Home tip install question

[Cory in DC]

Hi --

There's no one close to where I live that is good for installing tips, so i'm going to start rolling my own.

I don't need a lathe, but I do think it would be a lot easier if I could lock the shaft into my vice and then use my detail sander to take the tip down.

Two questions:

1. Is there a recommended safe way to grip the shaft (stop giggling!) with the vice? Would a thick rubber piece that would go around the shaft work well? Or is there something For example, what about a metal piece with a 5/16 screw, where I could grip the metal piece in the vice and then screw the shaft into that?

2. What grit of sandpaper is best for taking the tip down without risking the ferrule? I plan to wrap the ferrule in painter's tape, unless someone has a better suggestion.

Thanks!
Cory

 

[carguy]

Don't put the shaft in a vice.
Here's how to do it:
Put on the tip.
Then, holding the shaft vertically with one hand and pressing the tip down on a board, trim the tip using THIN vertical slices all around the edge of the tip with a utility knife until very nearly ferrule-sized..
Finish with 220 sand paper around the edge of the tip, touching only the tip. You'll do no harm to the ferrule if you don't touch it. This is hard; be patient.
Protect the ferrule with masking tape if necessary while sanding.
Finish with finer sand paper if necessary. Only touch the tip.
Remove the tape and burnish the edge of the tip with spit and the BACK of wet/dry sand paper.
Don't hurry.
Have fun.

Robin Snyder

 

[whammo57]

Yes.. you can put on tips your self if you take your time and are careful. Before I started making cues, I put on lots of my own tips with sand paper and a razor knife.

But I don;t think it will ever look and play as well as when it is done on the proper equipment and by an experienced person.

Just to add a few comments.............. The main reason players put on their own tips if because of the cost. Some repair people give excellent service for a fair price. If a man is supporting his family and has all the expenses that a business has, he must charge a certain price to remain profitable. Good for him, i wish him success.

Some other repair people think this is a get rich scheme and charge unreasonable prices that give all a bad name. An example..... a LePro tip costs about 40 cents. Asking $10 to $15 dollars for installation is not outrageous. Some just slam on the tip and toss it back to you. Some clean up and polish the ferrule and some even clean up the shaft and wax it.

Charging $50 to $60 dollars to put on an already overpriced Kamui tip is robbery. Personally, my conscience won't let me charge that much. I get the same $10 to $15 for installing any tip plus my cost of the tip .



just my opinion

Kim

 

[carguy]

Huh?

But there's no one near him, so....

Robin Snyder

 

[claymont]

See if you can find a Willards Tipper, they work well. That and the long cue tip file that are sold at almost cue supply stores; the sand paper that comes with them will shape a tip in a couple of minutes. Some fine grit emery paper wouldn't hurt. A couple of razor blades would help, too. That's about all I have, I put a tip on from start to finish in thirty - forty minutes.

 

[icem3n]

If you are good with chisel, use it.

They slice tip like butter.

 

[It's George]

View attachment 289588
This and a little practice and you can do all the tips you want.

 

[Canadian cue]

About 17 years ago I and a friend of mine ran a little pro shop in a pool hall. We would do all are tips by hand with a razor blade sand paper and the tool for sanding the top of the ferrule. Now long after I do all my tips on the lathe. My partner in that proshop continued to do it by hand. I looked at his cue the other day and was amazed, he has been actively shooting with this cue for twenty years plus. He is still using the original ferrule and it is mint...after many many tips. There is something to be said about knowing how to instal a tip by hand. Installing a tip by hand is a skill just like doing it on the machine and some people get real good at it.

 

[pdcue]

Hi --

There's no one close to where I live that is good for installing tips, so i'm going to start rolling my own.

I don't need a lathe, but I do think it would be a lot easier if I could lock the shaft into my vice and then use my detail sander to take the tip down.

Two questions:

1. Is there a recommended safe way to grip the shaft (stop giggling!) with the vice? Would a thick rubber piece that would go around the shaft work well? Or is there something For example, what about a metal piece with a 5/16 screw, where I could grip the metal piece in the vice and then screw the shaft into that?

2. What grit of sandpaper is best for taking the tip down without risking the ferrule? I plan to wrap the ferrule in painter's tape, unless someone has a better suggestion.

Thanks!
Cory

mail it to RAT.

Dale

 

[Cory in DC]

View attachment 289588
This and a little practice and you can do all the tips you want.

Thanks for the tips on tipping, everyone!

I went with stratshutr's approach. I used Sticky Ass Glue, and left it on overnight. Tonight I razor-then-sand off the overlay. I'm using Ultraskins.

I did find that the Cue Top Sander (in stratshuter's picture) made a dent in my shaft (an old test shaft). I guess I should wrap it, but there's not a lot of room to do that--how do people handle that?

I did wrap the shaft and used some soft vice jaws on it, with good results (i.e., no marks): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057PUEZO/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Pretty handy--they should make the final fine-tuning much easier.

Cory

 

[Tony_in_MD]

Glad to here it worked for you.

What is Sticky Ass Glue?

 

[carguy]

tip trimmer

Another handy inexpensive tool is a Porper "Mushroom Grazer". It does a nice job on the final trim on the tip's edge, and it won't break the bank.

Robin Snyder

 

[JTs cuerepair]

Thanks for the tips on tipping, everyone!

I went with stratshutr's approach. I used Sticky Ass Glue, and left it on overnight. Tonight I razor-then-sand off the overlay. I'm using Ultraskins.

I did find that the Cue Top Sander (in stratshuter's picture) made a dent in my shaft (an old test shaft). I guess I should wrap it, but there's not a lot of room to do that--how do people handle that?

I did wrap the shaft and used some soft vice jaws on it, with good results (i.e., no marks): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057PUEZO/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Pretty handy--they should make the final fine-tuning much easier.

Cory

It's very easy too make dents and marks on the shaft using the ferrule sander. I have two that I have had for 25 years, Don't use them any more as I have three lathes in my shop.
But when I did use them years ago I just took a book of matches and ripped of the Paper part of it and wrapped it around the shaft before you put on the clamp part of the ferrule sander. It worked well for years, Just make sure you don't screw the clamp part of it to tight. All you need to do is snug it up, You don't need to over tighten it at all.

 

[It's George]

Don't you see the piece of emery cloth sticking out of the sander? It has been in there for around 20 years and no marks on shafts. I haven't used these items in years but I'll probably hang on to them forever.

 

[peter_gunn]

18 years i didn't change the price for hand made tip installation. 3$ plus cost of the tip

 

[mortuarymike-nv]

the ferrule

Thanks for the tips on tipping, everyone!

I went with stratshutr's approach. I used Sticky Ass Glue, and left it on overnight. Tonight I razor-then-sand off the overlay. I'm using Ultraskins.

I did find that the Cue Top Sander (in stratshuter's picture) made a dent in my shaft (an old test shaft). I guess I should wrap it, but there's not a lot of room to do that--how do people handle that?

I did wrap the shaft and used some soft vice jaws on it, with good results (i.e., no marks): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057PUEZO/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Pretty handy--they should make the final fine-tuning much easier.

Cory

Sand paper, files, bench grinders, knifes, razors, if it touches the ferrule and removes anything from the ferrule or it scratches the ferrule you are screwing up....................

This is what happens when it is done wrong.
The tip and the ferrule was sanded on one side more then the other.
Also the owner sanded the shaft to match the ferrule.
So remember If you cut, scratch or sand on the ferrule as you are trying to make the tip
outside dia match the ferrule Outside DIA you are not doing yourself any favors.

Bottom line is the tip and the ferrule can be replaced , the wood cannot.......
Most DIY tip replacement, get into the ferrule in some way or another, at that point most people end up sanding on the ferrule and the shaft too.
A wet band aid will remove all dents.....just put a drop of water on the band aid when needed .
MMike

 

[Cory in DC]

More great information; in fact, I got the shaft dings out with a little bit of moisture, and that was only my practice shaft anyway.

The most tedious part was the finishing step of getting the tip edge completely flush with the ferrule, while trying not to touch the the ferrule at all, per MM's great suggestions. I got pretty close by wrapping the ferrule in painter's tape and going at it with 220 grit sandpaper, first on a detail sander then by hand when it got really close. I finished off with the little thing on the edge of the ultimate tip tool that you use when the tip mushrooms.

What would make finishing really easy if there were a grit that I could use to take down leather but be confident would not harm the ferrule (ivorine) at all. 220 is too course. Maybe 400 grit? 800? Finer?

In any case, I now have functional tips! I'd like to get a little more curve on them, which I'll use a rasp followed by my ultimate tip tool for.

 

[Cory in DC]

Glad to here it worked for you.

What is Sticky Ass Glue?

http://stickyassglue.com/

Seems to be very solid, got great reviews on Amazon.