Has anyone applied a clear bar top epoxy on cues?

O

olsonsview

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am going to use it soon, I have not yet tried it, I plan on using rubber glove and spread with my finger while the cue slowly revolves on a spit, like a barbeque! I will first seal the grain with a water based clear sealer, then fine sand, and apply two coats of epoxy. I also thought of using a couple halogen worklights to speed the cure time and leveling while it is revolving.
Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
 
When I first started, and trying to find better finishes I spent $100 fo a gallon of sealer that they use on shop floors. It was suppose to be supper hard, "You can hit it with a hammer" I was told.
Not near hard enough for the finish on pool cues. My suggestion is to use a good automotive clearcoat. Easier to work with, and produces the best result.
Chris
 
The table top finishes will turn yellow, very yellow. I have used a similar product for years called cue cote. It stays clear and does get hard and would be put on just like you mentioned. The lamps would be a mistake because anything that heats the cue will cause bubbles. Once you apply it you pass a torch over it to pop the bubbles then leave it turning for a few hours. It is the best finish I have used as far as hardness. It is a little tough to buff, but once done you have 95% of the shine of auto clear coat. The down side is unless you put it on really thick and sand it a lot it will be a little wavy when you sight down the cue holding it up to the light. It has UV protection in the resin but not in the hardener so the hardener will yellow over time. But once mixed it is pretty much as resistant to yellowing a most clear coats.
It costs $35 per quart plus $15 for cue buff. See below link for purchasing.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
 
olsonsview said:
I am going to use it soon, I have not yet tried it, I plan on using rubber glove and spread with my finger while the cue slowly revolves on a spit, like a barbeque! I will first seal the grain with a water based clear sealer, then fine sand, and apply two coats of epoxy. I also thought of using a couple halogen worklights to speed the cure time and leveling while it is revolving.
Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
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I agree that those finishes will yellow. But as an alternative you may want to try Super Glue and a Super Glue accelerator to instantly harden it. This process is very easy if you have a way to turn the cue. Super Glue, is hard and will not yellow with time, if you want more information contact me.

Craig
 
super glue finish

manwon said:
I agree that those finishes will yellow. But as an alternative you may want to try Super Glue and a Super Glue accelerator to instantly harden it. This process is very easy if you have a way to turn the cue. Super Glue, is hard and will not yellow with time, if you want more information contact me.

Craig
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I tried the super glue thing when I first started making cues and found that it is hard and brittle. It chips and breaks easily. Maybe I just had bad experiances with it. Butterflycues
 
butterflycues said:
I tried the super glue thing when I first started making cues and found that it is hard and brittle. It chips and breaks easily. Maybe I just had bad experiances with it. Butterflycues
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It is, and the thicker you get It on the cue the worse the problem is. I still use it on caps, and ocasionally shaft rings when in a pinch. It's also a decent base or sealer in some situations providing you don't get it on too thick.

Like most, I first used it out of nessesity, but soon after found a spar urethane in a spray can that I used as a base, then many coats of deft clear over that. I got a decent finish that's not too brittle,and does'nt bubble up when the oils start to build underneath like some water based products, but the drawbacks were- It was expensive for what it took to do just one cue, the finish was not quite as hard as auto, but not too bad, and the spar takes forever to dry over coco & other oily woods. The good points are that It seems to take some good knocks without going all the way through the finish, and can still be buffed out very easily, as where some harder finishes may have chipped or scratched under the same conditions. In fact I have cues that were finished with auto clear, put through simular conditons and did'nt fair as well. It shines up well, and close to the look of auto, but definatly not the same. If I did'nt have a choice, I would use it over the ca though from what I know now. Another thing is that It does'nt seem to have as many issues with swelling near the ringwork that is also associated with ca finishes.

Greg
 
Greg,
I'm curious about the Deft. Have you tried Deft over a sealer coat of 5 minute epoxy? I was thinking about trying that. I'm assuming you used Deft out of a spray can.
thanks
John
 
Ridge Runner said:
Greg,
I'm curious about the Deft. Have you tried Deft over a sealer coat of 5 minute epoxy? I was thinking about trying that. I'm assuming you used Deft out of a spray can.
thanks
John
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I sure have'nt. I tried using an epoxy cote for the finish before, and did'nt have real good luck with It, but seems as if some other people have used It successfully. Just to be clear though, I have not used Chris's product, and the product I used is probably different. I guess mine did'nt cure very well, or I did'nt allow enough time to dry, because when I tried to sand It just wanted to roll up on me, and filled the paper up.
Yes, I used the spray bombs in the deft, but I do have a can of It also that I never tried through My gun, so you can buy It either way. It goes on light, so I had to build several coats up, but It sanded nice, no runs, and dried very quickly. They have some new versions of It now I believe, but I have not tried those. I never tried It on bare wood, so have no idea If you could use It without a basecoat or not.
It's the kind of thing that if you just wanted to mess around with a cue or 2 might be something to try, but It is not cost effective for someone finishing alot of cues, therefore autoclear would be the best way to go. More bang for the buck & a better overall finish.
I believe I posted a picture of a coco butt sleeve sometime back on here, It is My personal cue, and I use It every week for league play, so It gets banged up pretty bad when we have to play in the smaller places around town, and has held up well considering what It was finished with & the abuse it takes. It was finished the way I explained with the deft.

Greg
 
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