Milk duds

[Jeff]

I know this has been discussed ad nauseum but I am going to try making one and I want to make sure I do it right (if there is a right way)

Soak in room temperature milk? one hour, two hours. over night?

clamp in vice for 24 hours? How much pressure, snug, tight, very tight?

And is this for Elk Masters only?

 

[manwon]

I know this has been discussed ad nauseum but I am going to try making one and I want to make sure I do it right (if there is a right way)

Soak in room temperature milk? one hour, two hours. over night?

clamp in vice for 24 hours? How much pressure, snug, tight, very tight?

And is this for Elk Masters only?

They also do it with Le Pro tips. In the 70's, I was taught to place the tips in milk so that they were completely covered. Then place them in the refrigerator for 24 hr's, then to press the tips in a Vise to press out as much milk as possible. Last the pressed tips are left to dry at room tempter for a week.

Well, this is how we use to do it in St. Louis, there may be other ways!!!!!

Have a good day!!!!

 

[Rod]

I'll give you another way.

Soak in warm "water" for 10 min

Press 24 hrs if the temp is warm,

I'll call the compression tight

I've used water and milk. At present I have one of each on two shafts for my cue. It doesn't make any difference. They literally play the same.

I use pressed elks and triangles. Years ago I used a different method for blue diamonds. The elks I have compressed to .185 tall. They start out at appx .250 tall to give you an idea. At compressed height the hit is a little soft but feels firm if that makes sense. The tip absolutely does not mushroom. All I do is wet the side of the tip and burnish a little with the back side of some wet or dry paper.

Here is a before and after photo of the water dud and triangle to give you an idea. I didn't compress the triangle as much.

Rod

 

[Cue Crazy]

I Have made a few, and what I have noticed more then anything is that the pressing, while drying, and sqeezing the moisture out, is the biggest key to getting them compressed well, if that's what someone wanted. The liquid, providing It does not rot the tip, mostly just seems to help with the tip holding It's shape after pressing and drying out. Hot water or steam may do the same thing but faster if It pentrated the tips interior better by some chance. Wood craftsmen have been doing the same thing to bend woods for a very long time. Like simular to wood bending- You can put a dry spongy tip in a vice, and when you pull It out It may only spring back to where It was originally(some more then others), and only time & use will compress It anywhere near fully seated with some tips, but if you soak that same tip, press, and hold until the tip dries out, It may hold It's shape much better Like wood does. I'm sure some liquids may do a better job then others based on what properties It has in It's formula, but for the most part they are all doing the same thing IMO.

With that said, while experiementing for the heck of It, I have used milk in the fridge, and out of the fridge, water, even mineral spirits believe It or not, and they all did basically the same thing. I'm sure you could use colas or root beers also of ya wanted , because the princible is basically the same. I don't really know which works best though, or if certain liquids will give you a different hardness level then others, because I have'nt used any methods of gauging My clamping pressure other then By feel or thickness, and the comparison would be flawed by the differences in each attempt. I have no way of testing the tip hardness anyhow. Basically I can see no noticable differences either. I have noticed some are sinkers and some are floaters, I don't know if that makes any difference or not. Possible that less time in a vice could produce a less compressed tip with a softer hardness level if that was desired instead of a firmer tip.

Greg

 

[Jeff]

I have noticed some are sinkers and some are floaters,

Greg

Man, great information from everyone.

On the floating, I remember seeing somewhere where it was stated that was a big deal.

You don't use the floaters or visa versa. Does anyone remember that?

 

[n10spool]

Sinkers were hard with no voids, and floaters are supossed to be full air pockets or voids like a sponge..

I havn't used the water trick but i drop mine on a hard suface and listen to the sound [crisp thud or weak soft sound] its been working for me..then i make some milk duds. Not all tips are the same pick through them fist that way you can have consistantsy. Just me 2cents and a glass of milk.

 

[HardBall]

The first time I made a milk dud I soaked it and compressed it and ended up with a very hard, thin, 16-18 mm tip.

Now I use the setup shown below. I used delrin for the die and black linen phenolic for the discs. I cut the center of the delrin rod just over the diameter of the phenolic rod. Each of the discs is flat on one side and concave on the other. I stack alternating disks and soaked Elkmasters, nine sets, and compress the stack in a vise. I use a couple of different length solid rods as rams as the stack compresses. I compress to the point that it won't go any further and let is sit for 24 hours. Then I put in a big C-clamp and leave for many days. I usually forget about and don't get back to for a month.

My milk duds are very hard, only slightly larger in diameter than stock, and they hold their shape very well in play. The disk is on the left and a finished milk dud on the right. Without the die my duds were about the same thickness as this disk.

 

[yally]

I have some arriving soon from Mike Johnson if Jensen Cues (the Milk Dud Master!) if anyone is interested in purchasing any. I will be posting them in the for sale and cuemaker section once they arrive.

 

[HueblerHustler7]

I'll give you another way.

Soak in warm "water" for 10 min

Press 24 hrs if the temp is warm,

I'll call the compression tight

I've used water and milk. At present I have one of each on two shafts for my cue. It doesn't make any difference. They literally play the same.

I use pressed elks and triangles. Years ago I used a different method for blue diamonds. The elks I have compressed to .185 tall. They start out at appx .250 tall to give you an idea. At compressed height the hit is a little soft but feels firm if that makes sense. The tip absolutely does not mushroom. All I do is wet the side of the tip and burnish a little with the back side of some wet or dry paper.

Here is a before and after photo of the water dud and triangle to give you an idea. I didn't compress the triangle as much.

Rod

I know this is an old post but What kind of Pad is used here? I tried Pm'ing him but no reply after a few days.