My first tip install
- Thread starter SSDiver2112
- Start date
middleofnowhere
Registered
When you mention tools that is often what keeps guys from doing their own work on anything. I still have tools that belonged to my grandfather that worked on the Empire State Building. When I was a kid we would take an engine out of one car and drop it in another in a weekend. We seemed to know how to do everything or at least tried.
My dad had probably the most complete garage in the neighborhood and kids were always coming over to work on their cars. I think every dad was jealous. All these years later I still have most of his tools and he died in 1972.
On a Saturday you would go down the street and see guys doing brake jobs on their cars painting their houses, working on their roofs. Today most could not even check their own oil. How many remember going to the hardware store that had a tube tester and fixing your own TV.
Times have really changed. People are even too lazy to cook a meal, they eat crap from a drive thru. I don't mean to get on a rant about something as meaningless and a cue tip but what has happened to us? There is a certain satisfaction in being self sufficient. I always covered my own tables in the pool room. It was also fun.
OK off my soapbox.
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Being frank learning long ago unless you doing something frequently. Are a Tool Person.
Sometimes it is easier, less hassle, and better end result to let pro do job.
Sometimes it is easier, less hassle, and better end result to let pro do job.
middleofnowhere
Registered
You know, that's sad. It has nothing to do with tools. It's lack of ingenuity, curiosity, and lazyness.
Why do something do do when for few bucks you can get Professional job.
Your think say you don’t grocery shop, you grow, or killer meals.
Do you also live in cave, and dress in shins of animals you kill?
middleofnowhere
Registered
I would respond if what you said made any sense. I'll just say, its sad how helpless most people are. I remember a few years ago one of our hurricanes the neighborhood lost electricity for about two weeks. It took only a day and they were all panicking, they were helpless.
I mean really helpless they're panicked about not being able to get gas. First of all we've got bicycles to go somewhere any the distance. And I don't want to shock anybody but walking is actually a means of transportation you would be surprised how far you can walk if you have to.
When my wife and I used to run around in an RV. It ran good but I was never worried about anything I can fix most anything that went wrong if I had to. When I was a kid my father and I would take the boat out as crazy as this may sound we had no fears of anything ever happening to the boat. If the boat sank we're both capable of making a mile or two swim back to shore.
My wife and I got in trouble one time and we almost froze to death in the Alps and fortunately we were saved. That was probably one of the first times I ever felt like I'm in a situation that I probably can't control. We might not get out of this.
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I just look around and I just see people who are helpless if you take any one of their conveniences away they're in big trouble in a very short time and that I find sad.
lol wtf.
you are really missing the whole point. yes, a lot of people kill their own meals, it's called hunting, fishing. very common hobbies. tf has that got to do with living in a cave?
Why do you care if he chooses to spend his time doing something else?
And why should he care (which, I don't believe he does) that you want to learn to do everything for yourself.
I'm in the middle. I despise having to pay someone to do something but, at the end of the day, there are some things I simply won't do and my time is worth money.
How many pro's do their own tips?
Point is a Cue shaft is not cheap, I see value in allowing a Pro to do it on my stuff.
Replacing Tip is not something I do not do frequently.
Some people over shape or constantly are bringing good Tip down to the point of having to replace often.
Replacing Tip is not something I do not do frequently.
Some people over shape or constantly are bringing good Tip down to the point of having to replace often.
Tap Tap....and the zap the tube gave you sometimes. Good times.
middleofnowhere
Registered
Its a short back and forth. My first response to him was his post 78 where he tries to throw shade on the guy who is excited about doing his own tips. not sure why. He seemed to take it personal because he can't do his own, so he tried to make it sound like people working on their own cues were somehow wasting their time or foolish because you can just pay someone else.
No one cares if he can't work on his cues that's fine. If he could he probably would but he is afraid to try so he tries to discourages others. It is nice to know how to do things, especially if it is something you are interested in like playing pool. Its also nice if in a pinch you can do it. He is missing one point of how much fun it is, it is not really about the money at all.
We were at a tournament in SC and a water pump went on the RV. I unpacked the bike and headed to an auto parts store someone told me about. The engine was a 318 and it was not hard to get the pump, they had it for me the same day. I changed it and we were on the way by dark.
I can't imagine what a headache it would have been if I had to have it towed to a garage then waited for the screwing I would have gotton on the job. The tow alone would have been over a $100. for a vehicle like that. I bet it would have cost at least $250 for the whole deal and a day and a half instead of like $35.00
My father was born in 1898. I was raised by people who took care of themselves. I have a feeling I'm the one who is out of step and a dinosaur. I can't help that but it is one of the things I see wrong with this country, helpless people. There seems to be some natural evolution in modern society, at least in this country. People don't get stronger, they become weaker and more stupid and gullible.
I think it is the reason they hate/fear immigrants. Immigrants come here with nothing and in no time they own business and are successful. People born here with every opportunity can't even see what is in front of them. They can blame it on the government or hand outs but trust me they don't need any handouts. They will work harder, longer and smarter the an American.
My father came here from Italy and he used to say, If you can't get rich in this country there is something wrong with you.
I guess I went all over the place with what could have been a simple answer. I am right though.
SSDiver2112
Escott Cues
People are different and the above was an example of the two ends of the scale. I started this thread for two different reasons. First is obviously self-gratification. I am proud of my accomplishment and want to share it with others. Second to show others what can be done with some simple exploration. Sure, we know our general limitations, but you never really know till you try. When I was a scuba instructor, I taught people that were terrified of water, paraplegic, and even a blind man. Picked up a book and learned how to program a computer and here I am working as a programmer. I don't mind trying things out to see where it may lead, but I also understand sometimes you don't have the interest to do some things so it is easier to pay someone else to do it so you can focus your time on something you do care about. It might not be worth the trouble for some people, and I'm in that boat sometimes as well. I find the quest can be as much fun as the end result. I don't like to fail but learning from it and then prevailing over it is very satisfying.
OK That said here is my saga update.
With no idea what I was doing I decided to make a lathe so I could fix an old shaft I wanted to hang on the wall. Totally illogical reasoning, but I knew I could go further if it worked. After a few failures along the way, I partially succeeded by building a lathe that works great for cleaning and tips. It is marginal for turning things like tenons and ferrules, although possible, there is too much room for error. After getting this taste I decided I liked it enough to just get a proven lathe rather than starting over with a new build. Hobbies can be expensive, but I'm enjoying this one, so I got my new Mid America lathe as shown earlier in the thread and my DIY lathe got unplugged and set in the corner.
Now that I have been using the Mid America for a while, I got to thinking about how to make the workspace better and this process got me thinking about incorporating the DIY lathe into my workstation and plug it back in. Without a bed extension on the Mid America, I do have to move the headstock and motor back and forth for different tasks. Not that big of a deal, but why not use the DIY for what it is good for. I extended my bench so I can use it for simple operations when I can't or don't want to reset the main lathe. To further use it I want to try my hand a turning some joint protectors. I saved a few bucks on the tool rest by stacking some scrap wood and mounting a drawer handle to it ($4.00).
I still have some organizing and tweaking to do but so far, these simple changes help a lot with my extremely limited space. I added some shelves on the wall (to the right) within easy reach for glues, cleaners, and miscellaneous stuff. I added a shelf behind the lathe for all the things that I was setting down back there. Much more accessible plus they don't get buried in chips. To further reduce the chip mess, I built something to catch them better as they come off.
OK That said here is my saga update.
With no idea what I was doing I decided to make a lathe so I could fix an old shaft I wanted to hang on the wall. Totally illogical reasoning, but I knew I could go further if it worked. After a few failures along the way, I partially succeeded by building a lathe that works great for cleaning and tips. It is marginal for turning things like tenons and ferrules, although possible, there is too much room for error. After getting this taste I decided I liked it enough to just get a proven lathe rather than starting over with a new build. Hobbies can be expensive, but I'm enjoying this one, so I got my new Mid America lathe as shown earlier in the thread and my DIY lathe got unplugged and set in the corner.
Now that I have been using the Mid America for a while, I got to thinking about how to make the workspace better and this process got me thinking about incorporating the DIY lathe into my workstation and plug it back in. Without a bed extension on the Mid America, I do have to move the headstock and motor back and forth for different tasks. Not that big of a deal, but why not use the DIY for what it is good for. I extended my bench so I can use it for simple operations when I can't or don't want to reset the main lathe. To further use it I want to try my hand a turning some joint protectors. I saved a few bucks on the tool rest by stacking some scrap wood and mounting a drawer handle to it ($4.00).
I still have some organizing and tweaking to do but so far, these simple changes help a lot with my extremely limited space. I added some shelves on the wall (to the right) within easy reach for glues, cleaners, and miscellaneous stuff. I added a shelf behind the lathe for all the things that I was setting down back there. Much more accessible plus they don't get buried in chips. To further reduce the chip mess, I built something to catch them better as they come off.
That DIY lathe is bad a$$ alot better then mine.
SSDiver2112
Escott Cues
For those that have been installing tips for years, this thread may seem a bit oh-hum. Being this is a new adventure for me, I am still thrilled by each new challenge.
Up until now I have been working with house cues and general production cues. I knew the day would come when I would get a custom cue to work on. Don't get me wrong, I put the same care and attention into my work no matter what the cue is, but there was still the extra anxiety of working on a real one-of-a-kind cue. One of the guys on my league decided he liked the work he has been seeing and has trusted me with his Bob Manzino cue. His tip was mushroomed and getting a bit thin. I installed an Ultraskin Fire Med. I also included a picture of the ringwork just because.
Up until now I have been working with house cues and general production cues. I knew the day would come when I would get a custom cue to work on. Don't get me wrong, I put the same care and attention into my work no matter what the cue is, but there was still the extra anxiety of working on a real one-of-a-kind cue. One of the guys on my league decided he liked the work he has been seeing and has trusted me with his Bob Manzino cue. His tip was mushroomed and getting a bit thin. I installed an Ultraskin Fire Med. I also included a picture of the ringwork just because.
Nice work … looks great. I install tips for friends for free but tell them if there is a mishap do not be mad. I never had a problem but things happen. I take responsibility for anything I do however I like to have a disclosure.
SSDiver2112
Escott Cues
My work on tips, ferrules, and shafts has been coming along nicely. I do not assume I am close to being a pro, so I make myself stay cautious, take time, and continue to learn the nuances of each repair.
Recently I have ventured into two new first-time projects. First has been making joint protectors for my cues. I used my DIY lathe do the majority of the shaping and finished them off using the Mid America Lathe. My first try at it was a solid piece of Purpleheart I shaped into what looks like a couple of pawns. Not perfect, but I think they came out descent. The second set I glued a piece of Canary wood between the Purpleheart. The second attempt came out nicer. The third I reversed the woods and added some rings.
My other project led me to the other end of the cue. I have repaired all the ferrules and tips on the house cues where I play. The other day I noticed a cue in the corner I had missed. This one was in really bad shape. The butt was heavily cracked and hollow for about five inches in. The dumpster was more than likely soon to be its future home. I figured this could be a good practice experiment.
I didn’t find much on how to specifically repair something like this. I know typically a butt sleeve is put onto a tenon coming from the forearm/handle. This is a full splice cue that I am hacking the end off. I guess I could have created a tenon and put it in the cue and then made a butt sleeve, but I decided to just have the tenon be part of the new piece I was making. This seemed simpler so I went with my gut. (Let me know if this was a bad idea). I took an 8-inch piece of Yucatan Rosewood, 3 inches for the tenon and 5 inches for the piece I cut off. I bored 3-inch hole into the cue for the tenon. Once it fit good, I added black and white rings for some pizzaz, and glued it together.
After turning down to match the cue’s diameter, I sanded off the old finish and added a recess for the bumper. Next was a new ferrule and tip before giving it a new CA finish, bumper, and waxed shaft.
Done!
I probably could have worked the finish a little bit more, but I knew it was going straight to the house cue rack so perfection wasn't totally necessary. Overall I am pretty happy with the results.
Recently I have ventured into two new first-time projects. First has been making joint protectors for my cues. I used my DIY lathe do the majority of the shaping and finished them off using the Mid America Lathe. My first try at it was a solid piece of Purpleheart I shaped into what looks like a couple of pawns. Not perfect, but I think they came out descent. The second set I glued a piece of Canary wood between the Purpleheart. The second attempt came out nicer. The third I reversed the woods and added some rings.
My other project led me to the other end of the cue. I have repaired all the ferrules and tips on the house cues where I play. The other day I noticed a cue in the corner I had missed. This one was in really bad shape. The butt was heavily cracked and hollow for about five inches in. The dumpster was more than likely soon to be its future home. I figured this could be a good practice experiment.
I didn’t find much on how to specifically repair something like this. I know typically a butt sleeve is put onto a tenon coming from the forearm/handle. This is a full splice cue that I am hacking the end off. I guess I could have created a tenon and put it in the cue and then made a butt sleeve, but I decided to just have the tenon be part of the new piece I was making. This seemed simpler so I went with my gut. (Let me know if this was a bad idea). I took an 8-inch piece of Yucatan Rosewood, 3 inches for the tenon and 5 inches for the piece I cut off. I bored 3-inch hole into the cue for the tenon. Once it fit good, I added black and white rings for some pizzaz, and glued it together.
After turning down to match the cue’s diameter, I sanded off the old finish and added a recess for the bumper. Next was a new ferrule and tip before giving it a new CA finish, bumper, and waxed shaft.
Done!
I probably could have worked the finish a little bit more, but I knew it was going straight to the house cue rack so perfection wasn't totally necessary. Overall I am pretty happy with the results.
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tomatoshooter
Well-known member
Nice work!