OK, I'll let the cat out of the bag.
It's me.
But there's a little more to the story.
I think it was a little longer than 8 years ago, but I'm not sure how much longer. Jeff used to play in a tournament that I frequented and I agreed to refinish the cue for him. This was many years before OB Cues, when I was working in the car business and built cues for fun. I always told anyone wanting work like this done that I could do it, but it might take a pretty long time. I only worked on this kind of thing when I really felt like it. I worked long hours at the car dealerships and sometimes I went weeks or months without getting out in the garage to work on cues. At some time along the way, Jeff stopped showing up and the few that he ran with seemed to have lost touch with him. I had no other way to reach him at the time.
The cue was stripped down and several coats of clear were applied before I stopped and put it aside. The rings below the forearm were already cut down and wrapped over when I received it. I believe this was original. Most likely, the cue either had problems with the rings, or shouldn't have had rings in the first place so they just cut them down and wrapped over them. I don't recall what I did with the bumper, but I usually replaced them anyway because they get worn and look bad on a newly finished cue. I put the cue in my closet at home so if he ever popped back up I would still have it for him. After that, I pretty much just forgot about it.
Earlier this year, Jeff emailed me and asked about the cue. I told him I still had it, and could get it back to him. I did delay it because of my travel schedule at the time, but was able to get the cue back to him in it's current condition. The cue was in my closet all this time, waiting to get it back to him. I didn't find the shaft with the cue, so my assumption is that I didn't get the shaft with the cue. I will go look once again to make sure I didn't just miss it.
My rule, way back then, was to only accept payment when the work was done, so I don't believe I was paid anything for the work that was done to the cue to get into the current condition. I certainly don't want or expect anything either. I'm just happy to get it back to Jeff.
Since this was a personal transaction between myself and Jeff, long before OB Cues ever came to be, I won't use any of OB Cues resources to finish the cue. It really doesn't have anything to do with OB Cues. I don't keep a shop at my home any longer, so I don't have the means to finish the cue. I don't really have the time now either. The cue probably needs a few more coats of finish and it can be sanded, buffed, wrapped and finished up. I'll check again for the shaft. If it's there, of course I will get it to Jeff.
I'm sorry this didn't work out like either of us expected it to. I feel I've done more than would normally be expected by hanging on to the cue for this long. If there is anything else I can do, I'd be happy to entertain it.
