Help me build my first cue!!!

Enigmaticul

Enigmaticul

Banned
Hy guys Andrei here.

So my new longer bed from Bassel Is on its way and since i have some time off from school till January i decided to build mu first cue. I have a local cue maker in town that will also help me some but i also wanted to involve you guys. I will be very simple nothing fancy. The cue maker in town will give me some decorative rings and the radial pin that i want to install on this cue.

Now first things first. I need some wood.
I really like cocobolo and i was thinking of using that as a start.
The cue will have a radial pin with wood collar on top from a lighter colored wood like bem or something else, or how knows maybe i can even get some ivory in there with a matching ivory but cap.
I will install a stack leather wrap myself with the help of my friend and i have a spare radial z2 shaft the will go on this project.

I don't expect this to be perfect by any means but its a start and i think it will be fun.

Now for the questions

what is better to buy a cocobolo turned 30" already turned and rounded/tapered piece or to buy a fore arm and a but cap and make a handle from plain cheep wood?

What is the simplest route. I don't really care if i don't have decorative rings above and below the wrap because i have never joined a cue before like that before.

Of course as always money is a obstacle but most of the parts will be provided by the local cue maker because i traded a nice cue for him to teach me and help me build this handle/2 shafts.

SO what do you guys think?
 
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1355852465.921848.jpg

This is the main idea
 
taper bars?

if your lathe has taper bars you can cut your own wood, but be prepared to wait , as the wood will need to rest between cuttings. i would suggest buy a piece of coco that is cut to near finish size, and has had time to rest, then sand to finish size.
i would not worry so much about the fancy rings until you learned about the time involved to turn wood. if you are planning to buy a piece of wood now and turn it to finished size and build a cue in a couple weeks, you might end up disappointed.
 
You are right on the money I would like to buy a piece that is close to finished size and if it is already tapered that would be even better. Do you know anyone selling a piece like that?
 
If you want to build a nice looking playing cue in that amount of time I can help but not with coca. I believe I have a Zebra Wood front about to size, a purple heardt handle with some curl about cut to size and matching Zebra wood butt sleeve.
 
From the little I know, I suggest you be careful with your health when you work with coco. Breathing it is not a good thing I hear. Do your own research.
 
Apparently we are not supposed to post suppliers here but if you pm me I may be able to help....

Adam
 
Chris has some "jump start" wood that he got that is already dowelled and well rested. Could buy a piece of that from him. The thread is in this same section. 18 inch piece of cocobolo that is already dowelled down to 1.375 will be enough to stick a handle in the middle and make a cue, he's only charging 20 bucks.

Unless you are very lucky, cutting a cue down from a square to final size in a couple weeks will result in a warp.
 
Info

I just started building a year ago and it's really nice to see builders helping out. Here's my little bit of info.

Take your time. Know what wood your working with. Make sues your equipment is good to go all set up as best it can be. Read books ! Hightower's building book great way to start. Joe Barringer DVD set another great way to build and learn. YouTube. But make mistakes is by far the best way to learn. If you don't and ask everyone for help you will never learn your own way.
I have some great friends that are builders one i look up to like my dad! He says I do.
Everyone has their own way. You will find yours as well. It takes a ton of time. You will not make a cue from start to finish in 1 week.
My 1st cue I built the oldest way besides a knife and I look at it and say WTF was I thinking? Why did I do that? Because at 1st I did not ask I just was building cues. Or now when I look at them I see some nice fire wood.
The best advice I can give being I really don't know XXXX to some of these guys is enjoy what your doing. And
TAKE YOUR TIME !!!!!!!!!
Hope this helps a little
 
A solid wood cue will be the easiest. Doing it with cocobolo will make for a very heavy cue. Purple heart or bubinga makes a nice one piece handle. Without being to heavy. Welcome to the addiction!

Larry
 
Reading you're posts, it doesn't appear to me that you are anywhere near ready to build a pool cue. It sounds as if you have very little knowledge of either the equipment needed or knowledge of woodworking. You go to school to learn enough to get a job or start a profession. Don't disrespect the years we Qmakers have spent learning our craft by thinking you can make a cue with NO KNOWLEDGE. I hope we don't hear that after this, you are missing an eye or a few fingers...JER
 
1. You will save hundreds of dollars just by buying Chriis' book or Joe Barringer's DVD's

2. "some time off school til Jan. to build a cue". Two weeks and you don't even have supplies. You are in too much of a hurry.

3. You are in too much of a hurry...

4. Find some house cues and practice on those... You may even find a nice coco and be happy with it... Local pools halls throw them out.....
 
I think if you actually pull it off, and get a cue built in a couple weeks, you will be setting yourself up for disappointment. I learned a lot by ruining a bunch of cues. I tried to go fast at first, but I learned the hard way that rushing things will just waste your time and money. Do like Randy said and practice on some house cues. I'm sure Brickyard Billiards has a few down there that are broke or warped as hell, if not, I have a couple you can have if you ever make it up to Kokomo. Also, if you don't know how to use an indicator, you need to learn, asap.

Joe
 
I really did my best to be supportive, but honestly, I have to agree with most of the people that responded. I have over $15k and 1 year invested and I still wouldn't advertise my cues for sale. While I enjoy using them personally and absolutely LOVE when people comment on them when I am out... this PROFESSION takes time. You wouldn't visit an electricians forum and ask how to rewire an entire house with zero experience, would you?

Try to keep your initial costs down, it sounds like this is a personal cue you are trying to build, not trying to start a new side job. It is just way harder(and more costly) than you think it is, heh. If you have a "couple weeks", I think you are unrealistic. Regardless, I wish you well and you can still come here for advice... just realize that these guys have decades of EARNED experience and you can't just soak it up in a few posts.
 
I am Romanian and we have a saying in Romania. You don't learn a trade you steal a trade. Why should I make the same costly mistakes that many people made just to feel that I earned the knowledge when I can just ask what mistakes others made and try not to make them. I really appreciate all the support I am getting here but I think I was a little misunderstood what I actually want to achieve.

I want to build a cue but not from total scratch but rather a blank that has been tapered close to finish.

I love cocobolo but I was advised that cocobolo is hard to work with and it will make a heavy cue which is fine.

I am not going to finish this cue by January when college starts up again but I will try.

This is not a cue I will make to sell but rather for my own personal fun.

People in the past many years ago were building cues with little machinery and I really don't believe you need thousands of dollars to build a decent cue. Yes I do understand that with better equipment comes better results or more constant results but I will use what I have and make due.

It is very easy to build a great cue when you have lots of money to invest. I want to invest as little as possible and make something great with my own sweat.


Now advice that I appreciate

- cocobolo can be toxic and produce bad rashes . I did my research

- I will build from one piece instead of the forearm/ handle/ butt way because I was advised it is easier.

- I will do only 4 things. Install a radial pin ( because I have a z2 I will put on) , install some decorative rings at the joint (provided by the local cue maker Dan) and some decorative rings in the butt part plus cut a groove and install a stack leather wrap.



Now any advice of how to install a radial pin?
 
Enigmaticul said:
I am Romanian and we have a saying in Romania. You don't learn a trade you steal a trade. Why should I make the same costly mistakes that many people made just to feel that I earned the knowledge when I can just ask what mistakes others made and try not to make them. I really appreciate all the support I am getting here but I think I was a little misunderstood what I actually want to achieve.

I want to build a cue but not from total scratch but rather a blank that has been tapered close to finish.

I love cocobolo but I was advised that cocobolo is hard to work with and it will make a heavy cue which is fine.

I am not going to finish this cue by January when college starts up again but I will try.

This is not a cue I will make to sell but rather for my own personal fun.

People in the past many years ago were building cues with little machinery and I really don't believe you need thousands of dollars to build a decent cue. Yes I do understand that with better equipment comes better results or more constant results but I will use what I have and make due.

It is very easy to build a great cue when you have lots of money to invest. I want to invest as little as possible and make something great with my own sweat.


Now advice that I appreciate

- cocobolo can be toxic and produce bad rashes . I did my research

- I will build from one piece instead of the forearm/ handle/ butt way because I was advised it is easier.

- I will do only 4 things. Install a radial pin ( because I have a z2 I will put on) , install some decorative rings at the joint (provided by the local cue maker Dan) and some decorative rings in the butt part plus cut a groove and install a stack leather wrap.



Now any advice of how to install a radial pin?
Click to expand...

Steal that trade from your friend(local cuemaker Dan).

Try the search function for answers to your questions....

The BEST advice you have been given is to be patient...advice that you obviously don't appreciate. You have NO chance of doing it correctly and a good chance of hurting yourself(I have no idea what lathe you ordered, but if you use a laminate trimmer injury is easy. That part of my thumb will never grow back and I wasn't rushing. Just a lapse in attention) when you rush(and it seems obvious that is what you intend on doing).

As far as money is concerned. While it is EASY to BUY a great cue if you have lots of money to invest, that has nothing to do with building your own. That is like saying if I buy some medical books and a scalpel, then I am a surgeon... It is ludicrous...

Your English is quite good, but maybe there is some language barrier about the appropriate manner in which to ask for help....
 
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