up and running,thanks to this forum. In return,I do what I can to contribute,and sincerely hope to be able to continue to do so,without causing or perpetuating childish crap. Tommy D.
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If everyone approached it that way we would have been doing great all along.
 
dave sutton said:
It is impossible to lock a thread for only cuemakers to post after the question has been answered. Then what happens when another question needs to be asked. Start a new thread?
Overall the system is good. Leave it. Nothing in life is perfect.
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Indeed. It's too bad more cuemakers don't participate, and it's possible that some of the negative posts run them off, but I don't think that's much of a factor.

Some of you need to join a quilting circle so you can piss and moan like little old ladies all day long! :grin-square:

I think the new guidelines in the sticky are good, and that the forum could use a little more moderation, but like Bob hinted at, censorship is a slippery slope.
 
I am not a CM but i have been reading this section since the inception of AZ.
When a guy who is not qualified or trys to imply that a Cm is covering up or building shoddy cues he should be ignored.I usually never post here,I just read but if I had a ? I would like it to remain open.Someone posted that the point ? actually made the Cm who asked it look better and I agree.
Leave the forum as it is.
Thanks guys for your craft.
 
Learning something new makes my day!

And this forum is great place for cuemakers to share and hone their craft. I see some ignorant replies to questions, and some perhaps are downright mean. After my first year or two here I have learned to ignore some threads, and certain posters. Too many use the anonnimity of the internet to let out an alterego that they have pent up inside. It is plain wrong, and should stop. I have been amazed at the lack of class of some replies.
Yet the generosity and compassion shown by most cuemakers has continued to bring me back. Fortunately the good posts are still in the majority.
If common sense prevailed, we would have no need for this thread, but sadly: sense is becoming less common.
And Happy Holidays all, yeah even the mean ones !
 
I was under the impression "Ask the cuemaker" meant " Ask the cuemaker"!?!?...

If I ask a question or make a comment I want a cuemaker(s) opinion or advice.
 
HIRUN526 said:
I was under the impression "Ask the cuemaker" meant " Ask the cuemaker"!?!?...

If I ask a question or make a comment I want a cuemaker(s) opinion or advice.
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hey get off the computer and get your ass over here!!!!!!!!!!


oh .... and nice avatar you YAK OFF
 
I really value the info on this forum and would absolutely hate to see it go to mostly PM's. I have been doing repairs for about 12 years and have gotten very interested in making cues when time will allow. I have found this place to have some great reading that answers many of my Q's before I even ask them. I know the limits of my knowledge and post very few (if any) answers to questions. Usually just the IMO questions such as preferred tips, glues,etc. that are within my knowledge. Again here, IMO the few posters that the moderators feel are causing the problems or answering "out of turn" might should just be dealt with directly through PM's and not spoil a good thing for us all. To me, the MAIN thing is here, if you don't know what you're talking about, be a reader and a question poster and leave the answering to the CUEMAKERS. Just my opinion.
Merry Christmas fellow AZers and a prosperous New Year. Keep the chips flying :grin:
 
Hi,

I have only been in this pool cue business for 6 years and in this past year have been weighing in and asking some questions. Listening to guys like Dick, Chris, Arnot, Joey and many others have helped me in my education and evolution as a cuemaker. If you hang out here, it don't take a rocket scientist to figure out where the experienced talent is.

As we all know, there are a millions nuances and details in the cue making and finishing processes. This forum is a vehicle that lets super experienced craftsmen share some thoughts and insights with cue buyer, the newbee as well as the intermediate guy.

I have seen some egocentric bullcrap here by people that have no clue as what it takes to be a cuemaker or better yet, make a living out of the fine profession. These threads and communication is a community of people who like talking and sharing with people who love cue making. To me, cue making and reading AZBILLIARDS stuff is a great source of relaxation and some what of a therapy and distraction from everyday life.

I agree with Dick concerning this bad stuff and flaming and my advise is for the professionals to ignore the negative stuff and only respond to positive. When the jerks don't get the attention they crave, maybe they will go somewhere else.

Rick G
 
Dick, I sincerely hope you dont go "Private" with your knowledge.
You have added to my skills as a cue maker many times with information you offered in response to someone else's post.
You and others here are a tremendous asset to someone trying to learn the craft or work thru a specific problem.
I doubt you can realize just how many yo have helped in the past as most are silent learners you never hear from.
They read, try, learn, and develop their skills from the ideas you and others have posted here.
The true scope of your help to others can not be measured.
It is too bad the feedback of a few would make you think otherwise but I guess you know the story of the squeaky wheel.
The people you help the most ... you never hear from.

As you know I used to be very vocal on the forums but have learned that listening more and talking less is a fundamental key to knowledge.
I have not always agreed with all you and others have posted here but have also learned that what you offer is sincere and honest.

Please reconsider and continue posting for all to read and benefit from your years of experience.
 
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Just my two cents (no pun intended).... and no, I am not a cue maker by anyone’s definition. But it’s a shame that some people have to ruin it for the others... 15 years ago, you couldn’t buy, beg, borrow or steal "secrets" from other cue makers (Well, you could buy, but you couldn’t afford the price tag) but anyhow, all this information is now a click away and we might lose some good opinions because of some really bad ones.

I don’t have an answer, but I do hope the knowledgeable guys, just like in real life, chose to ignore the idiots and keep helping those you can help.
 
Some of you need to join a quilting circle so you can piss and moan like little old ladies all day long!
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this sounds like a good idea.

i haven't been on here much lately.i must have missed some good ones.
 
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