How Do You Prevent Collets From Marking Up Finish

[WheatCues]

How do you know how thick the finish will be at the wrap groove edge?

I cut the wrap groove before I finish but I always need to go back and re-cut the edges to the correct depth AFTER the finish is sprayed on and set up.
I use masking tape AND a thin delrin collet to protect the finish where the lathe jaws hold the cue.

If you using a dual color Irish linen the you need a .050 total wrap groove that would be .025 depth on each side of the radius and solid color is .040 depth and .020 each side of radius.

Don't worry about the thickness of the finish you can always overspray the edge of the wrap groove and then go back over it with a razor blade and clean it up to it's proper depth...

A neat trick for cleaning up the edge of a wrap groove is to take a utility blade and hold it against your bench grinder and file one end of the point down to a flat edge so you end up with a 90 degree angle on the end....

Then you just hold that against the edge of the groove and presto !!! you have a clean edge to work against and this can also be used to level out your wrap groove as well.....



- Eddie Wheat

 

[BLACKHEARTCUES]

If I do need to put a collet on the finished Q I cut a piece of playing card & slip it under the collet. I cut my wrap groove right after I make my final cut, on the Q. I cut my wrap groove .020" deep (.040"total), Then I lay a piece of the linen thread in the groove, where it meets the forearm. I know that when I press the linen it will be flattened slightly. If i need a deeper groove I recut it & measure with the linen thread again. I spray the groove as well as the rest of the Q, at the same time. After the finish has set up & is sanded & polished, I can go back & with a bastard file & clean up the edge of the wrap groove. Again I test the depth of the groove with the linen thread. I also use the electrical tape when pressing the wrap. A trick I learned from Joe Gold. I hope...JER

 

[masonh]

i use a piece of cardboard inside the collet.the key is getting it tight enough to hold the cue,but not dent the cue.if it isn't tight and the cue spins you will get a scratch for sure.any little piece of dirt or whatever will scrathc the finish if it spins out.

 

[Dave38]

If I do need to put a collet on the finished Q I cut a piece of playing card & slip it under the collet. I cut my wrap groove right after I make my final cut, on the Q. I cut my wrap groove .020" deep (.040"total), Then I lay a piece of the linen thread in the groove, where it meets the forearm. I know that when I press the linen it will be flattened slightly. If i need a deeper groove I recut it & measure with the linen thread again. I spray the groove as well as the rest of the Q, at the same time. After the finish has set up & is sanded & polished, I can go back & with a bastard file & clean up the edge of the wrap groove. Again I test the depth of the groove with the linen thread. I also use the electrical tape when pressing the wrap. A trick I learned from Joe Gold. I hope...JER

I found that on doing a re-wrap, on an older cue, using even painters tape that the finish can sometimes lift off in spots when removing the tape. Good thing it was a buddies cue, so I just touched it up and he was okay with it. I'm very leary about using tape after that experiance. On a new finish it probably is fine.
Dave

 

[BLACKHEARTCUES]

I found that on doing a re-wrap, on an older cue, using even painters tape that the finish can sometimes lift off in spots when removing the tape. Good thing it was a buddies cue, so I just touched it up and he was okay with it. I'm very leary about using tape after that experiance. On a new finish it probably is fine.
Dave

The trick is to PULL the tape off, TOWARDS the wrap. That way you're not pulling the finish up...JER

 

[conetip]

The trick is to PULL the tape off, TOWARDS the wrap. That way you're not pulling the finish up...JER

We use frostking tape to hold the cowl on our model planes.It is the only tape that does not unstick at 180 mph and it does not leave a residue on the model.Also does not harm the paint work at all. I use this tape on cues and will not remove or damage any finish that I have come across so far. But I do not leave it on for days at a time either.
Neil

 

[BarenbruggeCues]

I had some newly finished cues I was doing wraps on yesterday, so I Had to turn them in the lathe with the butt end in the headstock so my cutter ran on my taper bar. Each one had some small scratches in the finish when I was done, which I had to sand at 1500-2000 and rebuff to correct.

Any suggestions on how to prevent this would be appreciated.

Thanks

Cut up and use the business cards of people you will never do business with!

 

[cuebuilder]

I always cut my wrap groove AFTER the finish is on and cured. You get a much sharper cut line where the wrap meets the finish and the depth can be made perfect without files or re-cutting. Filing, sanding, or re-cutting can give you a "fuzzy" edge.
As far as turning the cue from the butt end after finishing, there are several ways to accomplish this without possible damage to the finish. This is what I do and it works very well.
If you are going to use a weight bolt in the butt of the cue, bore and tap for the weight bolt and use a stud with a lock nut. Screw the stud into the butt and lock it in with the nut. Have the other end of the stud turned round to just below the level of the threads so you have a smooth surface to chuck on. Chuck the round end into your lathe chuck. Easy.
If you're not going to use a weight bolt in the butt, simply center drill and use a spur driver. You've probably got a center drilled there anyway.
Either way you can do pretty much any lathe operation without chucking on the finish. The use of cards, tape, cardboard, or any other material to wrap the finished part of a cue to put in a chuck bothers me. There is always the chance of slippage and there goes the finish. JMHO

 

[BLACKHEARTCUES]

You can cut the wrap groove before you finish or after, but cutting after runs the chance of lifting the finish at that point...JER

 

[cuebuilder]

I believe you are right about lifting the finish if the tool is dull. I usually keep several carbide Right and Left hand bits sharp and use them for nothing but finishing off the cut on the wrap groove.

 

[rhncue]

I believe you are right about lifting the finish if the tool is dull. I usually keep several carbide Right and Left hand bits sharp and use them for nothing but finishing off the cut on the wrap groove.

I use HSS tooling with very sharp with very acute angles to square my wrap groove. I run the lathe slowly, around 250 to 300 RPM so as to cut down on heat. I use a U.V. finish as a filler and it doesn't stick well to phenolic unless a good sealer is used. I almost always have a phenolic deco-ring in front and behind the wrap so if the finish lifts any I know that the sealer did not adhere properly and I sand and respray the cue. This seldom happens however as I am using a really good sealer at present.

Dick