Customers providing Wood

SSach

SSach

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have been collecting Brazilian Rosewood that I am able to get for what I beleive is a good price. My question to the cuemakers is do you find it a problem to accept wood from customers?

Would you want the wood to be sent to you for physical inspection or would pictures be sufficient? What other specs should be provided?

Thanks in advance to all that respond
 
SSach said:
I have been collecting Brazilian Rosewood that I am able to get for what I beleive is a good price. My question to the cuemakers is do you find it a problem to accept wood from customers?

Would you want the wood to be sent to you for physical inspection or would pictures be sufficient? What other specs should be provided?

Thanks in advance to all that respond
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I would not build a cue for someone suppling their own wood. Even though, I could check the moisture content and stability upon receipt, to me part of making cues is using my materials, so that there can be no misunderstanding later. You can not see inside a piece of wood, and tapping it on a hard surface will only identify cracks through tone.

I have had a number things occur when turning wood, sometimes my fault, and sometimes things are exposed that I do not like. So if someone were to ask me to build a cue from their wood, I have and I would continue to decline respectfully.
 
I would do it but it will have to be here for 1 year before it gets turned round.
 
I have done this many times. A total explanation and inspection is how I work the deal. I have built cues for customers that have had an emotional tie to words that either related them in some way to family members or friends in their life.
We cover the basis on the wood used , if it is suitable , if it is kiln dried, how old , and so on. If all is agreeable , we begin the design process and then start construction.
I am not a fan of letting wood sit in my shop for upteen amount of years before turning. If your shop is suitable and the wood is old or kiln dried , I think you are fine to proceed. There are exceptions to every rule , but this is my opinion. Hope this helps.
Thanx ,
Jim Lee
 
BLACKHEARTCUES said:
I don't use customer's wood. If you can find someone who will, then God bless you. It just won't be me...JER
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I agree with Jerry. I would decline as well.
 
I will and have. It comes with an up fromt clause. It's gonna be a while...
 
This is a can of worms.

If upon receipt & inspection of the wood, I'd probably agree to build the client's cue but I would make sure that the client understands in no uncertain terms that if the finished cue takes a 'hike' or down the road starts to develop surface checks or whatever, I'm not responsible.

On the other hand, the builder should consider what building this cue could do to his rep. If the cue finishes up good and stays that way, you're a hero. If the cue 'goes south' on the buyer after finishing, you just know that he'll be telling the world that so and so 'builds crummy cues'. So as the builder, do you provide the service or do you protect your rep.?

This is a can of worms.
 
It's just another part of being a "custom" cuemaker. Not many are, in the true sense of the word.
Also, unless there is actually something wrong with the wood a customer brings, there shouldn't be any reason to tell them you refuse to be responsible for your work.
 
Sheldon said:
It's just another part of being a "custom" cuemaker. Not many are, in the true sense of the word.
Also, unless there is actually something wrong with the wood a customer brings, there shouldn't be any reason to tell them you refuse to be responsible for your work.
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I agree.

Good Cuemaking,
 
Sheldon said:
It's just another part of being a "custom" cuemaker. Not many are, in the true sense of the word.
Also, unless there is actually something wrong with the wood a customer brings, there shouldn't be any reason to tell them you refuse to be responsible for your work.
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It has nothing to do with being a CUSTOM Qmaker. A long time ago a woman brought me a piece of wood to have a Q made for her husband. It seemed dry enough & I made the Q. The wood developed cracks along the grain & she wanted a new Q made to replace the "POOR WOKMANSHIP" that I did on the Q. I made a new Q with my wood & will never do that again...JER
 
SSach said:
I have been collecting Brazilian Rosewood that I am able to get for what I beleive is a good price. My question to the cuemakers is do you find it a problem to accept wood from customers?

Would you want the wood to be sent to you for physical inspection or would pictures be sufficient? What other specs should be provided?

Thanks in advance to all that respond
Click to expand...
This has happened a couple of times to me. Once they purchased the wood from the same source I purchase it from. I started the process just like I would if I would get it in my shop from the original source. No issues with the piece, and I am building the cue. The only issue is the wait time... One other time, the wood was checked and unstable, but it was a family heirloom. I used it in several inlays, made JP with it, and the customer was pleased, and the cue was also. Remember we are Custom Cue Makers, which means I charge a premium, but you tell me what you want and I make it happen :)

Jim
 
billiardbum said:
This has happened a couple of times to me. Once they purchased the wood from the same source I purchase it from. I started the process just like I would if I would get it in my shop from the original source. No issues with the piece, and I am building the cue. The only issue is the wait time... One other time, the wood was checked and unstable, but it was a family heirloom. I used it in several inlays, made JP with it, and the customer was pleased, and the cue was also. Remember we are Custom Cue Makers, which means I charge a premium, but you tell me what you want and I make it happen :)

Jim
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This is my entire philosophy in cue building. I build to the customers specs. I have my own preferences in materials and specs and may try to convince the customer to see the reasoning behind my preferences but in the end - it's his decision. Years ago I purchased a good moisture meter so it's not much of a problem determining the moisture content of their wood. I do say though that if someone wants to furnish the material I still charge as though I was furnishing it. After all, materials in a cue are a small part of the final cost so a not very large increase in cost of a component can radically increase the final value of the cue. I had one customer sit down with me and after a couple of hours spent designing a cue with a number of double inlays using various woods. When all was done and the price settled on, he then informed me that he would be going to furnish Ivory for the inlays instead of the cheaper material I had quoted a price on. With e-bay, now everyone knows the wholesale prices of many materials and as everyone knows, there is a large mark-up in ivory. When I told him that the price would be increased he balked at the idea and refused to pay the difference. He said that the labor was the same, which is true but I told him the increased value that he would receive would be unfair to me. I lost a customer over it but - oh well.

Dick
 
The reason for my question

rhncue said:
This is my entire philosophy in cue building. I build to the customers specs. I have my own preferences in materials and specs and may try to convince the customer to see the reasoning behind my preferences but in the end - it's his decision. Years ago I purchased a good moisture meter so it's not much of a problem determining the moisture content of their wood. I do say though that if someone wants to furnish the material I still charge as though I was furnishing it. After all, materials in a cue are a small part of the final cost so a not very large increase in cost of a component can radically increase the final value of the cue. I had one customer sit down with me and after a couple of hours spent designing a cue with a number of double inlays using various woods. When all was done and the price settled on, he then informed me that he would be going to furnish Ivory for the inlays instead of the cheaper material I had quoted a price on. With e-bay, now everyone knows the wholesale prices of many materials and as everyone knows, there is a large mark-up in ivory. When I told him that the price would be increased he balked at the idea and refused to pay the difference. He said that the labor was the same, which is true but I told him the increased value that he would receive would be unfair to me. I lost a customer over it but - oh well.

Dick
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From one customers point of view:

I am collecting Rosewood pool cues and some cue makers don't have or are not willing to part with the Brazilian Rosewood that I have fallen in love. This was the main reason for my request. If the cuemaker already had the wood available I would not supply my wood, but if he does not I would ask him to inspect it and hold onto it until the time was right to build.

Cost is determined by customer and cuemaker... if you have no agreement than you have no cue!

Time is relative. I put myself on list of cuemakers with hopes that when my time comes I will of course have the $$$ but also the cue I always wanted from that cuemaker. I respect everyones opinion on this question, as such everyone has their opinions and beliefs and they should be respected for whatever reason.

Happy Holidays,
 
BLACKHEARTCUES said:
It has nothing to do with being a CUSTOM Qmaker. A long time ago a woman brought me a piece of wood to have a Q made for her husband. It seemed dry enough & I made the Q. The wood developed cracks along the grain & she wanted a new Q made to replace the "POOR WOKMANSHIP" that I did on the Q. I made a new Q with my wood & will never do that again...JER
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By all means, if you cannot determine whether the wood is suitable, you should not use it. And if you do, you probably need to tell the customer up front that you can not guarantee it. I think most of us are looking beyond this part of the process.
 
To even consider It, It would depend on the type, source, quality, how dry it is, the no fault clause, and plenty of rest before even seeing any turning, as well as plenty of rest in between turns. basically the cue might would take longer to build, and less liability to the maker in theory maybe, although the rep is on the line, even after the no fault clause, so the maker may op not to take on the responsibility in the first place, even though there was a no fault clause set forward. Either way if something was to go south, It's a no win situation for the buyer or maker, unless the maker decides to make good to save his rep. That would be good for the buyer, but bad for the maker. It's understandable that it may not be a popular idea with some makers. I could see the maker having alittle more confidense with some wood types then others though, but still time could be an issue to make sure It was ready to use.

Greg
 
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