OB1 Tip?

[okinawa77]

I've been playing with an OB1 shaft for about 6 months.
When it was brand new, it played great.....but now, the tip is getting super hard. It's still holding chalk, but miscues when using english.
And the hit doesn't feel right anymore.

I scuffed it down quite a bit, but it still seems too hard.

Is there any way to soften the tip back to medium hardness?

 

[Gammaray]

Most players would agree that when the tip gets low, it seems to play better! In your case, there is no way to make it less firmer! If you feel like it is playing to hard, then I would suggest changing the tip. I don't know how old your shaft is, but the older OB-1's had a Talisman Medium tip.

 

[gesan]

I've been playing with an OB1 shaft for about 6 months.
When it was brand new, it played great.....but now, the tip is getting super hard. It's still holding chalk, but miscues when using english.
And the hit doesn't feel right anymore.

I scuffed it down quite a bit, but it still seems too hard.

Is there any way to soften the tip back to medium hardness?

I use a drop of neatsfoot oil - clean the tip - use just 1 drop leave your shaft upright overnight so it can absorb it and be prepared to waste a piece of chalk when you use it the 1st time - after you chalk up a few times it will be ok but the 1st 1/2 hour or so the tip is still slightly wet

an old one pocket player told me that and I've done it many times - you might have to do it more then once for the results you are looking for.

somebody will probably say its gonna ruin your cue or maybe your game or cause flooding in your town (come to think of it all those things have happened to me)
good luck hope it works for ya

 

[cyrex]

Ob1

I also play with OB shafts. I switched over to Triumph tips and have had great consistant results with them. Plus, they are pretty inexpensive.

 

[whitewolf]

Most players would agree that when the tip gets low, it seems to play better!

To my surprise, this is true I reckon. I got the opportunity to sit right next to the players at the US Open and ALL the players I saw had worn down tips! Now I know.

 

[Detlev Rackow]

A little bit of Dubbin did the trick for my tip.

I just clean off the chalk and apply a thin film on the tip. The next morning, I brushed the tip just a little with my Willard to clean the surface. The chalk doesn't suffer from this, because the excess is cleaned away with the Willard.

Detlev

 

[The King]

I switch my OB1 tips over to Everest ... But be very careful when you do you may want to take it to someone that knows what they are doing if your unsure. You have to leave that black fiber ring on there between the tip and ferrell ...

 

[okinawa77]

I use a drop of neatsfoot oil - clean the tip - use just 1 drop leave your shaft upright overnight so it can absorb it and be prepared to waste a piece of chalk when you use it the 1st time - after you chalk up a few times it will be ok but the 1st 1/2 hour or so the tip is still slightly wet

an old one pocket player told me that and I've done it many times - you might have to do it more then once for the results you are looking for.

somebody will probably say its gonna ruin your cue or maybe your game or cause flooding in your town (come to think of it all those things have happened to me)
good luck hope it works for ya

Thanks for the info. I looked up neatsfoot in Wikipedia, and is says it's a leather softener.

I had tried a different oil, but it made it too slippery.

I'll try the neatsfoot oil, and try to figure out how to dry out the oil after it's tenderized the leather.

 

[okinawa77]

A little bit of Dubbin did the trick for my tip.

I just clean off the chalk and apply a thin film on the tip. The next morning, I brushed the tip just a little with my Willard to clean the surface. The chalk doesn't suffer from this, because the excess is cleaned away with the Willard.

Detlev

Thanks for the advice. I looked up Dubbin in Wikipedia, and it's a wax.
It may work, but I can't see the wax penetrating deep enough into the leather. I may still give it a try.

 

[IanCt]

I would replace it with a Sniper tip. The first ob-1 shaft I bought and used it for about a month, and then sold it on here because I was having trouble adjusting to the different swerve and deflection properties and I thought it was very inconsistent and dead feeling, I played with a predator 2 and an older 314 shaft previously. After loosening up and not thinking about how to aim, I tried a friends ob-1 that he had put a sniper on after a recommendation from a fellow az'er, and I absolutely loved it. I bought a new ob-1 shaft from Troy aka KOINKID and had a sniper put on and I havent used my predator shafts ever since. Just my experience.
Ian

 

[Balabushka_Man]

I switch my OB1 tips over to Everest ... But be very careful when you do you may want to take it to someone that knows what they are doing if your unsure. You have to leave that black fiber ring on there between the tip and ferrell ...

Yes the black fiber ring is important-I have a Morri medium on
mine with the fiber ring-very good feel & super staight.
Sometimes it pays to send it back to OB for a replacement
tip if no one in your area has the correct ring as well.

Here's are link to help:

http://www.obcues.com/retipping.html

 

[gesan]

Thanks for the info. I looked up neatsfoot in Wikipedia, and is says it's a leather softener.

I had tried a different oil, but it made it too slippery.

I'll try the neatsfoot oil, and try to figure out how to dry out the oil after it's tenderized the leather.

I have used this method many times and assuming you only use a drop each time - you won't have to worry about it drying - it will discolor the chalk the 1st few times you apply it.

I put a small amount in an old nasal spray bottle and keep it in a pouch with some tip tools. It is refered to as my secret ingredient by some of the local players. Sometimes in the poolroom a guy will come up and say someone told him I have the secret tip juice and I apply a drop on their tip for them - rub it in with the tip of my finger. I also use it each time I put a new tip on for myself or other players.

I hope it works for you

 

[shankster8]

Interesting, I've used neatsfoot all my life, but for boots and stuff. My question is, how does the neatsfoot penetrate the lower layers of a layered tip. Those layers are not exposed on top. Do you apply it to the burnished sides, and it penetrates there?

I use a drop of neatsfoot oil - clean the tip - use just 1 drop leave your shaft upright overnight so it can absorb it and be prepared to waste a piece of chalk when you use it the 1st time - after you chalk up a few times it will be ok but the 1st 1/2 hour or so the tip is still slightly wet

an old one pocket player told me that and I've done it many times - you might have to do it more then once for the results you are looking for.

somebody will probably say its gonna ruin your cue or maybe your game or cause flooding in your town (come to think of it all those things have happened to me)
good luck hope it works for ya

 

[CrownCityCorey]

Just some FYI:

The original poster very well could have a Talisman as the factory tip being that he has had it six months; however all OB Shafts and OB Cues that one would receive today, come with an Everest Tip by Tiger

 

[gesan]

Interesting, I've used neatsfoot all my life, but for boots and stuff. My question is, how does the neatsfoot penetrate the lower layers of a layered tip. Those layers are not exposed on top. Do you apply it to the burnished sides, and it penetrates there?

I clean the tip then put 1 drop on the top most part - keep the shaft standing tip up overnight. I guess it permeates the layers that way. I have had tips that needed more then 1 application.

As I said in my 1st post on this subject an old 1 pocket player turned me on to this, I watched him trying to shape a tip 1 day and his eyes were so bad he butchered the operation. I took pity on him and shaped the tip for him.

The next day he came in handed me the nasal spray container and told me to try a drop on each tip I did - he swore by it. he also swore that him giving me 8 to 4 was a good game for me to develope as a 1 pocket player.

He started playing 1 pocket for 50 cents a game back in the 40's in washington dc and when he was 80 years old and had survived a couple of strokes could barely walk around the table he still beat me like a drum.

Its possible his was a mixture of some kind, sad to say he has not been seen in the poolroom for many a day. I hope he's hustling folks in fla.

anyway thats my story and I hope it helps

 

[Detlev Rackow]

Thanks for the advice. I looked up Dubbin in Wikipedia, and it's a wax.
It may work, but I can't see the wax penetrating deep enough into the leather. I may still give it a try.

It's not really a wax, but grease. It's made to penetrate leather and works well on i.e. outdoor shoes. There is no special magic in leather tips for pool cues, so it seems to work well - at least on the tips I have tried

Best regards,

Detlev

 

[okinawa77]

It's not really a wax, but grease. It's made to penetrate leather and works well on i.e. outdoor shoes. There is no special magic in leather tips for pool cues, so it seems to work well - at least on the tips I have tried

Best regards,

Detlev

Thanks Detlev,

I couldn't find the oil in local stores, but I found a similiar Dubbin softener.
It is a lot more liquid than I thought. It should work great. I jsut put some on yesterday.

rep to you, sir.

-Mathew

 

[okinawa77]

Just some FYI:

The original poster very well could have a Talisman as the factory tip being that he has had it six months; however all OB Shafts and OB Cues that one would receive today, come with an Everest Tip by Tiger

Yes, I have a Talisman tip.

 

[okinawa77]

It's not really a wax, but grease. It's made to penetrate leather and works well on i.e. outdoor shoes. There is no special magic in leather tips for pool cues, so it seems to work well - at least on the tips I have tried

Best regards,

Detlev

I just shot some 9 ball today with my OB1 w/Talisman tip, after 48 hours of Kiwi Saddle Soap sitting on the tip.

It's nice and soft now. It plays like it's brand new.

I used a tip pic and perforated the tip, then I rubbed the Kiwi Saddle Soap into the tip. The tip sucked that stuff up like a camel in the desert dying of thirst.

I didn't scuff it down or anything, just started playing with it....I had to chalk after every single shot, but after about 3 or 4 games....it's all good.

Thanks again for the "tip" tip...rep to you.:thumbup:

 

[mooseman]

I have an OB1 (talisman tip) that I picked up in Vegas a couple of years ago. Though I tried I just couldn't get used to it. I prefer a hard tip and I guess I like the noise.

The bottom line is I tried different tips to include cutting the talisman in half, superpro, etc. I think I have a hercules medium on there now and it feels close to what I like.

I guess I just prefer playing with the stock Sugartree shaft with a superpro tip.

In all fairness I don't think I gave the OB1 a fair chance. I might have played with it for a month and that's only a few times a week. I still have it in my bag to keep trying though because when I tried one of the demos in Vegas it was the bomb. That's why I bought it in the first place....

Good to find out about the oil stuff though. I'll talk with QBilder about that.