Question about chalk and hard tip

irspow

irspow

Member
Couldn’t find a specific answer here with search function.

So I recently switched to using a hard tip. I am really liking how it plays (for me).

However, I can’t seem to get an even layer of chalk applied to the whole tip. There are small points and arcs where the chalk is ‘thinner’ than other areas. Also there are extra spots that lose some chalk after making a shot in addition to the contact point.

I’ve tried using a tapper and sandpaper which make more chalk stick in general, but there are still areas with different amounts of chalk. Is this something normal having to do with a hard tip or am I just a moron? 😂 So my real questions are:

What would be the best way to make a hard tip (or maybe any tip) accept chalk evenly across its surface?

Shouldn’t chalk remain on the tip after a shot where it was not part of the contact point?

Thanks
 
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I like piks for my hard tips.

pj
chgo

tip piks.jpg
 
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How about "Picking," in a circle around the center of your hard tip. That would hold chalk at the point of miscue and keep a layer at the center of your tip. Rub the circle in, and glance over the tip with a brush motion.
Just a suggestion.
 
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I like the pick too.
How hards the tip? Phenolic? Waterbuffalo? Triangle? Would be my personal hardness experience and scale from hardest. With phenolic break tip and just recent switch back from Buffalo to Triangle. The harder the tip the closer I must stay to center ball.
I like to keep the chalk on the tip as thin as possible. Caking and layers of chalk are not good. So lighten up on the chalk and apply it with the artists touch. The chalk is abrasive and brushing the bald spots with just the edge of the cube is my preferred method. If I stay up on the maintenance that way I don't have to recondition with the pin cushion.
My phenolic tip carries the lightest coat and requires staying real close to center on the hit.
 
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irspow said:
Couldn’t find a specific answer here with search function.

So I recently switched to using a hard tip. I am really liking how it plays (for me).

However, I can’t seem to get an even layer of chalk applied to the whole tip. There are small points and arcs where the chalk is ‘thinner’ than other areas. Also there are extra spots that lose some chalk after making a shot in addition to the contact point.

I’ve tried using a tapper and sandpaper which make more chalk stick in general, but there are still areas with different amounts of chalk. Is this something normal having to do with a hard tip or am I just a moron? 😂 So my real questions are:

What would be the best way to make a hard tip (or maybe any tip) accept chalk evenly across its surface?

Shouldn’t chalk remain on the tip after a shot where it was not part of the contact point?

Thanks
Click to expand...
A number of our tournament players that use their own premium chalks like Taom still go to the master chalk for their break cue and their jump cue before a shot. I assume that has something to do with their thinking their premium chalks don’t work as well on a hard tip.
 
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gregcantrall said:
I like the pick too.
How hards the tip? Phenolic? Waterbuffalo? Triangle? Would be my personal hardness experience and scale from hardest. With phenolic break tip and just recent switch back from Buffalo to Triangle. The harder the tip the closer I must stay to center ball.
I like to keep the chalk on the tip as thin as possible. Caking and layers of chalk are not good. So lighten up on the chalk and apply it with the artists touch. The chalk is abrasive and brushing the bald spots with just the edge of the cube is my preferred method. If I stay up on the maintenance that way I don't have to recondition with the pin cushion.
My phenolic tip carries the lightest coat and requires staying real close to center on the hit.
Click to expand...
My tip is a hard Cue Elf. I have not had a problem hitting near cue limit. I basically just line up the edge of tip with a quarter of the cue ball. I do however apply a maybe thicker layer of chalk. Maybe a thinner layer would be more even overall.
 
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Texas Carom Club said:
Never had a problem keeping chalk on my tiger Everest tips
with master or now with taom v10 it cakes and stays on
Try taom v10


The tip on my bk rush tho held much more and better with masters than the v10
Click to expand...
It could be a chalk issue. I’ve been using cheap triangle chalk. For me anyway, the triangle seems to work much like the masters I was using before when using a softer tip. I do still have some masters laying around. I can try that on my new tip to see if it is different.
 
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irspow said:
My tip is a hard Cue Elf. I have not had a problem hitting near cue limit. I basically just line up the edge of tip with a quarter of the cue ball. I do however apply a maybe thicker layer of chalk. Maybe a thinner layer would be more even overall.
Click to expand...
I think of the layer of chalk like a thin layer of sand on the iced over road. Just enough to get the friction. Too much chalk makes me think of getting stuck in the sand on the beach. My theory is that the chalk won't bite until it gets down to that thin layer contacting the leather.
 
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ChrisinNC said:
A number of our tournament players that use their own premium chalks like Taom still go to the master chalk for their break cue and their jump cue before a shot. I assume that has something to do with their thinking their premium chalks don’t work as well on a hard tip.
Click to expand...
Can confirm that. Taom V10 doesn’t cover well on stock phenolic or Taom 2.0 break/jump tips. But after scuffing them a bit with a coarse sandpaper, it covers enough for my tastes.
 
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DeadStick said:
Can confirm that. Taom V10 doesn’t cover well on stock phenolic or Taom 2.0 break/jump tips. But after scuffing them a bit with a coarse sandpaper, it covers enough for my tastes.
Click to expand...
Does a hard playing tip (Cue Elf #6 ‘hard’) compare with phenolic/break/jump tips? I am embarrasingly lacking tip knowledge.
 
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irspow said:
Does a hard playing tip (Cue Elf #6 ‘hard’) compare with phenolic/break/jump tips? I am embarrasingly lacking tip knowledge.
Click to expand...
I don’t play hard leather tips any more, but I remember my Samsara needing a little more attention to ensure chalk coverage, back in my Master chalk days.

I wouldn’t sweat slightly uneven coverage, which is what your original post described (to me). Caking is worse than “too thin”. Using brush strokes and watching it while applying, it should make it possible to avoid caking.
 
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DeadStick said:
Can confirm that. Taom V10 doesn’t cover well on stock phenolic or Taom 2.0 break/jump tips. But after scuffing them a bit with a coarse sandpaper, it covers enough for my tastes.
Click to expand...
I have never been able to get complete coverage on my phenolic break jump. Fortunately I am always aiming for center ball when using that cue. Well perhaps just a smidgen off center to move the cueball on a jump shot but that's risky for me. However very rewarding when I can pull off the jump, With Shape.
 
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20240107_052034.jpg

The top is phenolic and bottom is triangle on ivory. The ivory has been cracked and repaired using nail polish remover (acetone ). Hot stuff goes into skin quick. Since it dissolves super glue, I gave the Crack a good dose of acetone first then glue. It's lasted uh more than 10 years that way. Plus it gives me a front sight. 🤷‍♂️
As long as Ronnie O'sullivan uses triangle chalk, it's good enough for me. Two colors allows me to see interesting things when I switch back and forth. I do prefer the green. Shrug
 
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ChrisinNC said:
A number of our tournament players that use their own premium chalks like Taom still go to the master chalk for their break cue and their jump cue before a shot. I assume that has something to do with their thinking their premium chalks don’t work as well on a hard tip.
Click to expand...
I share this sentiment. I am using a HeddaRo chalk for my break and jump cues, and Pyro on my playing cue (v10 for snooker cue)
Tried both Pyro and v10 on break and jump cue. Neither really have the consistency.
 
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I could be way off base, but could it be the shape of your chalk?
I use a Ultraskin med black tip and it's been on about a year now and
1000002199.jpg
is really short, and really hard.
We use masters and on our table at home there is 4 cubes laying around that the center gets drilled out by my wife and company. With those chalks it takes more work to get a full layer of chalk on my now hard tip, where as with my cube of chalk I keep in my case for leagues that I mostly wipe on and it seems to go on and cover easier.
 
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