How to make your own chalk?

Billy_Bob

Billy_Bob

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ok, let's try making our own chalk...

I don't know if this is correct or not...

I heard that chalk is composed of silica and mixed with a colorant.
This is suspended in a fixative.
Then it is baked in an oven.

I suppose the paper wrapping is put on after baking?

Anyone know what a "fixative" is?
 
Another term for it is binder. Do a websearch on sand casting and you may find the specific name of the chemical. If you can get the right size silica sand and binder and grit mixture then you just found the secret. If the coarseness of the silica is too much then you'll be changing tips more often, if too fine then it won't have enough tip to cue ball holding power. If the mix ratio is more towards the silica then the cube easily breaks apart. If more towards the binder then the chalk flakes off the tip.

If you can't get the right size silica granules for experimentation, you can try using a lab-grade mesh and try to extract the abrasive particles from scouring powder or cheap toothpaste.

Cosmetic and medical grade silica used here comes from Australia. Hope this helps with your research.
 
Last edited:
Why

I would like to know why it is you wish to make your own Chalk, as if you buy a Gross it cost about $16.00 for the best brands. That is 144 Pieces of Chalk will last almost anyone a lifetime.


Heck we got 70 year old guys were I live playing with Chalk, or maybe I should say playing with what is left of 1 piece of Chalk I am I sure they got as kids, and it seem to last for ever. Just curious why it is you wish to make your own Chalk? :confused:
 
azbicyclis85376 said:
I would like to know why it is you wish to make your own Chalk, as if you buy a Gross it cost about $16.00 for the best brands. That is 144 Pieces of Chalk will last almost anyone a lifetime.


Heck we got 70 year old guys were I live playing with Chalk, or maybe I should say playing with what is left of 1 piece of Chalk I am I sure they got as kids, and it seem to last for ever. Just curious why it is you wish to make your own Chalk? :confused:
Click to expand...


:confused: I'm confused why you don't know why?? :D

There are two threads going currently that people are saying they are not satisfied with the chalk that is on the market today.
 
Master just seems to work well

Well I am using Master Blue, and Light Green, and I may not be a Conesus of Chalk. The Master just seems to work well, and I personally have ZERO Complaints with it.

Friend gave me a single block of BALABUSKA (spelling?), and it was Blue in Color, appear to have a lot of Silicone in it. As it applied to the Tip with ease, but in my opinion was very messy, and had to get off your hand, table etc.

Like I said I have a supply of Master Blue, and Light Green and it work well. Plus I think my supply should last a couple of year or longer.

Seems like making you own Chalk would be a pin in the backside. I stick with my Master, marked with, and without Flags..... ;)
 
Billy_Bob said:
Ok, let's try making our own chalk...

I don't know if this is correct or not...

I heard that chalk is composed of silica and mixed with a colorant.
This is suspended in a fixative.
Then it is baked in an oven.

I suppose the paper wrapping is put on after baking?

Anyone know what a "fixative" is?
Click to expand...

Billy Bob,

If you come up with a formula that works, would you post it here, please? I've been working on an invention and I'd like to know more about this subject.

Thanks,

Jeff Livingston
 
sand binders

bandido said:
Another term for it is binder. Do a websearch on sand casting and you may find the specific name of the chemical.
Click to expand...

I use bentonite clay as a binder for my sand casting. It might work for making chalk, if you got a good mix and baked it well. IIRC I use about 2 or 3% bentonite to silica, plus a bit of moisture (water)to get it to bind. Of course this is NOT baked, rather left wet as green sand. The bond is fine for that purpose, but perhaps a different ratio would be better for a baked cube. Now that I think about it, baked cores can be made with this recipe, but increase the bentonite a bit, and instead of straight water, use "molasses water", which is water with about 5% molasses mixed in. Not only will the baked cube be a bit harder, but your chalk will smell nicer too !

Another alternative might be to soak the silica in waterglass (forget the chemical name, hey, I'm an electrical engineer, not a chem!), then blow carbon dioxide through it. This might get too hard though, whereas I think the bentonite might be too crumbly.

WRT silica, I use sand blasting silica, and the Sil-0 might be fine enough for chalk. Drop by a good building / industrial supply place and see, the stuff always leaks out of the bag ... The Sil-1 and up are definately too course compared to the dust I get off a piece of chalk.

Dave

BTW, if you want to try this, and need materials, let me know via PM, maybe I can send you some of my clay. If you can find bentonite localy, great. I have a 50 lb bag with 49 lbs left, and it cost me about 8$ Canadian. Of course around here some people know bentonite as 'dirt' :) Waterglass is available at finer drug stores, and carbon dioxide at your local welders or fountain-drink-dispenser.
 
Last edited:
how would you make that circular indentation in the center of the cube without a lathe? do you think a 1/2" drill bit can be fabricated for the job? where could i get some one to make the correct size jigs to center the bit ?
 
would anyone be interested in a chalk humidor? if the proper humidity is maintained, there will be no "caking".
 
larrynj1 said:
how would you make that circular indentation in the center of the cube without a lathe? do you think a 1/2" drill bit can be fabricated for the job? where could i get some one to make the correct size jigs to center the bit ?
Click to expand...
That indentation wasn't placed there when the cube was already formed. The indentation is part of the mold used to form the chalk. Think of the mold as a muffin pan but with square cavities instead of round (superior half) and has a separate bottom(inferior half) that has the indentation and works like a syringe plunger (but pushes up) to eject (granting that a release agent is used or the cube shrinks a bit) the cube once it's hardened.

Or a superior mold, as described above becomes the inferior mold but with the bottom as part of it (2 rows of cavities 3-part mold), that comes apart at the corners of the cubes and the plunger with the indentation becomes the superior mold. Once the mixture has hardened, the inferior mold (3-part mold) is split a bit and the plunger is dropped a bit to release the completed cubes.

Drilling/milling in the indentation later adds a stage to the production line and raises raw material waste.
 
DaveK said:
Another alternative might be to soak the silica in waterglass (forget the chemical name, hey, I'm an electrical engineer, not a chem!),.
Click to expand...

Sodium Silicate
 
larrynj1 said:
wow, you guys really do take your chalk seriously!
Click to expand...
I do look into everything that has a direct effect on the implement of the game, the cue. Glad to have helped.

Thanks for the info Colin.
 
larrynj1 said:
would anyone be interested in a chalk humidor? if the proper humidity is maintained, there will be no "caking".
Click to expand...
This has merit Larry. My knowledge of chalk is still lacking as I have mainly approached it from "high humidity area" basis. Thus, it's from the opposite direction of your viewpoint. I'll research from your POV too. Humidor, I like that :)
 
bandido said:
I do look into everything that has a direct effect on the implement of the game, the cue. Glad to have helped.

Thanks for the info Colin.
Click to expand...

You're welcome Edwin.

Chalks don't seem to have been developed much since William Brinks experimented with fine silica sand and aloxite around a century ago.

See a pick of Brinks' Chalk which recently sold on ebay here:
http://i17.ebayimg.com/03/i/02/47/39/25_1_b.JPG

I think there could be room for improvements in chalks. Not only to decrease miscues or too increase spin applied, but perhaps even to reduce deflection.

See my article below on 'Surface Property Induced Deflection' (SPID) below.
http://www.top147.com/magazine/2004005/2004005063000571287.htm
 
Thanks again Colin and that is a great article. These things you listed:
1. Softer ferrules deflect less.
This was addressed by Predator and Meucci with their technology. So, I guess it's an approach from the right direction.
2. Stiffer shafts are better than extremely flexible shafts.
This I addressed with my ER240 shaft and my high-grain count shaft coupled with a high-ratio parabolic taper.
3. Chalk affects deflection.
The only actual modification that I do to address this, aside from keeping my box of chalk in my climate controlled room, is to microwave my chalk at 600w for 30 sec. before leaving for the poolhal. High humidity here you know.
4. Hard shots increase deflection.
Same problem addressed by the above aforementioned shafts. The more powerful a shaft is the less that you'll need to juice up a shot. But aside from shaft quality, in real life when a player juices up a shot the tensing of the muscles contribute to the cues travel getting off-line.
5. Tip shape and hardness affects deflection.
You are ultimately referring to contact patch and power transfer, right? I do make my own tips to address this too.

Would you say then that if items 2 and 4 are addressed item 1 is negligible since there may not be a need for power that determines that the ferrule is of the soft variety?

So I guess I better quit half-assing my research on chalk as I see from above that that is where I'm lacking.
 
bandido said:
Thanks again Colin and that is a great article. These things you listed:
1. Softer ferrules deflect less.
This was addressed by Predator and Meucci with their technology. So, I guess it's an approach from the right direction.
2. Stiffer shafts are better than extremely flexible shafts.
This I addressed with my ER240 shaft and my high-grain count shaft coupled with a high-ratio parabolic taper.
3. Chalk affects deflection.
The only actual modification that I do to address this, aside from keeping my box of chalk in my climate controlled room, is to microwave my chalk at 600w for 30 sec. before leaving for the poolhal. High humidity here you know.
4. Hard shots increase deflection.
Same problem addressed by the above aforementioned shafts. The more powerful a shaft is the less that you'll need to juice up a shot. But aside from shaft quality, in real life when a player juices up a shot the tensing of the muscles contribute to the cues travel getting off-line.
5. Tip shape and hardness affects deflection.
You are ultimately referring to contact patch and power transfer, right? I do make my own tips to address this too.

Would you say then that if items 2 and 4 are addressed item 1 is negligible since there may not be a need for power that determines that the ferrule is of the soft variety?

So I guess I better quit half-assing my research on chalk as I see from above that that is where I'm lacking.
Click to expand...

Edwin,
My 5 points you listed above are often believed to be true, though no solid scientific tests have been done to proove they affect deflection.

However, if any of them do proove to be true, that evidence will contradict the currently accepted theory of cue tip deflection as hypothesised by the San Francisco Billiard Academy, where they postulate the theory of Rotation Induced Deflection or (RID) as refered to in my article, as the only source of deflection.

I am convinced that SPID is an important contributor to deflection, but time and testing will tell.

Re: The chalk, a simple experimental method would be to obtain some corundum abrasive powder and sprinkle it onto a normal chalk block before chalking. If it shows increased grip, then consider mixing with standard chalks to create new blocks.

I expect the corrundum powdered crystals are much more crucial to gripping that microcrystalline silica, not due only to the hardness, but due to the more pointed shape of the crystals with sharp edges. Diamond dust is even harder than corrundum, but does not fracture into sharp cutting (grip) edges as does corrundum.

btw. Naturally occuring corrundum is called Saphire, the red versions (caused by small amounts of Chromium) being called Ruby. Most abrasive corrundum (aluminium oxide) is produced industrially by artificial means.
 
Aloxite it is then. Just wouldn't be acceptable to the pool/bar room owner if I increased it's content. :D

Let's talk about item 5 and I apologize as this is getting off topic.
5. Tip shape and hardness affects deflection.

Please explain in detail why you listed this down. Aside from unnoticable "little miscues" that happen due to inadequate contact patch, what else am I missing here?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top