shaft

bubsbug

bubsbug

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just finnished a laminate shaft for a cue tonight. This cue looks like a #2 pencil with the name Neal on it. it Is pretty cool and looks just like a pencil with 6 flat sides.

Does anyone know how this is made. Turned round oversized with a taper and then ran down tablesaw???? Or just ran down table saw with a taper??? Butt end has what looks like the metal end of a pencil on it but only wood and painted gray. I cant really tell if this is a seperate peice or not. The red rubber erassor end is definatly another peice. Anyways I was just wondering how it was made thanks.
 
bubsbug said:
I just finnished a laminate shaft for a cue tonight. This cue looks like a #2 pencil with the name Neal on it. it Is pretty cool and looks just like a pencil with 6 flat sides.

Does anyone know how this is made. Turned round oversized with a taper and then ran down tablesaw???? Or just ran down table saw with a taper??? Butt end has what looks like the metal end of a pencil on it but only wood and painted gray. I cant really tell if this is a seperate peice or not. The red rubber erassor end is definatly another peice. Anyways I was just wondering how it was made thanks.
Click to expand...

MAN YOU'RE TAKIN' WAY TOO MUCH STUFF. MELLOW OUT...JER
 
bubsbug said:
I just finnished a laminate shaft for a cue tonight. This cue looks like a #2 pencil with the name Neal on it. it Is pretty cool and looks just like a pencil with 6 flat sides.

Does anyone know how this is made. Turned round oversized with a taper and then ran down tablesaw???? Or just ran down table saw with a taper??? Butt end has what looks like the metal end of a pencil on it but only wood and painted gray. I cant really tell if this is a seperate peice or not. The red rubber erassor end is definatly another peice. Anyways I was just wondering how it was made thanks.
Click to expand...
uh.... what? If you played puff puff pass the right way, I think I'd understand.
 
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that's neat

you HAVE to post a picture of this fine cue. :D

At first I thought you were talking about the shaft looking like a pencil.
Then I thought... why is he asking how this is made when his first statement
is.. I just made this shaft. Then I reread it and I really want to see this cue.
post it up!

-cOOp
 
my guess is it would be pretty simple. taper it over sized, then run the router vertically without the cue spinning, using indexing to get the flat spots.
 
use a jig made for ring groove cutting

on an oversized butt with the vertical router as explained earlier. Index it every 60 degrees if you want a hex. Just offset the tailstock to keep your normal butt taper!
 
The cue was made by Mike Neal. He's out of Lincoln NE but I am not sure if he is still making cues. You can find him in the 3rd Bluebook. Also, check out his "zipper" butterfly cue. Super nice guy.....

Here's his site.

www.cueman.com
 
ratcues said:
The cue was made by Mike Neal. He's out of Lincoln NE but I am not sure if he is still making cues. You can find him in the 3rd Bluebook. Also, check out his "zipper" butterfly cue. Super nice guy.....

Here's his site.

www.cueman.com
Click to expand...


I'm not sure the site works anymore, but I will say that I have seen pictures of his zipper cue a few times and it is alot of work and looks great! haha, definitely different!
 
johnf_34 said:
I'm not sure the site works anymore, but I will say that I have seen pictures of his zipper cue a few times and it is alot of work and looks great! haha, definitely different!
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Last time I spoke with him, he was working for the railroad and did not have the time to work on cues. I know he still has his equipment so he can make cues if you are willing to wait a little longer.
 
bubsbug said:
Here are some pics!
Click to expand...

Can't see any pics!!

You aren't trying to copy this cue, are you? I don't think that would be a very good idea.....
 
pencil cue

I can't get the upload to take for what ever reason. Pics are below 100kb. I have never encounterd this problem. Hopefully I can post soon.

No, Not exactly! The concept perhaps, just being honest. Maybe not a pencile but perhaps a Bic pen or something. It certainly initiates many thought provoking ideas. In my area people are intreaged by it.
 
bubsbug said:
No, Not exactly! The concept perhaps, just being honest. Maybe not a pencile but perhaps a Bic pen or something. It certainly initiates many thought provoking ideas. In my area people are intreaged by it.
Click to expand...

IMO, that is still copying. Just because you make a Bic and not a pencil doesn't make a difference.
 
If thats true then you must hate cuebuilding. Who's concept did you take? Are not all cue makers guilty of this to some degree? If you believe what you are saying then changing material (ie ss joint v's phonolic) or what ever other material or part, is still coping. If you see a cue with 3 points that you like and you make one similer with 6 points is this not coping the concept, in you opinion? If so how then do you live with your self.

Personally as a consumer I love it because it creates competition and keeps the market competative and usually lower. As a business person it may be different. It wouldn't upsett me that someone copied it, it would be the belief that someone is making more money then I the creator, which is selfishness and greed. But, on a more positive note, this usually is how better products are made which benifiets everyone. Can't beat that! The cycle keeps repeating?
 
Ryan
For example, what do you think about this product?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cue-Repair-Lath...oryZ1292QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It's very clear where the concept came from. I call it the UniqueHightower lathe. It has characteristics of both a unique product lathe and a Hightower lathe at a very competitive price. I have never used this lathe nor do I know anything about it. I do however see instant changes that would make this machine better.

As mentioned before as a consumer this is welcome because it created inovated thinking, cheaper prices, and maybe a comparable product.

I can't speak for anyone but I would suspect that these other cue building manufactures despise this product for many many different reasons other than the economical issue at hand.

I am for Education, growth, and using what we currently know about something to better it, no matter who doe's it.
 
bubsbug said:
If thats true then you must hate cuebuilding. Who's concept did you take? Are not all cue makers guilty of this to some degree? If you believe what you are saying then changing material (ie ss joint v's phonolic) or what ever other material or part, is still coping. If you see a cue with 3 points that you like and you make one similer with 6 points is this not coping the concept, in you opinion? If so how then do you live with your self.

Personally as a consumer I love it because it creates competition and keeps the market competative and usually lower. As a business person it may be different. It wouldn't upsett me that someone copied it, it would be the belief that someone is making more money then I the creator, which is selfishness and greed. But, on a more positive note, this usually is how better products are made which benifiets everyone. Can't beat that! The cycle keeps repeating?
Click to expand...

I totally agree with what you say with cues and with the machines. My point is that you started out talking about a specific cue that you would like to know how it was made, then, using the info you got, will try to "duplicate" it. I believe that to be copying. This isn't a 4 pt cue with ringwork that you are refering to. It is a unique cue that Mike came up with and most cuemakers have an unwritten code not to blantantly copy another's work.

I'm not trying to start a fight. I'm just stating my opinion that the unique idea of a cue shaped like a writing utensil is the intellectual property of Mike Neal and I, for one, would never duplicate it for any price.
 
When designing cues, particularly if you do not do inlays and fancy ringwork, there is a finite list of designs to work with. If a cuemaker makes a plain jain with birdseye front and sleeve and purpleheart handle with plain black phenolic rings, is that forbidden and owned, and no other cuemaker can make that cue? I don't think so.

What you are talking about is very different Bug. You can find many purpleheart handled cues with birdseye fronts from many cuemakers. There probably is only one cue machined and finished like the one you are talking about, the ones made by the guy in question. There is a difference.

If you want to go in your shop and try and reproduce it for an experiment for yourself only, maybe even play with it yourself, knock yourself out. But don't kid yourself about what you are doing, and don't pretend if you sell it or show it off or let people think it was a product of your imagination, there is some sort of flattery to the guy you copied it from.

Kelly
 
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