You must have a super mentor....those are outstanding for the first 3 cues. I like your cue the best.
I don't think that's the case. I'm just an idiot who plays with wood. I am definitely not a good teacher. Whenever Jason asked me a question pertaining to his cues, I just told him to do it however he wanted.
Jason did a good job on these cues. I sprayed the finish on the cues, wrote the programs for the rings billets and inlays, but other than that, he did all the work without me around looking over his shoulder.
He's been coming, helping me out with turning wood, shafts, handles, coring dowels and other tasks that we all have to keep up on, but never have time for since sometime late last year. Most of the time when he comes, I'm watching my kids, so I'm not helping him. Hell, I didn't even know he was building these, or I would have beat his ass for working on his own work instead of mine.
The Koa cue was done first. I sprayed the last coat of finish on it on Monday. He was at my place on Tuesday ready to finish it up. I had a meeting in Boston, which meant I would be gone about 2 hours. I gave him a 30 second tutorial on sanding and buffing the cue. I told him how I finish up the wrap groove and that I would be back in two hours and he should wait for me to wrap the cue, since he has never wrapped a cue in his life. I knew he wouldn't wait, since he never listens to anything I say anyway.
Two hours later, I returned home and the first thing I noticed was the smell of contact cement. I went downstairs and asked to see the cue. The wrap was absolutely perfect. If all his wraps came out like that, I'd let him wrap any of my cues.
The other two cues he finished up and I haven't seen them in person. My wife saw them and said one wrap was really good and one was decent.
I told him on the phone today that the finish could have been sanded and buffed better and he agreed. I wish I had gotten home early enough yesterday to help him out with that, but I spent about 7 hours machining the ends of my new screws for my cnc machine. A lot longer than I had expected. Finish is tough though. I've worked hard trying to make mine perfect and I'm sure I have a long way to go.
I know I would be proud if my first cues looked as good as these. I think if Jason wanted to continue building cues for the rest of his life, he could do very well with it. I doubt that will be the case though as he actually has a real profession where anything he cuts into or attempts a repair on is a life or death situation.
I also know he won't be around much after another couple of months, so I don't think he'll get too many more cues done any time soon. He does have another 4 pointer in the works that maybe he's interested in selling, so PM him if you're interested. Who knows, it could be the last cue he ever built.
I know he's concerned about how they play, but I'm sure they'll play fine, at least to me. I like how my cues play and his tapers and construction is very similar. Even if he doesn't like it, somebody will. Just as I'm sure some people like the way mine play and some hate it.
Now hurry up and get back from LA Jason because there's work to be done.
