Is there anything worse . . . .

[GBCues]

. . . . than having to call a customer and tell them that their already overdue repair is going to take longer because the 40 year-old plastic on the butt sleeve cracked? Ugh, I dread this one.

A little more info - I met this REALLY nice guy who has a 40-year-old Taiwanese import cue that needed a new bumper and the old wrap - looked like croc - had cracked and had come unglued. So if he's had this cue for 40 years, you know it holds some memories for him.
So we agreed on a new bumper and a new leather wrap - easy enough, right?
Well, the "croc" wrap turned out to be a 3/16" thick plastic tube - have you ever tried to fill a groove channel 3/16"???? I've lost count of the number of layers of West System I have put on it. So I'm almost there, I put the cue on the lathe to turn down some of the uneven epoxy and see how close I am to getting the groove filled. When I was removing the cue from the lathe, the butt slips from the spur drive and falls a whole 4" to the bed. Must have been just the right angle and that old plastic, but a crack has formed and spread through the butt sleeve - geezus!!!
I know a lot of you guys won't take on the imports and I'm understanding why more and more.
But I've still got to call my customer . . .
Sign me "Feeling incompetent" :frown:
Gary

 

[Charlie D]

Yes, Many things. Don't sweat it. Hope all goes well! Gonna count my blessings now. Charlie

 

[NY9912]

deleted - 7/25/2020

 

[cuejo]

I had to replace one of the rubber wraps on a Lucasi big Beulah break cue.
That sucker is thick!!!
I ended up puttin a layer of epoxy.
Then a linen wrap
Then a couple more layers of epoxy
Then a leather wrap.
End result is good, but I will never do another one!

 

[CamposCues]

Broke it

I think in this situation you have to completely honest with the customer. Let him know that your shop was under attack by a band of no less than 20 highly skilled ninja assassins and that if it wasn't for you defending yourself with his cue, you would have been killed. Unfortunately, in the process, his butt cap was cracked but that you will replace it free of charge

Seriously though, things happen. It sucks but it will work out in the end.

 

[GBCues]

I think in this situation you have to completely honest with the customer. Let him know that your shop was under attack by a band of no less than 20 highly skilled ninja assassins and that if it wasn't for you defending yourself with his cue, you would have been killed. Unfortunately, in the process, his butt cap was cracked but that you will replace it free of charge

Seriously though, things happen. It sucks but it will work out in the end.

Well, that excuse is probably not going to work with him. In talking to him, I learned he was a martial arts/fighter champion in Europe for a number of years - so twenty ninjas is probably just a warm-up for him and he's now in his seventies, looks like 50-something - interesting that you brought that up, though.
Yes, it will all work out in the end.
Thanks for the support all,
Gary

 

[JoeyInCali]

I had to replace one of the rubber wraps on a Lucasi big Beulah break cue.
That sucker is thick!!!
I ended up puttin a layer of epoxy.
Then a linen wrap
Then a couple more layers of epoxy
Then a leather wrap.
End result is good, but I will never do another one!

I replaced a Pred wrap one time. I had to glue a thick leather
over another one.

 

[cuejo]

I replaced a Pred wrap one time. I had to glue a thick leather
over another one.

I use a pred ikon 8 when between my own cues
I replaced the factory "leather" wrap with EE.
I matched the ends and left the middle low, that's the size I prefer