Cutting points

DiamondDave

DiamondDave

Yes, I rather like Snake!
Silver Member
I am wondering what I would be facing if I was going to try to cut V-groove points into a turning square. I am just looking for some practice while I am saving up for better machinery. I don't have a lathe with a router attachment or a milling machine. However I do have access to a router and table that this type of work could be done on. I understand that the points probably won't be even, straight, or properly spaced. This is just kind of a fun thing but at the same time if it is possible to cut the points this way and do a decent job I could start making forearms to use later. I have some woods that aren't really cue worthy that I am going to use as my guinea pigs, but at the same time I'd like to keep the waste to a minimum.

As usual, I appreciate all the help you folks can give me. I haven't been steered wrong yet so I'll just keep the questions coming.

Thanks
Dave
 
DiamondDave said:
I am wondering what I would be facing if I was going to try to cut V-groove points into a turning square. I am just looking for some practice while I am saving up for better machinery. I don't have a lathe with a router attachment or a milling machine. However I do have access to a router and table that this type of work could be done on. I understand that the points probably won't be even, straight, or properly spaced. This is just kind of a fun thing but at the same time if it is possible to cut the points this way and do a decent job I could start making forearms to use later. I have some woods that aren't really cue worthy that I am going to use as my guinea pigs, but at the same time I'd like to keep the waste to a minimum.

As usual, I appreciate all the help you folks can give me. I haven't been steered wrong yet so I'll just keep the questions coming.

Thanks
Dave
Click to expand...

I would recommend that you wait until you have the proper equipment. Exotic wood is very expensive. Part of that expense is having to wait for years for it to season properly. You just can't rush the job and have stable cues.

Nobody wants a cue with uneven points or other poorly crafted work. Just bite your lip and wait until you can do it right. :)


Good cuemaking,
 
Arnot Wadsworth said:
I would recommend that you wait until you have the proper equipment. Exotic wood is very expensive. Part of that expense is having to wait for years for it to season properly. You just can't rush the job and have stable cues.

Nobody wants a cue with uneven points or other poorly crafted work. Just bite your lip and wait until you can do it right. :)


Good cuemaking,
Click to expand...

I'm not acually looking to make a cue for the purpose of selling. I'm more so looking to get a little experience in putting the cues together so that I'm a little more educated when I do purchase the machinery. I feel that this will help me buy it right the first time and cut down on the time it takes for me to get my machinery cue ready.

Dave
 
DiamondDave said:
I am wondering what I would be facing if I was going to try to cut V-groove points into a turning square. I am just looking for some practice while I am saving up for better machinery. I don't have a lathe with a router attachment or a milling machine. However I do have access to a router and table that this type of work could be done on. I understand that the points probably won't be even, straight, or properly spaced. This is just kind of a fun thing but at the same time if it is possible to cut the points this way and do a decent job I could start making forearms to use later. I have some woods that aren't really cue worthy that I am going to use as my guinea pigs, but at the same time I'd like to keep the waste to a minimum.

As usual, I appreciate all the help you folks can give me. I haven't been steered wrong yet so I'll just keep the questions coming.

Thanks
Dave
Click to expand...

Dave: Buy some Popular squares from Loews. They are 1.5 X 1.5 x 36" and
are great for mock-ups, etc. As a side note Popular is used by pattern makers to make patterns for molds because it is so stable. Not suitable for cues. You can cut points vee grooves in squares, however, it is not very practical. Some cue makers make full splice cues starting with squares.
Good Luck.

Bob Flynn
Denali Pool Cues
 
DiamondDave said:
I am wondering what I would be facing if I was going to try to cut V-groove points into a turning square. I am just looking for some practice while I am saving up for better machinery. I don't have a lathe with a router attachment or a milling machine. However I do have access to a router and table that this type of work could be done on. I understand that the points probably won't be even, straight, or properly spaced. This is just kind of a fun thing but at the same time if it is possible to cut the points this way and do a decent job I could start making forearms to use later. I have some woods that aren't really cue worthy that I am going to use as my guinea pigs, but at the same time I'd like to keep the waste to a minimum.

As usual, I appreciate all the help you folks can give me. I haven't been steered wrong yet so I'll just keep the questions coming.

Thanks
Dave
Click to expand...

Dave, I think you should go for it. The best way to learn this type od work is by doing it. That is what I have been doing and I have made a great deal of progress. I know it would be easier to pay a cue maker for lessons, but then you are learning his way of doing things. By experimenting you will increase your knowledge 10 fold. Just remember, you should make some jigs once you get to a point that you are satisfied with. Also starting with some wood, that is not the greatest is a good idea because you will go through a lot of it.

Good luck and have a great day!!!
 
I'm with the go for it group. You'll learn a lot about the mechanics and won't waste wood in the long run. You can make sliding jigs that will work on the router table or more complicated ones that will work on a table saw(the way the real old timers did it). Have fun, but first and foremost be safe. Don't buy into the old wood crap, if it's kiln dried, its dried. Only if it's air dried does age become a factor. But the poplar is great to start with. Maybe then some straight maple. If you get feisty try purple heart, it's cheap and will give you something tougher and stringier to work with. As you become more proficient, try to get the points closer together at the bottom. When you can get them to touch, you're there. a lot of the so called master cue makers who haunt this site, can't make them touch.
 
I'd practice all you can. I haven't been at it too long either. When I bought my equipment, I had enough scrap wood to build at least 50 cues. I burned through most of that in a hurry and now I'm accumulating quite a scrap pile of expensive wood, but having fun and learning a lot in the process.
 
Hi Dave
Here's a true story for you, I was playing with my router table one day, Now I have a square hole in my wall from a piece of Red Heart, Glad I wasn't standing on that side. A real wake up call.
 
Michael Webb said:
Hi Dave
Here's a true story for you, I was playing with my router table one day, Now I have a square hole in my wall from a piece of Red Heart, Glad I wasn't standing on that side. A real wake up call.
Click to expand...

Images of a pitching machine?
Kelly
 
DiamondDave said:
I am wondering what I would be facing if I was going to try to cut V-groove points into a turning square. I am just looking for some practice while I am saving up for better machinery. I don't have a lathe with a router attachment or a milling machine. However I do have access to a router and table that this type of work could be done on. I understand that the points probably won't be even, straight, or properly spaced. This is just kind of a fun thing but at the same time if it is possible to cut the points this way and do a decent job I could start making forearms to use later. I have some woods that aren't really cue worthy that I am going to use as my guinea pigs, but at the same time I'd like to keep the waste to a minimum.

As usual, I appreciate all the help you folks can give me. I haven't been steered wrong yet so I'll just keep the questions coming.

Thanks
Dave
Click to expand...

Been building forearms this way since the beginning. I first started by building a jig that would hold the square at a compound angle. I set my table saw up with two fences. One on both sides of the blade the exact same distance away from the blade. The jig I built to hold the square was made so when you flipped it over 180 degrees it was mirror image of the other side. I built it so both angles of the compound cut could be adjusted so I could fine tune it to be the exact angle I was looking for.
The beauty of this set up is when you cut the corners out of the square you have your pieces for the points. If you are using a nice figured piece for the forearm, you can glue the point pieces back in the same place you cut them out after you add veneers and the figure stays lined up from the forearm to the points. Nice subtle touch on the detail.
Only took me three jigs and about year to get it perfected to where I wanted it.
Patience is a virtue..........................
You can do anything you want to as long as YOU believe you can.
 
Michael Webb said:
Hi Dave
Here's a true story for you, I was playing with my router table one day, Now I have a square hole in my wall from a piece of Red Heart, Glad I wasn't standing on that side. A real wake up call.
Click to expand...
LOL In highschool shop class a guy was using a hand router and a large square of wood flung loose and hit him dead in the nuts. OH MAN I CANT STOP LAUGHING EVERY TIME I PICTURE HIS FACE!!!!! Thanks for reminding me of that. Chris.
 
BarenbruggeCues said:
Been building forearms this way since the beginning. I first started by building a jig that would hold the square at a compound angle. I set my table saw up with two fences. One on both sides of the blade the exact same distance away from the blade. The jig I built to hold the square was made so when you flipped it over 180 degrees it was mirror image of the other side. I built it so both angles of the compound cut could be adjusted so I could fine tune it to be the exact angle I was looking for.
The beauty of this set up is when you cut the corners out of the square you have your pieces for the points. If you are using a nice figured piece for the forearm, you can glue the point pieces back in the same place you cut them out after you add veneers and the figure stays lined up from the forearm to the points. Nice subtle touch on the detail.
Only took me three jigs and about year to get it perfected to where I wanted it.
Patience is a virtue..........................
You can do anything you want to as long as YOU believe you can.
Click to expand...


Great Post Dave, there is no better way to perfect any technique than by hands on. Others will always attempt to stop you by destruction of you confidences, but I totally believe that you can do anything if you believe you can.
 
DiamondDave said:
I am wondering what I would be facing if I was going to try to cut V-groove points into a turning square. I am just looking for some practice while I am saving up for better machinery. I don't have a lathe with a router attachment or a milling machine. However I do have access to a router and table that this type of work could be done on. I understand that the points probably won't be even, straight, or properly spaced. This is just kind of a fun thing but at the same time if it is possible to cut the points this way and do a decent job I could start making forearms to use later. I have some woods that aren't really cue worthy that I am going to use as my guinea pigs, but at the same time I'd like to keep the waste to a minimum.

As usual, I appreciate all the help you folks can give me. I haven't been steered wrong yet so I'll just keep the questions coming.

Thanks
Dave
Click to expand...

If you have a router table you are half way there.
The bad news, it's the short half.

All you need is a jig to hold the square SECURELY at the
proper angle.

As others have said - praticing on cue quality wood is a good
way to waste lots of $s - If you have a local wood retailer,
you can buy 8/4 Poplar for abouit 1/4 the price of squares from Lowes

As far as using squares goes, you can make a plenty precise
4pt blank, IF you start with a very precise square.

But, it is much easier to get the precision you need by
turning a dowel to size - just requires a jig you can rotate
the workpiece

Dale
 
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that's not the way its suppose to be done

i have had people that dont know which end of the screwdriver you are suppose to use to drive in the nail, tell me how i am suppose to build cues because that is the way so and so builds his cues. there too many people that are great at offering advise that dont know their azz from a tea kettle. having said that, i think you should get some wood get on that router table and start making sawdust, trial and error are a great teacher, and you might come up with the next great way to build great splices.
 
pdcue said:
If you have a router table you are half way there.
The bad news, it's the short half.

This is how I cleaned up the saw blade marks on the square.

All you need is a jig to hold the square SECURELY at the
proper angle.

This is a very important part so the square does not move or vibrate.


As far as using squares goes, you can make a plenty precise
4pt blank, IF you start with a very precise square.

This is an absolute must or everything else you do is in the toilet!



Dale
Click to expand...

Thanks for the additional reminders Dale...............
Check out the BE 2nd Ed....pages 256,315,334 for examples......
 
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