Secret sauce recipe I thought I would share.

[CuesDirectly]

Go dead, not live. One small drop of BLO.

I thought I was the only one doing it and then Bill Stroud chimed in here once and said that's how he always did it.

Use your dead center with a small drop of Boiled Linseed Oil and the end of your shaft will become burnished, the oil will absorb over time and harden the end of the shaft. The oil helps with the super glue for the tip.

Do it throughout the entire process and see what it does, let me know in a year or two, it takes that long to really work.

Anyone else ever do this? You will like the hit it produces, try it if you have not done so.

 

[CuesDirectly]

I use raw linseed oil on an ash snooker cue. I was told by the cuemaker to use raw as boiled contains drying agents which can dry the wood out.

Are you talking about the manufacturing processes of turning the shafts down or are you talking about putting it on the finished wood?

Boiled means the impurities have been removed.

I have never had one dry out and crack, I still have some of the first ones I did 8 years ago.

Thanks for chiming in and if I ever switch, I will Thank you again.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Well when you spill the beans, giving up secret, it is no longer secret.

 

[tomatoetom]

Go dead, not live. One small drop of BLO.

I thought I was the only one doing it and then Bill Stroud chimed in here once and said that's how he always did it.

Use your dead center with a small drop of Boiled Linseed Oil and the end of your shaft will become burnished, the oil will absorb over time and harden the end of the shaft. The oil helps with the super glue for the tip.

Do it throughout the entire process and see what it does, let me know in a year or two, it takes that long to really work.

Anyone else ever do this? You will like the hit it produces, try it if you have not done so.

Not sure what you are talking about could you explain? Thanks

 

[conetip]

A combination of some oils and super glue, effectively creates a varnish that dries fairly close to instantly.

 

[CuesDirectly]

A combination of some oils and super glue, effectively creates a varnish that dries fairly close to instantly.

What you say is correct but the super glue never comes in until it's time for the tip, what I am talking about is the time turning down the shaft over a few years.

Most people will use a live center at the ferrule end of the shaft while cutting it down, all I am saying is use a dead center while putting a small drop of BLO in the hole.

My proof of how good this works? It comes from years of people telling me I have something special, I am only doing my best to share this information. Why share it? Carbon fiber has made great inroads into the industry and I am willing to do my best to share what I can about Maple.

The Late Great Bill Stroud was the only other person I have seen who mentioned this, he did so right here on AZBilliards in this section. Anyone else?

 

[JC]

I cut off the small end prior to installing the ferule to get rid of the center hole. Usually about an inch for a standard 29 inch shaft. If you are preserving the treated end of the shaft what do you do with the center hole? And I turn my shafts from tip to butt so the ferrule end is driven by the friction of the head stock dead center with a spring loaded center at the butt end. This way I can change shafts in about a second without worrying about tension. Do you turn from the butt end with a spur or some such thing to drive the wood? What type of setup do you use to turn your shafts? Also after you cut your ferrule tenon isn't it only the tenon that has the treated wood? Does it soak in deeper than the length of your ferule tenon down the end grain?

 

[BarenbruggeCues]

I've always turned my shafts from the joint to the tip. 3/8 dia center hole at the headstock end and a zero or maybe it's a double zero center hole at the tip end. Can't remember right now but I know it's very small. Cut off 1/4" of both ends before the tip gets installed. The amount of pressure needed on just a plain dead center mounted at the headstock to turn the shaft is amazingly very little....when using a live center at the tail end. I've used cyano for tip securement on about 6 cues in my entire 20 plus yrs of building. Don't care for it and the characteristics needed to secure a leather tip to the end of shaft.
Each has their own secrets on how to do things I guess. Kinda like the pad or no pad thing. I've put one on 99% of every shaft for my cues that has left my shop over the last 20 plus yrs. It's like the "which joint hits better" thing. If you didn't visually know that there was a pad on the end of the shaft under the tip, I doubt you could pick one out of 10 in the group. Shooting pool is such a mental game that people choose all types of reasons why they miss a shot or think the cue plays a certain way by what they are looking at and not what the real reason is behind their thought process.
Oh....I can't make a ball with that shaft because it has a pad installed under the tip and deadens the hit! LOL

 

[CuesDirectly]

I've always turned my shafts from the joint to the tip.

Awesome, I have never known any other way, we agree.

Cut off 1/4" of both ends before the tip gets installed.

I face cut mine but also use a small hole, the burnishing does soak in beyond the depth of the hole, great point of discussion.

The amount of pressure needed on just a plain dead center mounted at the headstock to turn the shaft is amazingly very little....when using a live center at the tail end.

Regardless of drive, the tailstock with dead center and a drop will produce about the same resistance as a live center. If I touch the shaft while spinning, it will stop. We all agree, resistance = taper roll and that's never acceptable to anyone in here I am sure.


As far as the hit, it's the opinion of my customers over the years and not my own opinion.


Thanks so much for taking the time, I appreciate it.

 

[Sheldon]

Interesting idea, thanks for sharing it!