raised ring question

bob_bushka

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
okay...i got 7 hustlers in final taper. i have brass or aluminum rings in them. what is the best case scenario for controlling these rings from expansion or raising my future clearcoat? Should I seal my rings with a cyno first? Any help would be appreciated and if you want to PM me suggestions feel free. thanks! Or in other words how does like Pechauer keep his rings so nice over the course of time and the elements!
 
Most rings are harder than their surrounding materials so cut into them slightly and then even out with the finish , if you don't the rings will be raised enough to feel after finish cures. Remember to cut at slower speed depending on the type ring used ... Patience is a virtue ...:cool:
 
I would avoid Aluminum personally because it has a high coefficient of thermal expansion (it grows A LOT when it gets warm).

I have also heard of under cutting the metal rings and building up with clear; however I think the problem remains- just takes longer to appear.

The other thing is smooth metals are not a good place for clear to adhere- nothing for it to 'tooth' to. Undercutting the metal allows the clear to adhere to the adjacent surfaces. When clearing polished Aluminum (for example) only certain clear coatings are used- those may or may not work well with wood. Check with your supplier but PPG has some nice stuff suitable for coating polished metals that I am aware of.

I suggest (but have not done my self yet) that once it is undercut, you seal it with clear epoxy, sand it flush and then apply the final clear. Cyano may work as well, and be easier to apply too. Most clear coatings do not have the structural integrity to retain the expanding metal, so the cyano/Epoxy idea seems like a good one.

Avoid the trunk of the car too! (but once it leaves the shop you have no way of knowing...):wink:
 
I suggest using thin ones only and bordering them with phenolic or fiber.
System III epoxy coat over NOT superglue.
 
Rings

Hi,

Eric is right, use a very small V-File and take your time at a slow speed. Also when ever possible glue your rings between phenolic because it is more stable than wood. Also sand the faces of your rings with 100 grit to give a rough RMS finish for better bonding.

I have also found that if you put 3 coats of epoxy on your cue to seal the wood, you can sand it very level using full sheets of sandpaper. Buy using 3 coats applied within 4 minutes of each other you get a monolithic chemical substrate to your cue that is thick and you can level without worrying about burning through the sealing media. The epoxy is much more stable than any clear coat. If you have thin epoxy areas above your rings your just asking them to pop through due to shrinkage. Also don't be stingy with your cearcoat and tell your customer not to leave their cue in their cars in the summer where temps can reach 140 degrees.

I have also noticed how good the rings are on the Peachauers. Personally I don't use metal rings as I prefer wood and veneer rings.

Rick Geschrey
Esoteric Cue
 
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The easiest way is to not use metal rings. I rarely use metal rings. However, the cue I posted today has metal rings. The rings themselves only go about .030" deep and are surrounded on all sides by Phenolic. They were also glued up with West System Epoxy, not 5 minute. I have found that if you glue up the rings with 5 minute epoxy (or G5), just sanding them will get them hot enough to break the bond. Then whatever you have on either side is still hard, but the ring is kind of floating around in there. It takes more time, but you are going to be much less likely to have them pop through the finish.
 
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