thanks, those look very nice. As someone else mentioned earlier, more insight on your process would me much appreciated. I'm assuming you just mask tape the ferrule, throw the tip on, use sandpaper to share the sides and top of the tip, then burnish? What kind of sandpaper, what is your burnishing process, etc?
Do you retip your cue or have it done by someone?
- Thread starter nevadarain
- Start date
thanks, those look very nice. As someone else mentioned earlier, more insight on your process would me much appreciated. I'm assuming you just mask tape the ferrule, throw the tip on, use sandpaper to share the sides and top of the tip, then burnish? What kind of sandpaper, what is your burnishing process, etc?
Certainly, and thanks for the compliment. After gluing on the tip, I putting Scotch freezer tape around the ferrule. Leaves less residue than regular masking tape. I put the shaft inside a thick towel for padding, in a portable vise, not too tight, to be able to sand the tip down. I use 400 grit, and use a shoe-shine motion, constantly turning the shaft to take down the tip. Keep replacing the tape, because after a few turns, it's easy to go through the tape. This takes longer than blades, but most examples I've seen of those end up with gouged ferrules, or ferrules that look like bullets because sanding was done afterward to cover up the gouging.
Here's the tricky part. Because of the tape with every sanding turn, the tip will be slightly bigger, by the thickness of the tape, when you are about done. The next couple times you tape the ferrule, back the tape down the ferrule by about a millimeter or two, so that the final sanding flushes the tip with the ferrule. Don't worry, if you don't go too far, you will not contact the ferrule in any of this.
Next step, shape the tip. Everyone has their own favorite, and they all work. Also a medium cross file will work too. Don't go too fast. For burnishing, I wet the sides of the tip a bit and just turn underneath a folded paper towel a few times. I might put some magic marker ink on the sides; the examples above have that. But it isn't absolutely necessary. If I've put ink on, I go through the burnishing again a couple times.
That's it. Hope that helps.
All the best,
WW
My father was awesome with all things that involved working with his hands. I received none of that talent.
As such my shafts always go to someone with a lathe for tip replacement. While they're at it, they always clean up the shaft too and restore that smooth as glass feel to it.
For me, that's the only way to go.
As such my shafts always go to someone with a lathe for tip replacement. While they're at it, they always clean up the shaft too and restore that smooth as glass feel to it.
For me, that's the only way to go.
I do my own with either a Willard Tipping Machine, bought on AZ used, or by hand with Japanese wood working tools. Get a dozen LePro tips, old cue, practice a little. Patience is the whole thing. The Willard video, Kamui videos and Barry Stark's video are all you need to see.
Doing by hand eliminates the urge to "clean up" the shaft as people do on a lathe, which basically changes the original taper over time.
DIY is easy and fun.
Doing by hand eliminates the urge to "clean up" the shaft as people do on a lathe, which basically changes the original taper over time.
DIY is easy and fun.
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Anyone who is doing tips without a lathe should stop if you actually care about your cue.....I can guarantee they are not perfectly round no matter how good you think you are
How is Seyberts tip replacement toolkit? I've asked a few locals and gotten some really insane price quotes on tip replaced ( WTC $40). I've got some crappy bumper pool cues I can practice on
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I have no idea. However, all you need to replace a tip is a sharp blade and some sandpaper. I prefer a stanley knife (just the blade), since they are easily available. A tip shaper in the form of a "half tube" can easily be made or bought cheaply and will make the process easier, however you don't HAVE to have this. There is a very neat video that shows how to do tip replacement with specialty japanese blades that have a special one sided edge. I've never tried it, but it looks neat: The video does show everything you need to install a tip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RAi5zDnVGM
If you don't have the special blade with a one-sided edge, you have to do the final shaving/shaping with sandpaper instead of a knife, but the first trimming is done exactly the same way. Notice how he shapes the tip at the end with the sanding block and using his thigh. You can also use the thigh rolling method to take down the last fraction of a mm on the side, instead of shaving it with the special knife. I suppose you could use a razor blade this way, but I don't like using them because I don't like blades that can bend etc; if the blade bends (from putting too much pressure, usually, you lose control of the cutting direction, and then only God knows what will happen....There is a potential there for cutting oneself or messing up the tip or ferrule. That's also why I don't use scalpel type knives. It comes down to preference in the end, I'm sure someone could get great results with a razor.
I don't like how he squeezes the tip multiple times when he glues it on...I prefer using the thumb, pressing down hard (not too hard) and holding it for several minutes while watching tv/netflix, not pressing and realeasing. Get it in position, then squeeze and don't let go. If you do the multiple squeeze you risk breaking the glue bonds, I think.
Another critique is that I think you should press the tip down to the cutting block when you are doing the first trimming. If the top of the tip is not supported, and especially if your blade is not sharp (make sure that it is!), you risk either popping the tip off or separating the layers. In the beginning I'd advise you to use cheap (non layered) LePro or Triangle tips, to get the hang of installation. But even these can be messed up if you don't support the top, so there is really no need to take a chance. Also there is a great tendency to be too aggressive when cutting, so that you either cut into the ferrule or make the tip cone shaped or make groves in the tip that goes inside the ferrules edge. The ferrule must not be touched, as it is very expensive to fix! If the tip gets a little bit cone-shaped you can wait til it mushrooms out again after a few hundred shots and then go back and fine tune it with sandpaper, but there is a limit to how much you can do, so in the beginning cut conservatively and use the sandpaper more. Remember always, to allow the blade to cut and not force anything, the same with sandpaper, no force, but gently control.
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The fact that you admit you can't do a tip by hand doesn't mean you have any knowledge on those of us who can, and have been doing it for decades.
By the way, my Browne & Sharpe assures me that my tip is perfectly round after I finish, to the thousandth of an inch, if that's close enough for you. If Browne & Sharpe isn't familiar, it's a micrometer. I wouldn't be without it.
All the best,
WW
I started retipping by hand when I was stuck with a rec center where all the tips were gone and people shot with the bare ferrules. If the ferrule has mushroomed out some and you chalk it, it's not bad. That was in 1966.
I'm not sure I get the tip round, but I get it as round as the ferrule is. My only tools are super glue gel, sandpaper, a knife, a sharpening stone, Scotch tape, and printer paper. It takes about half an hour, but I put some music on and relax with the process.
One time I was lazy and took my shafts to Whitehead and Zimmerman in SF. That was after W and Z had both died. The retipper took a chisel to the side of the tip to shape it down and took the end of the ivory ferrule down about a millimeter. That was an original Balabushka shaft. Just because someone has a lathe doesn't mean they know how to use it.
Well stated, and I've had the same experience with those with lathes. Of course, not for several decades since learning.
Usually, those with lathes want to make the whole shaft as well as the tip look brand new, and end up taking quite a bit down to do it. Then, there are those with the chisels, pre-lathe, that make a total mess, as you recounted.
By the way, My Browne & Sharpe actually goes down to the ten-thousandth of an inch as well. If I really wanted to measure that close, I would. A thousandth, with no touching the ferrule is good enough.
You re-tip slightly different than I do, Bob, but I suspect the result is pretty similar.
All the best,
WW
All of us who DYI have developed our own techniques. I have mounted Le Pros since the 70s using a Rapid Cue-top Sander, a small file, sand paper, any common cement (I've had good results with Duco - green tube) and rubber bands. A number of years back, I bought a device called 'The Big Shaver" which does a nice job on the tip shoulder without ferrule damage and is adjustable for shaft diameter.
One good trick for Le Pros, and perhaps other tips is, before mounting, place it on a hard surface and give it a few taps (not hard blows) with your favorite hammer. This will pre-stress for any would-be mushrooming. If any any shows up, I sand it off after the mounting phase. Very seldom does it appear and never have I had a mushrooming tip prior to wear-down and replacement.
One good trick for Le Pros, and perhaps other tips is, before mounting, place it on a hard surface and give it a few taps (not hard blows) with your favorite hammer. This will pre-stress for any would-be mushrooming. If any any shows up, I sand it off after the mounting phase. Very seldom does it appear and never have I had a mushrooming tip prior to wear-down and replacement.
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It's in Japanese but I am very curious about this tool kit device
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yosmQGa51SI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yosmQGa51SI