I am thinking of giving up all that I have, leaving the corporate life to persue what I want to do. I have no attachments and nothing holding me back. All I require is room, board, and high speed internet. Any takers?
I wanna build cues, any shopowners want me?
- Thread starter Buddha Jones
- Start date
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!
Did I mention that I have my own pool table?
Did I mention that I have my own pool table?
Buddha Jones said:
With all due respect, I have never had someone work for me who did not stab me in the back. They stay around just long enough to learn a little, ( they think they know a lot) and then try to steal your local business, repair work and so on. I trust no one. They don't want to work for you just steal your knowledge and ideas and call them their own. The fact is, you should be paying them. How about you give a cuemaker say like $10,000 and he will teach you for a while. You have no idea the value of the information given away here.
I am waiting for Blud to tell me to come on down. [HINT HINT]
Buddha Jones said:
If you are serious then you should call Blud and not wait for him to call you.
He might just need some help.
He is a very open and friendly man but I dont think I would want on his bad side if you know what I mean. Just be sure your intentions are honorable before you call him.
macguy said:
Oh my, so it's a worldwide occurance. I am a very trusting person but when a couple of incidents happened I started transferring more of my proprietary developments to be done when I am solo, after 5pm and weekends. And it is just not apprentices that you should worry about but also "friends". I have always shared info on basic to intermediate cuemaking as I do encourage associates to venture into the craft but the very first info that gets back to me after they've ventured off is that they use my name and compare to me with me in the short end of the stick.
There's even one who hasn't personally met me yet tried to assasinate me in forums and in his website.LOL Thank goodness for the after-5pm and weekends off-limits rule!
But even then, I try to help them in some way or the other but not as extensive as with one other cuemaker friend here. I appreciate the reciprocity or just plain old "open communication channels" instead of the burning of the bridges.
macguy said:
This may be the tear-free solution and another, but would entail a bigger investment is an offer of partnership should there be a willing entity.
BuddhaJones said:
Don't give up your job. I have a feeling that what is going through you is the same as what happened to me in the mid-80s. Iwas already doing some cue repairs then for friends and have been experimenting with different shaft tapers for myself just with the use of a hand drill and a hold-down. Bacause of increase in interest from myself and friends with repairs and taper experiments , wanting to offer more services (wraps and joint refacing) and making my own cue I invested in a 2nd hand Cincinatti engine lathe. The knowledge that you can pick-up from this forum coupled with unpressured (time-constraints from other people) hands-on work is priceless.
Maybe what you should consider is moving to an area where thay allow home workshops. And don't fret about the extra time it'll take you to commute to and from work. This is the time when you will be forced to let your mind wander just don't forget to bring a small notebook and pen.
I remember asking you about a lathe back then, maybe it's time for you to get one. In all honesty, I found it a waste of time to tell someone how to do stuff when they cannot put it into practice.
Edwin Reyes
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There are three reasons that I am seriously considering doing what I am thinking about doing.
A. My job chose me, I didn't choose it, my whole career for that matter.
B. My job doesn't allow me ot be as creative as I need/want to be.
C. I hate my job.
Aside from that, I have lived here for almost a decade now, I am feeling like I am outliving my welcome here, it's tome for me to move on. I am not a vagabond or anything but just in need of a change of scenery. I am pretty sure that I know what I want to do, and I am willing to dedicate 10 years of my life to someone to attain what I want. Sounds unrealistic but I have been up and down the corporate ladder and have yet to feel a sense of fullfilment or accomplishment. Where I am in life is not where I was meant to be. Sorry for the mellodrama, but there you have it. Midlife crisis and I'm not even thirty yet!
A. My job chose me, I didn't choose it, my whole career for that matter.
B. My job doesn't allow me ot be as creative as I need/want to be.
C. I hate my job.
Aside from that, I have lived here for almost a decade now, I am feeling like I am outliving my welcome here, it's tome for me to move on. I am not a vagabond or anything but just in need of a change of scenery. I am pretty sure that I know what I want to do, and I am willing to dedicate 10 years of my life to someone to attain what I want. Sounds unrealistic but I have been up and down the corporate ladder and have yet to feel a sense of fullfilment or accomplishment. Where I am in life is not where I was meant to be. Sorry for the mellodrama, but there you have it. Midlife crisis and I'm not even thirty yet!
You might want to listen to Willee and drop your little artistic art comment off the bottom of your posts if you want any cuemaker to give you serious consideration. I know it is just tongue in cheek, but if you are serious in your desire then present yourself as a hardworker who really wants to learn and will be an asset to the person that opens the door.
I guess the big question is what do you have to offer one of these cuemakers in exchange for them giving you an education in cuemaking. I don't think offering your labour alone is going to get you the job. In my mind Bandido's advice offers you the best solution, it involves the least risk and will give you much more satisfaction in the end. It just envolves patience which I think once developed is a cuemakers most valuable asset.
macguy said:
I was thinking of the subject the other day. Have you guys ever thought about requiring your help to sign a contract similar to what many corporations require. The contract could read something on the line of " If you want to enter into an apprenticeship program, the length of your apprenticeship will be "X" years. After you complete your training, you would have a "X" year obligation to work for this shop.
I guess the penalties for breaking the contract would depend on the situation.
I don't think that a contract like this is too much to ask for. If you were willing to take me under yor wing, teach me the trade, I'd sign it.
Help Mr Wizzard ... dont wanta be a cuemaker anymore!
OK Buddha ... I will bite.
If you are serious and want to take a week or so vacation you can come down here and make yourself a cue and learn the process while doing it.
That will give you an oppertunity to see what equipment is involved, some hands on experience, see if it is really what you want to be doing, and you will have a nice cue that you did most of the work on.
You have one trait of a good cuemaker already.
The NEED to be creative.
But ... you will also NEED something else ..... money.
For the small cuemaker it is a very slow growing and low profit business.
You might want to consider keeping your day job and do cuemaking as a sideline until your name gets known and there is a demand for your cues.
It aint easy to make a living just making pool cues.
OK Buddha ... I will bite.
If you are serious and want to take a week or so vacation you can come down here and make yourself a cue and learn the process while doing it.
That will give you an oppertunity to see what equipment is involved, some hands on experience, see if it is really what you want to be doing, and you will have a nice cue that you did most of the work on.
You have one trait of a good cuemaker already.
The NEED to be creative.
But ... you will also NEED something else ..... money.
For the small cuemaker it is a very slow growing and low profit business.
You might want to consider keeping your day job and do cuemaking as a sideline until your name gets known and there is a demand for your cues.
It aint easy to make a living just making pool cues.
sliprock said:
Cuemaking is no different than any other woodworking craft.
It has its own uniqueness but still it is just woodworking.
It would be no different if you had a cabinet shop and hired someone to help you. After they learned the craft they could quit and open their own shop.
This is true of just about any business.
Any small business that depends upon hired help has the same problem.
work
Hey Jones,
come on down? Don't think so. If you want to learn, I'll teach you, but it cost. Tired having a guy who required room/board....Didn't work out.
Kinda like Macguy says, you teach a guy, and a few weeks later the guys smarter than the teacher. [ which is bull crap]...
I have taught many, and some are smart/a**es..Not all but a few.
I charge for my 30 plus years of cuemaking. No cheap, but surly not expensive either for what you learn.
If you got the money to buy machinery, and you buy it from me, the teaching is included.
Got to go back to the hospital, but call or e-mail me if your serious.
blud
bludworth@direcway.com
830-232-5991 home office, cell 830-796-1610.........
Buddha Jones said:
Hey Jones,
come on down? Don't think so. If you want to learn, I'll teach you, but it cost. Tired having a guy who required room/board....Didn't work out.
Kinda like Macguy says, you teach a guy, and a few weeks later the guys smarter than the teacher. [ which is bull crap]...
I have taught many, and some are smart/a**es..Not all but a few.
I charge for my 30 plus years of cuemaking. No cheap, but surly not expensive either for what you learn.
If you got the money to buy machinery, and you buy it from me, the teaching is included.
Got to go back to the hospital, but call or e-mail me if your serious.
blud
bludworth@direcway.com
830-232-5991 home office, cell 830-796-1610.........
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There might be another way for you to learn and get paid for doing so. Why not forget the small guys and put in applications at Meucci or Viking and see if you get hired. You will learn high production methods that will make you faster than many smaller cuemakers. I have heard they don't pay all that great, but you were only wanting room and board and high speed internet anyway. But I can tell you that it will take a good while to learn that way because they will put you to doing one thing over and over all day for days or weeks and then move you on to something else. But in the end you would have much more experience on each part of cue building than most others.
But like others have said why not just buy a lathe and start tinkering and see if you really like it.
Chris
But like others have said why not just buy a lathe and start tinkering and see if you really like it.
Chris
Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions and ideas. I had a very good conversation with another member that really helped me put things into perspective. Going from green to seasoned vet isn't going to be easy so I am going to work on a definite plan of action to make sure that I am successful.
Ed: You were right to stop 'helping' me, I couldn't bring any of you knowledge into fruition. I hope that will all change in time.
Blud: I know your knowledge is vast, I wouldn't dream of fleecing it from you, but I do look forward to working with you in the future.
Willee: I will take you up on your offer if I can get a raincheck? The time will come but I am not ready yet.
Chris: That is a very interesting idea, I will definitley look into that.
Everyone else: Wish me luck!
Ed: You were right to stop 'helping' me, I couldn't bring any of you knowledge into fruition. I hope that will all change in time.
Blud: I know your knowledge is vast, I wouldn't dream of fleecing it from you, but I do look forward to working with you in the future.
Willee: I will take you up on your offer if I can get a raincheck? The time will come but I am not ready yet.
Chris: That is a very interesting idea, I will definitley look into that.
Everyone else: Wish me luck!
come on down
blud: I know your knowledge is vast, I wouldn't dream of fleecing it from you, but I do look forward to working with you in the future.
Hey, Man,,,,
Come on down and take a look see. Then make your mind up, which way to go?
Never to late to learn.
blud
blud: I know your knowledge is vast, I wouldn't dream of fleecing it from you, but I do look forward to working with you in the future.
Hey, Man,,,,
Come on down and take a look see. Then make your mind up, which way to go?
Never to late to learn.
blud
Why work for Meucci??? So you can learn how to make the worse cue ever madeWilleeCue said:
?J/K, but really you would only learn what it takes to have the worst reputation in the cue business. Somebody would be much better off working for Mcdermott, Pechauer, (maybe even) Viking or some other company that has a better reputation.
Willee, i heard the same thing, i also heard that Mr. Bob is going to complete CNC operations (from what i heard, inlays, turning everything, no more spliced points) and is trying to get around to "rebuilding" his reputation, and his cues. In all honesty, i would like for that to happen, for Meucci to put out a quality product. But i think it would take decades or more, to undo what has been done. If you say, "Oh, the meucci's are better now, not many are going to believe it."
This is JMHO,
Jon
I've heard more rumors about Bob Meucci than Britney Spears and JLo combined the last few years.
Roger, good luck in pursuing your dream.
Roger, good luck in pursuing your dream.