Signing a cue..what to use?

Zagiflyer

Zagiflyer

Mr. 15
Silver Member
Hello:

I'm a new hobbyist cuemaker and I have a question: I'm designing a cue for a family member as a gift and I want to sign the cue. I've seen plenty of pictures of cues that have been signed but what's the best thing to use? What type of pen or pencil will give a dark enough and fine enough line to make small lettering without worrying about smearing or running when the finish is applied over the lettering. Thanks.

Ken N.
 
Zagiflyer said:
Hello:

I'm a new hobbyist cuemaker and I have a question: I'm designing a cue for a family member as a gift and I want to sign the cue. I've seen plenty of pictures of cues that have been signed but what's the best thing to use? What type of pen or pencil will give a dark enough and fine enough line to make small lettering without worrying about smearing or running when the finish is applied over the lettering. Thanks.

Ken N.
Click to expand...

"Fine" point Sharpie (permanent marker).
 
other alternative ...

Is just to design a signature or logo,
and have it done by laser. Costs about $50,
and looks much more professional, IMO.
 
Thanks for the information. I didn't see the previous thread, I found one on logo designing and missed the one on signatures and decals. I'll give the Sharpie a try. I wish I didn't have atrocious handwriting :)
 
Zagiflyer said:
Thanks for the information. I didn't see the previous thread, I found one on logo designing and missed the one on signatures and decals. I'll give the Sharpie a try. I wish I didn't have atrocious handwriting :)
Click to expand...

I went to an artist supply store and picked up a micro-point ball point pen. It has the finest line I've ever seen but it's in black only. I've got other extra-fine ball points in both silver and gold that I use on very dark cues. Their line is not as fine as the micro however. These are all much finer than the Sharpie.
Dick
 
tip with sharpies, You can sharpen them with a sharp razor to get a finer point, simular to how you would a carpenter pencil. The only thing is it becomes kind of like a tiny paint brush when applied to a surface, so you have to control the ink by wiping it with a paper towel or something, and more paint with it then write with. I have'nt used it for signing yet, but may work for it.

I have some ball point gel pens that make My sig look better and believe me It needs help :p . they keep it smaller looking, but they do smear really easy.

Sealing the signature off good with a spray seems better to me, because just about everything will smear if rubbed, but can be rubbed after it's be sealed good. Even a pencil (what I've been using on maple) will stain if you just rub it with your finger.

There are many types of pens out there, some write & dry better then others, you could just buy some that look good, and practice on some scrap till you find something you like. Office supply stores usually have a good selection, as well as some craft stores.

I've had some gold & slilver pens I've used for lettering I've drawn before, and they look good against a black background. I drew some custom letering on a black drum head for a friend in a band once way back when, and It came out pretty nice with the silver. have'nt used them on cues yet though, but seen them used, and does look nice to me also on the darker colors, as already mentioned.


Greg
 
Zagiflyer said:
Hello:
What type of pen or pencil will give a dark enough and fine enough line to make small lettering without worrying about smearing or running when the finish is applied over the lettering. Thanks.Ken N.
Click to expand...

I use a technical pen with a tip diameter of .013 - much finer than a Sharpie.

1817.jpg
 
dzcues said:
I use a technical pen with a tip diameter of .013 - much finer than a Sharpie.

1817.jpg
Click to expand...



I use to have some of those I think, seems like that would work well. Know where the best place to get them is by any chance? I looked for something like that in a store one time with this in mind, but the place I checked did not have them. seems like they use to be easier to find.

Thanks, Greg
 
Signing a cue

If you are going to use any kind INK, you had better put your 1st couple of coats of clear on before hand. On the bare wood, the ink will bleed into the grain of the wood...JER
 
BLACKHEARTCUES said:
If you are going to use any kind INK, you had better put your 1st couple of coats of clear on before hand. On the bare wood, the ink will bleed into the grain of the wood...JER
Click to expand...

The black pen I use is a Pigma Micron 005. It says it has a 0.20mm line width and on my caliper that comes out to a little less than .008 ths. Got it at a Art supply store near the U.C. campus. I use a sealer then an U.V finish followed by Urethane auto finish. I sign after the U.V.cured finish has been sanded out. After sanding there is a texture that lets the pen write easily without sliding. I used to sign between the sealer an the U.V. but found that the heat from the U.V. ( 1600 degree ) would sort of boil the ink.
Dick
 
i think a well done sig along a prong looks really nice,,,,,IF WELL DONE!!! a lot of 'em look sloppy.

i haven't seen anyone come up with a nice logo,,,,kinda like a "touche". they're all rather bland
 
The unsealed writes better for me, and why i like the pencil near the points, but it will bleed if the ink overloads the area. I'm going to try some of those fine pens, and I'll just test it to make sure the bleed is even, and not too thick before putting one to a cue. If it does'nt spread out too much it Might be alright.

You might could take the top off the sealer, to keep it from sliding around as bad if need be. that is if that can be done with the sealer you use, and not show up in the finish or something.
 
Thanks everyone, lots of good information. I'll get some pens and try them on some scrap dowels and then finish over them and see what happens. New challenges all the time. I got a sample of some bright white linen phenolic (MCB) from Atlas and made a cue with it. I'm doing the final sanding before finishing and wow, is this stuff hard to keep clean. I'm using an air compressor to blow the dust away but it still gets dirty. I'll have to sand the whole cue then go back and detail the butt cap with fresh sandpaper until I get it white enough then slap a quick coat of CA on it to seal it off before I do my epoxy undercoat. I need to be in one of those clean rooms that they build microchips in to use this stuff :) I think I'll end up using the Aegis or Ivorine in the future because they are a little "off white" instead of bright white. There are subtle differences between all of these materials.
 
Cue Crazy said:
I use to have some of those I think, seems like that would work well. Know where the best place to get them is by any chance? I looked for something like that in a store one time with this in mind, but the place I checked did not have them. seems like they use to be easier to find.

Thanks, Greg
Click to expand...

I got mine at a local art supply house but they are available online. Just do a search on them. The signature should be put on between coats of clear, after the surface has been sanded & is ready for the next coat. I prefer putting it on between the points but if there are no points, I'll put it on above the buttcap. My penmanship sucks, especially when trying to do it small & deliberate but at least each one will be unique.

I tried the decal bit & it works great...except the clear border around the signature is sometimes visible under the cue's clearcoat. I've only done a few that way & nobody has complained but it bothered me so I've gone back to signing each one individually. I will, however, use it for my graphite shafts instead of machining a " -G- " design in each shaft.

decal.jpg
 
Possible alternative

For wood working projects (other than cues) I have printed a label (plain paper) on the laser jet (backwards) as in mirror view and then transferred the image to the wood by using the heat from an iron. The smoother the wood the more detail will transfer. I do not know what would happen after using some of the finishes you guys are using but have had no problems with whatever it was I used. Actually you could do a logo and signature but you would maybe lose the variety in your ever changing signature. This would only work on the lighter woods also. May be worth an experimant though.
 
dzcues said:
I got mine at a local art supply house but they are available online. Just do a search on them. The signature should be put on between coats of clear, after the surface has been sanded & is ready for the next coat. I prefer putting it on between the points but if there are no points, I'll put it on above the buttcap. My penmanship sucks, especially when trying to do it small & deliberate but at least each one will be unique.

I tried the decal bit & it works great...except the clear border around the signature is sometimes visible under the cue's clearcoat. I've only done a few that way & nobody has complained but it bothered me so I've gone back to signing each one individually. I will, however, use it for my graphite shafts instead of machining a " -G- " design in each shaft.

decal.jpg
Click to expand...



Thanks Bob, I'll look and see if I can find some.

I remember talking about the transfers before, but I still have'nt tried It myself yet, looks good on your shaft.

My penmanship lacks a few things also, and sig. is always diffferent. I have just been putting a G and the year on the ones recently, but need to do something better. I have a template for a ring engraver, and was thinking of using it to mill a template to initial the buttcaps for now. I still want to try the transfers also.

Thanks, Greg
 
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