First shot at veneered points

[Bill the Cat]

Here's my first attempt at veneered points. The big mistake with this one was using some cheap veneer that I bought off eBay. It didn't cut cleanly and was so pithy that I couldn't keep the sanding dust from the Rosewood out of the veneer. Other than that, it didn't come out too bad.

 

[Eric Wynne]

BTC , if that is your first attempt , you're light years ahead of alot of people ... I personally like clean old school cues , across the pool hall they don't look like much but the closer you get the better they are ... Keep up the great work ...

 

[Tony Zinzola]

Those look good, especially for your first attempt. Darker colors are easier to hide glue lines and such, but even the yellow on the outside looks pretty good.

When I'm sanding with a dark wood, I only sand starting at the bottom of the points to the end of the cue and I don't go over the cue again with the same spot on the sandpaper. That should help keep some more of the dust out. I also blow it off a lot and wipe it down with mineral spirits between grits.

 

[brianna187]

what glue are you using ? this makes a Huge difference
your glue when gluing veneers needs to penetrate thru the wood
this will help in sanding and keep from getting them dirty

 

[Bill the Cat]

Glue for veneers

Lee-

I use Titebond II and I thin it with water for longer working time and better penetration. I still think that at least part of the problem here was the quality (or lack thereof) of the veneers. I had problems when I was making the final passes turning the cue to size. The cut was clean except on the veneers. The veneers didn't cut clean. It was like they were tearing instead of cutting clean. I bought the veneers cheap on eBay. One more of those "you get what you pay for"

Tony-

I use the same methods you describe for sanding and it just didn't seem to make any difference. As a matter of fact, it was when I wiped it down (I use denatured alcohol instead of mineral spirits) that I got the worst staining. After trying several times and having no better luck, I finally gave up and put on the finish.