Historic Teak Cue Wood From USS California

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I was fortunate enough to acquire some 100 year old teak decking salvaged from the USS California (BB-44) (see pic). The piece is approx 30" x 4" x 2" and I figure I can get about 4 handles or forearms out of it plus some butt sleeves and JP's. I intend to inscribe each piece with USS California (BB-44) decking.

For you WWII history buffs: The USS California's keel was laid on 25 October 1916. The wood was probably harvested 10 years prior to that. She missed WWI but certainly did not miss WWII. She was sunk at Pearl Harbor, rebuilt and participated in the invasion of the Marianas, Saipan, Guam, Tinean, Leyte and Luzon. She also participated in the invasion of Okinawa and the landing of the 6th Army at Honshu, Japan at the end of the war. She was decommissioned in February of 1947 and sold for scrap in 1959.

Her teak decks where removed and sold, mostly to curators for other WWII
battleships and cruisers that were being converted into museums. However, many pieces ended up on the decks of the "Big Mo" which saw action in Vietnam and Lebanon.

If anyone has any additional info on this wood I would like to hear from them.

Bob Flynn
denalicues.com
International Cuemakers Assn.
TEAKPICAJPEG.jpg
 
Besides being a pretty peice of wood, it has a lot of hisory & a badass story to tell!!!! Great aquisition :)
 
Great story, thanks for sharing. It would be neat if one of the cues you make from it goes to a veteran.

Kelly
 
Kelly_Guy said:
Great story, thanks for sharing. It would be neat if one of the cues you make from it goes to a veteran.

Kelly
Click to expand...

Like me????

Seriously, that's a great idea. Unfortunately there's not many WWII vets around, but some Vietnam vets I bet would appreciate it, especially sailors.
 
I dont know where the wood was harvested from or much else about the wood used for the decking on the California. What I can tell you is that the wood was sanded with dried sea ray skin which was used for sandpaper during that time. It was also cleaned and polished with a holey stone weekly by a deck seaman on his hands and knees.
Back in 82, I was stationed on the USS LaSalle in Philadelphia Naval Ship yard when the Iowa and the Wisconsin were taken out of mothballs for refit and recommissioning. They had been there welded to piers since the original decom after Vietnam. They stripped the big guns off of the Iowa and had to replace some of the original decking with new teak which came from a teak farm. The supply system did not have any of the original teak in stock anymore and they were surprised at that since they still had boiler parts and "C" rats is stock from WWII.
A good friend of mine was stationed on the Iowa for a number of years and they still used the stones to clean the teak decking of the battleships up until the day they were decommissioned again. For those that dont know, the stone had a hole in the middle, was around a foot long, soap and water was poured into the hole and the stone was pushed back and forth across the deck to clean and polish it.
I cant tell how big the hole in that plank in the picture is, but it may have been for a deck stanction attachment point coming through the deck.
Beautiful wood and has a lot of stories to tell.
Kenny
MMCS(SW) Ret
 
Wood

Sir,
I would like to know if you would be interested in just selling the wood out right. I would like to buy it if so. I think it would make a great plank to engrave the history of the great battle ship. Being a sailor, I would like to keep it intact as a historic piece but if you insist on making it into a cue. I would even talk to you about that purchase.

V/r
Richard
 
Uss California Teak Wood

Kenny said:
I dont know where the wood was harvested from or much else about the wood used for the decking on the California. What I can tell you is that the wood was sanded with dried sea ray skin which was used for sandpaper during that time. It was also cleaned and polished with a holey stone weekly by a deck seaman on his hands and knees.
Back in 82, I was stationed on the USS LaSalle in Philadelphia Naval Ship yard when the Iowa and the Wisconsin were taken out of mothballs for refit and recommissioning. They had been there welded to piers since the original decom after Vietnam. They stripped the big guns off of the Iowa and had to replace some of the original decking with new teak which came from a teak farm. The supply system did not have any of the original teak in stock anymore and they were surprised at that since they still had boiler parts and "C" rats is stock from WWII.
A good friend of mine was stationed on the Iowa for a number of years and they still used the stones to clean the teak decking of the battleships up until the day they were decommissioned again. For those that dont know, the stone had a hole in the middle, was around a foot long, soap and water was poured into the hole and the stone was pushed back and forth across the deck to clean and polish it.
I cant tell how big the hole in that plank in the picture is, but it may have been for a deck stanction attachment point coming through the deck.
Beautiful wood and has a lot of stories to tell.
Kenny
MMCS(SW) Ret
Click to expand...

Hi Kenny: Thanks for the info and thanks for your service to our country. Being an old Army guy I did not know what a holey stone was, however I have heard about it from a bunch of Navy guys. Where I grew up at, Boston,
there where a lot of Navy guys, including 3 brothers-in-laws.
The mounting holes are 24" on centers and the thru hole appears to be about 3/4" in diameter with a flat bottom counter sink hole about 1" in diameter.
Interestingly enough, on the side facing down you can see a red substance,
which I thought was red oxide lead used to prevent corrosion on the hold-down bolts.
Where I go to exercise class at, there is an old salt who joined the Navy in 39 (must of liked it because he stayed 35 years) and was on a lot of the old battle wagons and cruisers. I have cut the piece up and will take the end piece, with the holes, and ask him about it. Oh yea, he talks a lot about the "holey stone". I thought he was saying "holy" stone like in "holy cow".

Once again, thanks for the info and take care,

Bob Flynn
 
Uss California Teak Wood

rsmith_1972 said:
Sir,
I would like to know if you would be interested in just selling the wood out right. I would like to buy it if so. I think it would make a great plank to engrave the history of the great battle ship. Being a sailor, I would like to keep it intact as a historic piece but if you insist on making it into a cue. I would even talk to you about that purchase.

V/r
Richard
Click to expand...

Hi Richard:

Thank you for your inquiry about the deck wood and for your service to our country. I only have that one piece and have already cut it into 4 pieces.
I intend to make 4 cues with it, using the pieces as handle wood. Since the mounting holes are on 24" centers I could only salvage 11" sections, but
that should be fine for handles. I would love to make you a cue from a piece, and since you are in the Navy you have top priority. My intentions are to
have these cues end up in the hands of sailors, or ex-sailors only. I originally thought of taking the end pieces and making JP's or rings out of them. I have since been contacted by the USS California (BB-44) organization and they are having a re-union next October in Norfolk. I think I will mount those pieces
and donate them to these GREAT veterans--God knows, they certainly deserve it.

Once again, thanks for your service and take care,

Bob Flynn/Denali Pool Cues
 
Cue

Sir,
I would be honored to get one of those cues.... Just an ideal for the wood you are donating. I would think a shadow box with the ship engraved in the backing and a verse about the ship next to it with the wood mounted in it. I would be happy to help you get the particulars about the box and the history.

V/r
Richard
 
I hate to distract from such an interesting and noteworthy thread, but to Kelly Guy...

Those are some bad ass psychadelic cue butts in your avatar. Could I get some info on these please? And a couple good pics.

Your inbox is full.

Thanks
Don
 
I wonder if SecNav shoots pool?

Also, maybe the US Navy Museum would put one on display.

Another idea, would be one of the veteran's charities. They could raffle it to raise money.
 
Uss California Teak Wood

Hello: Thanks to all for your input and the e-mails. I have decided to just
make the four cues in a Merry Widow style, using only woods (except the teak which will be a wrapless handle) grown in the USA. This will keep the time element and cost down to a reasonable level (about $250 for active Navy and vets, $200 for disabled vets). If you want one send me a PM and some kind of evidence that you are in the above mentioned category.

Also, I have now been promised some deck pieces from the USS Bataan. Will
post pics and details when they arrive. If anyone out there in cyberspace has a historic or special piece of wood let me know. Maybe we can use a piece of it in a cue.

Take care and thanks for your service,

Bob Flynn
denalicues.com
International Cuemakers Assoc.
 
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