Greetings,
I have a cue repair business at my pool hall and have been doing lamiated tips for over 6 years. Recently I have done a few of these new Everest tip that many of the good players like.
I don't have a problem with fuzz or the tip softening, your are doubtless running at too fast a speed or have a dull cutter. I use a sharp carbide cutter and spit burnish between cuts on the side as well as the radius cutting.
My problem with these tips is the way they look when I am done. The lamination layers seem to form a corrigated or ridged look on the side that I am not happy with. The Morie, Tasiman and other lamiated tip never presented this way when I was finished. I used to cut the Mories, ect. with a razor but learned to get the same finish look using carbide at a lower speed and then step sand from 100 to 1500 before burnishing. It all about repeatability and long life to the player. If the tips are getting soft they will delaminate and the customer will not be happy.
I cut the laminated radius by losening my cutter in the tool post and holding it on a 45 degree angle to get a sharp cut line on the side of the tip. I then rotate the tool to get the radius accross the front of the tip spit burnishing 3 to 5 times untile the proper radius is obtained.
I am only able to do this on my Unique Cue Companion because chuck does not have jaws that can bite you. The chuck is internal. I can get both hands very close to the chuck without even giving a second thought to the safety of my hands. I have 7 other real lathes in our cuemaking shop and I would not attempt this technique on a chuck with jaws. ( Safety First!!)
By using the slower speed and a very sharp carbide cutter, I do not lose the center of the tip at the apex of the laminate substrate. It is very important not the let the tip get too hot and you must spit on it and burnish it with a paper towel between cuts before the perfect radius is formed. I have been using this process for about 3 years now and have not lost a liminated tip. Before using this process I would screw up one every now and then. Again the key is sharp and slower. High speed and dull is a loser.
Because of the corrigated look, I think I will use the razor blade process on my next Everest to see what happens.
Very truly yours,
Rick Geschrey
