My first tip installation. Went south

[middleofnowhere]

Some things are better left to the pro's who have the equipment and expertise to perform the task. I've considered getting a shaft lathe and learning how to do this myself but as often as I need a new tip, I'd be wasting materials (glue) and it would take around 3-5 years for the setup to pay for itself and I have no interest in doing tips for others. I wouldn't attempt this without a lathe. IMO, too much can go wrong. For this reason, I decided to continue to use a local cue maker for my tip replacements. Is there not someone close to you that does tips?

If you know what you are doing it is an easy task. I have done thousands so it may seem easy to me but it really is not hard. It is well worth doing yourself.

I have put on tips and changed them the next day because I didn't like them. You can't be doing that with a tip repair guy, especially at like $30. a pop. Or continuing to use a tip you really don't like. Besides, it's fun working on your cues.

There must be a lot of guys doing it, Chris has made a good living the last 30 or more years. I actually encourage guys to learn to do their own tip work.

 

[o.g. (old guy)]

Unfortunately some people don't have any buisness near them to replace a tip. For me its a 2 hour drive one way. With the price of gas, its not very cost effective.
Practice on a couple of house cues if you have them and take your time! Like Banger said, most players did their own not that long ago.
I do agree with measureman though. If I had a cue repair near me. I'd use it.

 

[middleofnowhere]

One more thing while I remember; you guys should market a cheap tip centering jig for us DIY ers.

When I go to the shop I will show you a picture of a jig you can make to center tips perfectly. Even replace a tip that popped off and put it back on.

 

[straightline]

Clamping to the shaft...fraught with danger.

Possibly but it only need be stable enough to locate the tip properly.

 

[straightline]

When I go to the shop I will show you a picture of a jig you can make to center tips perfectly. Even replace a tip that popped off and put it back on.

'mall ears... eyes...

 

[book collector]

For me , cleaning the tip itself was never the issue. Getting the ferrule perfectly flat and level was a huge issue though, without some type of tool. Having the surface be 1000 off across the face could create huge problems. Like this /

 

[hang-the-9]

Its not crack prone because it’s flexible, but it’s better bonding and shear strength is also reduced because of that. This is a non industrial product, they made it that way because home hobby and diy people often don’t have the equipment to ensure proper and even bond gaping (consistent pressure and truly flat surfaces…inconsistency in either of these is what makes the adhesive “crack” as you mentioned and tips fly off but what’s happening is uneven pressure causing side shear loads….

It’s at Walmart and lowes so I’ll be Frank and tell you it’s mostly marketable junk. It is by no means their most durable or best adhesive of its type.

If you want a gel with high bond, high shear and designed to bond to pain in the ass materials to bond…. Locktite 454.

If you want non gel then get the 401

For what it’s worth they don’t even have it listed or searchable on their locktite site that’s really just a Gallery of their big box store lines of products…..and none of that crap will you find in a commercial or industrial workshop besides thread locker.

if you are fraying the tip then it should either be live tooled cut, your left hand bit is dull as shit or not high enough speed or both or too fast feed or all three.

When you fluff it you’ve pulled it’s density and compactness back out. Once they are fluffed and it expands out some and also lengthens the fibers are now torn and pressing it or playing on it is never going to get it to one day be suddenly back like if should have been…when this occurs thd fix is throw away the tip it…it died on the operating table.

That’s why many many of us cuebuilders/repair
men recommend and practice press tips prior to install so they become more consistent in install and playability right out the gate in the first place

Nice info about the glue to use, especially on a break cue, I used that other gel type glue on my break cue, and the tip few off several times (not when I was using it luckily hehe, someone else just broke and hit the edge of the tip). I'll have to try that 454 stuff.

 

[o.g. (old guy)]

For me , cleaning the tip itself was never the issue. Getting the ferrule perfectly flat and level was a huge issue though, without some type of tool. Having the surface be 1000 off across the face could create huge problems. Like this /

^^^^^
Agreed, I think this is the most difficult part, especially on a tip that has a fiber or clear pad. Padless tips are much easier.

 

[Mark V]

Good for doing it yourself and nice job!

I've tried exactly once on one of my more forgettable cues. Never again.

My best result would be worse than a professional's worst.

 

[GoldCrown]

Some things are better left to the pro's who have the equipment and expertise to perform the task. I've considered getting a shaft lathe and learning how to do this myself but as often as I need a new tip, I'd be wasting materials (glue) and it would take around 3-5 years for the setup to pay for itself and I have no interest in doing tips for others. I wouldn't attempt this without a lathe. IMO, too much can go wrong. For this reason, I decided to continue to use a local cue maker for my tip replacements. Is there not someone close to you that does

I did a few my self the other day...yay, us!!

View attachment 633070View attachment 633071

Razor blades. Was in a pharmacy once asking where the condoms are… cashier says next to the razor blades in case the condom fails.

 

[Toxictom]

Those shafts have been in battle, mine too. Magic eraser......hahahhhhhahahahhhahaha

Magic eraser was my first thought too.

 

[GoldCrown]

Keep trying, asking, watching uTubes. DO NOT Quit. As for Elk Masters once again they’re the worst tip to work with. Learn those and it gets easier and cleaner.

 

[Cuebuddy]

Magic eraser was my first thought too.

I rarely use it anymore. Only when I’m selling a cue as new, but have been playing the heck out of it.

 

[Chicken Feather]

[QUOTE="smoochie, post: 7211924,

I'm posting this maybe someone can spot something and give me some advice for my next try tomorrow!

I don't remember the guy's name but he did a couple of videos installing techno duds. Well done video and well done installation.

Edit: without using a lathe

 

[lfigueroa]

I failed miserably at my first ever tip installation but will try again tomorrow. I think I also damaged the ferrule somehow.

The steps I took following DrDave's instruction video which was nice, but I feel my mistake was when I put the cue vertically using a blade to remove the edges (Maybe).

I'm posting this maybe someone can spot something and give me some advice for my next try tomorrow!

Short video -->

For your first couple of tips *always* experiment with a shaft you don't care about.

At Home Depot buy a decent quality utility knife, masking tape, some 400 and 1000 grit sandpaper, and a 34" bar clamp ($18).
Online buy a Tweeten Rapid Sander and some Loctite Professional Super Glue.

Cut the old tip off.
Line the inside of the sander clamp with a few pieces of masking tape to avoid denting your shaft.
Using the 60 grit round piece of sandpaper that comes with the sander cut a couple of matching disks from the 400 and 1000.
If there's old tip left on the cue start with the 400 and when you see ferrule switch to the 1000.
Using a piece of 400 carefully rub the bottom of your new tip back and forth on it to rough it up just a bit.
Apply glue, clamp, and let dry overnight.

Wrap the ferrule with masking tape, turn the shaft tip down on a hard surface, and using *a new blade* carefully trim the tip.
Cut a thin strip of 400 and wrap it around the edge of the tip and slowly rotate the shaft until the tip is almost flush with the ferrule.
Repeat with a thin strip of 1000 grit and burnish with a folded wet paper towel.

Now before anyone gets on my case about my glue or sandpaper grit recommendations or anything else, I just want to say that this has worked for me in the past. Of course you can vary the procedure if something works better for you. But if you're going to go commando on replacing your tips this is a start. Nowadays I use a Williards to trim my tips.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Bob Jewett]

... The steps I took following DrDave's instruction video which was nice, but I feel my mistake was when I put the cue vertically using a blade to remove the edges (Maybe).
...

Evidently you didn't leave a reverse bevel as shown in Step 7 and didn't do Step 8 because there was no tip left to sand.

Start at 4:06 for Step 7.

 

[Fatboy]

I use a local Billiards store for my tips.
$15 to install plus the cost of the tip.
I get solid tips so $16.50 plus a little tax and next day service,easy peasy.

Same for me.

I couldn’t replace a tip if my life depended on it. I tried a couple times. All I did was cut myself and destroy the ferrel.

Smart enough to know when I’m dumb,
Fatboy

 

[Bob Jewett]

I learned how to do tip replacement with minimum equipment by volunteering to keep tips on the cues in the dorm rec center (actually a day room). There may be a bar or community center close to you that needs tips done that would give you practice.

 

[Bob Jewett]

As for having a billiard supply store do it.... I've had one local "premier" billiard store take an edge-trimming chisel to the ivory ferrule on a Balabushka shaft leaving it conical. It's hard to find good help.

 

[greyghost]

Thanks for the info. I will say though, the store Loctite works fine for manual work and coating the tip does take care of the fraying. As for adhesion, that one drop/sparingly etc... has never worked for tips. I apply to both surfaces and trowel the glue evenly with a toothpick. As long as I spend the 20 seconds pressing the tip into the floor, it'll stay on. I usually wait a day before I start torquing the tip (flat file to grind down the diameter) but if the size is correct in the first place, i can go right to shaping no problem.

One more thing while I remember; you guys should market a cheap tip centering jig for us DIY ers.

Lol I didn’t mean “one drop” for us I was talking about kinda Susie homemaker wanting “every last drop” out what they use for frugality …like how that and other are marketed as easy squeeze like good lord am I missing something that there’s a major issue with squeezing fluid out a tube in the superglue world? Like the toothpaste gadgets and pumps they started trying to push to moms in the 90s….

I hear George Carlin going off about this topic in mind