HOW TO REPLACE A CUE TIP … No Special Tools Required

[ShootingArts]

I'm surprised this thread hasn't turned towards the various cue tip maintenance tools out there. One would think that by now, by 2021, there would be a superbly functioning, quality tip tool, for installing, cutting, shaping, etc. But, alas, to my knowledge there is not.

Memory fails me but there was or is a real nice tip tool. Close to two hundred, and you could do everything with this tool or tools. A pool hall owner had one, and that is what you would have to be to justify it. With the new prices for tips and putting them on if that set up is still available it seems much more reasonable now. Of course you can get a drill powered lathe set-up for the same dollars for some pretty nice ones.

I’ve done plenty of tips and the bevel on the outside of the ferrule is very easy to control. I can see no reason to turn it around to bevel in.

The only reason to use the knife as intended is to pursue a bit of knowledge. I will be surprised if it is head and shoulders better than the way we instinctively want to use the tool. However, if it is noticeably better we have all learned a little, letting Dave do the work and have the risks of trying something new. What can be better than that?(grin)

As demonstrated by the draw knife, I use whatever is handy and sharp. Almost everything I have has a double bevel so it is just the same either way. traditional woodturning on the lathe is much more particular about bevels and such. I do consider how I am holding my tool very carefully doing traditional turning. At least three basic angles of attack, some more exciting than others! Traditional tools and methods can make you dead if you are careless. On the other hand, you can get away with more with experience, as long as you know what standards you are crowding. Anyway, after turning wood awhile I am more aware of bevels and bevel positions.

If I had the knife on hand I would try the way the people making it meant for it to be used. However, as I have already pointed out, it wasn't designed for tip work, heavy work either unless I am mistaken about heavy work. However, I think the handle is proof it isn't intended for cutting timber. I'm wondering if the bevel height being about the same as the thickness of the material has something to do with the technique used by the original users of the knives.

One of the tricks to working with a lathe to put tips on is to recognize that the double bevel blades like common utility knife blades have a negative rake when the blade is horizontal to the ground. Tilting the blade up just enough to take away the negative rake, maybe have a few degrees of positive rake, is one of the tricks to doing a really nice job on a tip install. Does any of this apply to hand use? Maybe Dave can tell us after he plays with his new knife awhile.

Hu

 

[Roger Long]

The first time I ever had my tip replaced by a "pro" was a horrible experience. He took my brand new McDermott and turned the shaft down to 12.5mm from 13mm, and made the ferrule look like hell where you can see the fibers, to top it off, he just used some regular tip that mushroomed quite badly almost at once. This was in the 90s so there were no performance tips or anything, but I was not happy. I didn't know enough about pool to know it wasn't normal. He was kind of a legend around the parts, had his own small pool room and played all day on a 10' table. Hell of a guy, but not a cue mechanic for sure. Who knows, maybe he made my shaft hit like a million bucks, I used it for ~25 years until 2 weeks ago when I got my Hsunami shaft. But it's kind of a dick move to shave half a millimeter off of a customer's cue without asking or explaining anything. I still to this day think it's a good playing shaft but I have no frame of reference since I was a ripe beginner when he shaved it down. It always bugged me to see the fibers in the ferrule, but it didn't effect play.

I can't say that it hurt my game or anything but it made me have trust issues with anyone else touching my cues. The only one I would trust to retip my cues now is myself or a local cue maker where you could see his skill level, but even then, I'd rather do it myself.

I'm not doubting your word that the guy reduced the size of your ferrule, but when you say that "It always bugged me to see the fibers in the ferrule" I have to say that you were probably going to see the fibers in that ferrule no matter what. That's because of the particular melamine ferrules that McDermott used for years. They had a very "heavy" fabric for a base that sat right at the surface, and as soon as that fabric absorbed a little chalk dust, that weave would show through for the rest of the life of the shaft. In all my years of working with cues I have never found anything that will totally clean up and seal those ferrules.

 

[garczar]

I'm not doubting your word that the guy reduced the size of your ferrule, but when you say that "It always bugged me to see the fibers in the ferrule" I have to say that you were probably going to see the fibers in that ferrule no matter what. That's because of the particular melamine ferrules that McDermott used for years. They had a very "heavy" fabric for a base that sat right at the surface, and as soon as that fabric absorbed a little chalk dust, that weave would show through for the rest of the life of the shaft. In all my years of working with cues I have never found anything that will totally clean up and seal those ferrules.

We use to use some stuff called 'Pearl Drops'. It was a liquid tooth polish that took the blue out of McD ferrules. For a while. You always had to re-do it from time to time.

 

[ShootingArts]

Dave, have you tried the new knife with a one sided bevel? Results?

Hu

 

[dr_dave]

Dave, have you tried the new knife with a one sided bevel? Results?

Hu

I have the new knife, but I won't try it until I need to change a tip. I've had enough practice already and have moved on to bigger and better things (other than changing tips).

 

[boogieman]

Memory fails me but there was or is a real nice tip tool. Close to two hundred, and you could do everything with this tool or tools. A pool hall owner had one, and that is what you would have to be to justify it. With the new prices for tips and putting them on if that set up is still available it seems much more reasonable now. Of course you can get a drill powered lathe set-up for the same dollars for some pretty nice ones.








The only reason to use the knife as intended is to pursue a bit of knowledge. I will be surprised if it is head and shoulders better than the way we instinctively want to use the tool. However, if it is noticeably better we have all learned a little, letting Dave do the work and have the risks of trying something new. What can be better than that?(grin)

As demonstrated by the draw knife, I use whatever is handy and sharp. Almost everything I have has a double bevel so it is just the same either way. traditional woodturning on the lathe is much more particular about bevels and such. I do consider how I am holding my tool very carefully doing traditional turning. At least three basic angles of attack, some more exciting than others! Traditional tools and methods can make you dead if you are careless. On the other hand, you can get away with more with experience, as long as you know what standards you are crowding. Anyway, after turning wood awhile I am more aware of bevels and bevel positions.

If I had the knife on hand I would try the way the people making it meant for it to be used. However, as I have already pointed out, it wasn't designed for tip work, heavy work either unless I am mistaken about heavy work. However, I think the handle is proof it isn't intended for cutting timber. I'm wondering if the bevel height being about the same as the thickness of the material has something to do with the technique used by the original users of the knives.

One of the tricks to working with a lathe to put tips on is to recognize that the double bevel blades like common utility knife blades have a negative rake when the blade is horizontal to the ground. Tilting the blade up just enough to take away the negative rake, maybe have a few degrees of positive rake, is one of the tricks to doing a really nice job on a tip install. Does any of this apply to hand use? Maybe Dave can tell us after he plays with his new knife awhile.

Hu

Just got some instructions with one I bought, figured it might be of interest.

 

[dr_dave]

Just got some instructions with one I bought, figured it might be of interest.

I bought one many months ago also, but I haven't needed to replace a tip in a while, so I haven't tried it yet. I am sure it will be easier to use and more effective than the utility knife I used in the video.

Thanks for posting the instructions. Mine didn't come with any.