Help me build my first cue!!!
- Thread starter Enigmaticul
- Start date
We already have that available, but thanks anyway.
Its called the Search function with a ton of archived questions and answers.
My file folder with pics and text files is probably over 5 Gigs by now. So I certainly don't need yours.
And you think that someone that tells you to buy Chris's book is being rude and offering no advice. Thats the same advice as everyone gets here sorry to tell you that so don't feel like the Lone Ranger.
That book contains everything on the DVDs plus. You buy necessary books for college. This is a necessary book for anyone that is considering repair or building. Even if you never purchase a lathe and go further than reading the book, its knowledge that will stay with you forever.
You seem to be of the attitude that people are going to put down what they happen to be working on for the moment and line up to answer your questions.
All people are asking you to to is buy a book and use the Search function to the best of its capabilities. And then after that, if you are stuck on an explanation, then you ask. People are expecting you to try and help yourself first before you expect makers to take you by the hand and lead you down the garden path.
The more you attempt on your own, the more help you will receive in the future. Not too hard a concept is it.
Have a Very Merry Googan Christmas and feel free to Steal all you can from the Archives.
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What happened to "I am closing this thread" and "End of thread"? I love when people say they refuse to comment further yet come back and post just a few hours later.
I also appreciate that you "won't stand for rudeness", my question is, why do you think everyone else should stand for yours?
Best of luck in building your cue.
I also appreciate that you "won't stand for rudeness", my question is, why do you think everyone else should stand for yours?
Best of luck in building your cue.
I have had people come over for me to put on a tip and they look in the trash can. They pull out a half finished cue and say .... hey finish this for me. I show them the flaw and they say .... well give it to me at a lower price..........
I try to explain... there are no factory seconds or cues that have flaws that will ever leave my shop.........
I know the truth....... I can't do it. That's why it's in the can.
LOL
Kim
This thread has been very entertaining for lots of reasons.
And as usual, some one local is not an expert. All the experts are over seas or in an other country.
A big thumbs up to those who have offered direct and indirect help.
I am kind of feeling left out, not yet owned or read any books on cue making or dvd for that matter.I might get myself a couple of Christmas presents this year.
I just do my own thing and help others where possible.
Most things are obvious in how they are made, just have to of had exposure to woodworking and machining and there it is.
Pull apart some old cues and the answers are all there for the looking.
Have a merry Christmas to all.
And as usual, some one local is not an expert. All the experts are over seas or in an other country.
A big thumbs up to those who have offered direct and indirect help.
I am kind of feeling left out, not yet owned or read any books on cue making or dvd for that matter.I might get myself a couple of Christmas presents this year.
I just do my own thing and help others where possible.
Most things are obvious in how they are made, just have to of had exposure to woodworking and machining and there it is.
Pull apart some old cues and the answers are all there for the looking.
Have a merry Christmas to all.
Sorry, I don't think Chris's book or video covers installing a Radial pin. It might since I got my copy.
Once you are sure your butt is running true on the head stock use a carbide center bit and step down to 5/16" Take a measurement with your calipers from the top of the sleeve on radial pin to the end of the threads. I like to start out with a carbide bit of 5/16 for less deflection, they are available from Unique Products. Drill your hole, pull out and put on a sharp 5/16 drill bit as the carbide is not long enough. Put a stopeer or tape using your caliper measurements to let you know when you have gone in enough. Take a measurement of your sleeve length, use a step down and make the hole 7 MM. I like to bore using mini boring bar but take a 7mm drill bit and put a stopper or tape on it legnth of radial sleeve. drill in. Blow out with air.
Take a radial pin tap put it in your tail stock, start lathe and push the tail stock so it catches the 5/16 hole, it will not touch the 7 mm hole. By turning lathe on or turning by hand continue threading and screw it out.
I like to have a second radial tap. The second one I have ground the taper off the tap so it is even, this is known as a bottom out tap, rethread.
Take a dremel tool and from bottom of threads to right at top of sleeve use a mini cutting wheel on your dremel tool and make a line in threads and sleeve. This releaves pressure so when you epoxy the pin in you dont create pressure that will crack the front. Take a file and gently get rid of any burs you might have caused with cutting wheel but do not screw up the threads. Mix up your epoxy carefully and apply some into the drill threaded front and on radial pin. Have two pieces of wood next to your vise. put them on eith side and vise down on pin. Take your butt front and thread the pin in slow and straight, if you go to fast you still could crack the front. Wipe top of pin and wood off with solvent. Put it on your lathe, it should run true, if not 100% perfect if you used a 1 hour epoxy you still have time for a little wiggle move, not much, if its that far off put the pin in between the wood on vise and unscrew, put in solvent get ready to replug and start over.
There, thread should be over now.
Once you are sure your butt is running true on the head stock use a carbide center bit and step down to 5/16" Take a measurement with your calipers from the top of the sleeve on radial pin to the end of the threads. I like to start out with a carbide bit of 5/16 for less deflection, they are available from Unique Products. Drill your hole, pull out and put on a sharp 5/16 drill bit as the carbide is not long enough. Put a stopeer or tape using your caliper measurements to let you know when you have gone in enough. Take a measurement of your sleeve length, use a step down and make the hole 7 MM. I like to bore using mini boring bar but take a 7mm drill bit and put a stopper or tape on it legnth of radial sleeve. drill in. Blow out with air.
Take a radial pin tap put it in your tail stock, start lathe and push the tail stock so it catches the 5/16 hole, it will not touch the 7 mm hole. By turning lathe on or turning by hand continue threading and screw it out.
I like to have a second radial tap. The second one I have ground the taper off the tap so it is even, this is known as a bottom out tap, rethread.
Take a dremel tool and from bottom of threads to right at top of sleeve use a mini cutting wheel on your dremel tool and make a line in threads and sleeve. This releaves pressure so when you epoxy the pin in you dont create pressure that will crack the front. Take a file and gently get rid of any burs you might have caused with cutting wheel but do not screw up the threads. Mix up your epoxy carefully and apply some into the drill threaded front and on radial pin. Have two pieces of wood next to your vise. put them on eith side and vise down on pin. Take your butt front and thread the pin in slow and straight, if you go to fast you still could crack the front. Wipe top of pin and wood off with solvent. Put it on your lathe, it should run true, if not 100% perfect if you used a 1 hour epoxy you still have time for a little wiggle move, not much, if its that far off put the pin in between the wood on vise and unscrew, put in solvent get ready to replug and start over.
There, thread should be over now.
Enigmaticul
Banned
as always
As always Tom you come and help me. Thanks for the wonderful advice. the pin will be the last part of the construction so when i get there i might bug you a little more with some question if than is ok with you. I need to see if the locl guy that is helping me, dan, even has a radial tap. i have seen them on some websites but they are 50$. if he does not have it i might change to whatever tap he has because i cant justify buying a 50$ tap for one "fun" hobby cue. the reason i was so set on the radial pin is because i just received a z2 shaft from the members of my billiards club as a Christmas present and i thought it would be nice to have a z on it. Hey maybe if the local cue maker can put a radial pin in maybe i can send it to you and pay you to install one for me. if you have time and are willing to do it.
As always Tom you come and help me. Thanks for the wonderful advice. the pin will be the last part of the construction so when i get there i might bug you a little more with some question if than is ok with you. I need to see if the locl guy that is helping me, dan, even has a radial tap. i have seen them on some websites but they are 50$. if he does not have it i might change to whatever tap he has because i cant justify buying a 50$ tap for one "fun" hobby cue. the reason i was so set on the radial pin is because i just received a z2 shaft from the members of my billiards club as a Christmas present and i thought it would be nice to have a z on it. Hey maybe if the local cue maker can put a radial pin in maybe i can send it to you and pay you to install one for me. if you have time and are willing to do it.
radial pin????
Why in god's name would you want to use a radial pin in your first cue????
Are you trying to do everything the hard way???
Regardless of what some people say........ the radial thread has no advantage........ none that you need anyways.
Buy a 3/8-14 piin...... WHY???? Because you can actually buy a tap for it on EBay for under $10.
Use something that you can get locally. How about 3/8-16??? You can get a 3 inch piece of 3/8-16 threaded rod at Lowes for about $1.50. Taps are available anywhere for peanuts.
Use a piece of phenolic for an insert in the shaft.... or something else that is harder than wood.
It's your first cue ............ think simple and learn............OR do it all the hard way and fail.
Kim
Why in god's name would you want to use a radial pin in your first cue????
Are you trying to do everything the hard way???
Regardless of what some people say........ the radial thread has no advantage........ none that you need anyways.
Buy a 3/8-14 piin...... WHY???? Because you can actually buy a tap for it on EBay for under $10.
Use something that you can get locally. How about 3/8-16??? You can get a 3 inch piece of 3/8-16 threaded rod at Lowes for about $1.50. Taps are available anywhere for peanuts.
Use a piece of phenolic for an insert in the shaft.... or something else that is harder than wood.
It's your first cue ............ think simple and learn............OR do it all the hard way and fail.
Kim
Enigmaticul
Banned
Please read my last post. Its because I have a z2 shaft with a radial pin. Not because I want to do it the hard way.
Then plugging the shaft and re tapping for a different size pin is a good task that everyone that is repairing should experience early in the learning stage.
Enigmaticul
Banned
As a noob I will not practice on a predator 200$ shaft
Enigmaticul
Banned
If I will practice putting a radial pin in on a test piece am it is a total failure I will just try with a different easier to install pin like a 3/8-10 . And build a shaft for it
Learning to plug a shaft is easier than building a new shaft.
If you were going to use a test piece of dowel to learn how to install a pin, you can cut the dowel into several pieces and also learn how to plug a shaft.
I thought that you would be doing this under supervision in your friends shop anyway.
I can fully understand not wanting to use an expensive shaft to practice on, hence the practice dowel. If your friend doesn't have a piece of phenolic for an insert, which is probably the best material to use in an expensive shaft, he should at least have some old bar cue shafts that you can use to make a few plugs.
Cutting a few plugs from an old shaft is a good way to learn how to cut wood to the proper diameter.
You said that you got the shaft as a present from your friends in the school league. Check and see if they bought the shaft locally and maybe you can return it for another with a different insert.
There is always more than one way to skin a cat when you are repairing or building.
If you were going to use a test piece of dowel to learn how to install a pin, you can cut the dowel into several pieces and also learn how to plug a shaft.
I thought that you would be doing this under supervision in your friends shop anyway.
I can fully understand not wanting to use an expensive shaft to practice on, hence the practice dowel. If your friend doesn't have a piece of phenolic for an insert, which is probably the best material to use in an expensive shaft, he should at least have some old bar cue shafts that you can use to make a few plugs.
Cutting a few plugs from an old shaft is a good way to learn how to cut wood to the proper diameter.
You said that you got the shaft as a present from your friends in the school league. Check and see if they bought the shaft locally and maybe you can return it for another with a different insert.
There is always more than one way to skin a cat when you are repairing or building.
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Enigmaticul
Banned
No they purchased it with a radial pin because I am currently playing with a jacoby custom that has a radial pin. Also I have a dale perry that has a radial pin and I can use the z2 on more then one butt. The reason I wanted to install a radial pin is because I wanted to avoid trying to build a shaft at all I the first place. I already feel very overwhelmed by all the things I need to be careful about with putting together a rudimentary butt I really can't see myself now building a shaft. I don't have any spare shafts so if I change the pin on the cue I am attempting to build I will just purchase a cheep finished shaft. I dot have personally any tapering capabilities. The local cue maker has and I need to see if he is willing to teach me about shafts too
I started plugging the butt and the shaft when I use a 5/16 14 pin. A fairly well known cue maker suggested I try it and low and behold, it worked great! I like the hit of it also, very crisp and depending on the wood, it seems to amplify the "ponk" noise, which many people like, including myself. Lol.
Joe
mmmm nice info man :thumbup:
i start thread recently about joint material which will give that crisp ponk
and i decide to work with cue ball plastic.
butt will be bumperless also ^^
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