Source for final sized shaft blanks?

[Zagiflyer]

Hello;

I'm looking to purchase some pro-taper shaft blanks that are pretty close to final dimensions (13.5 or so) so that I only need to sand them to the final dimensions. I'm a hobbyist (still quite new at this) with one lathe and limited time who only builds a few cues a year, it's not really practical for me to start from dowels and have lots of shafts in-process. I'm wondering what suppliers others have been happy with and who other makers would recommend as a supplier for this item. I've used Schmelke for blanks in the past and their blanks are very reasonably priced but the pro-taper is shorter than what I would like and I have quite a few blanks warp on me. I'm not knocking Schmelke here, they are nice people and their service has been good, I also understand that you get what you pay for. Also, I realize that when dealing with long, thin pieces of maple that need to be shipped and go thorough temperature and humidity changes you will never get 100% of the shafts to stay totally wobble-free forever. The blanks that Schmelke sent me were all staright when I got them.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Zag

 

[Cue Crazy]

I got some from Chris that I liked before I started turning My own. I purchased from another place too, but didn't like the taper as much, like your saying It didn't pull back as much as I like. I'm only a few hours away from him though, so I didn't really have to worry about any major climate change issues with warping or anything like that.


Greg

 

[KJ Cues]

Schmelke sells good blanks for the most part.
Atlas is another source.
My personal favorite, and this is where I buy my shaft blanks, is : http://www.cuestockinc.com/

 

[Varney Cues]

Cuestock is a fine choice. I used to buy shafts from them many years ago & was happy with the quality.

 

[Dave38]

Schmelke sells good blanks for the most part.
Atlas is another source.
My personal favorite, and this is where I buy my shaft blanks, is : http://www.cuestockinc.com/

Thanks for the link KJ, I'll be checking them out after the first of the year for some wood.
Merry Christmas,
Dave

 

[Zagiflyer]

Thanks for all of the replies and especially the Cuestockinc. link. I had never heard of them before. I'll give their stuff a try. I'm slowly progressing with my building and have started messing with points. After a few tries I finally started making basic, 4-point V-groove blanks with nice lines and even points. Unfortunately, my first attempt at joining the handle to one developed a wobble and threw the points way off. I was not happy but I know where I went wrong. I really like looking at some of the cues you guys make. As a beginning cue builder having a tough time perfecting simple cues I can appreciate the time and skill involved.

Zag

 

[cueman]

Thanks for all of the replies and especially the Cuestockinc. link. I had never heard of them before. I'll give their stuff a try. I'm slowly progressing with my building and have started messing with points. After a few tries I finally started making basic, 4-point V-groove blanks with nice lines and even points. Unfortunately, my first attempt at joining the handle to one developed a wobble and threw the points way off. I was not happy but I know where I went wrong. I really like looking at some of the cues you guys make. As a beginning cue builder having a tough time perfecting simple cues I can appreciate the time and skill involved.

Zag

When buying tapered shaft blanks you need to decide a few things. How important is the appearance compared to growth ring count, and how important is the weight of the shaft? Where the wood comes from makes a good bit of difference in weight. And how pretty the shaft is will make a good bit of difference in price. I would advise only buying a few from the various sources to decide what you really like the best.
You can also find shaft blanks at
www.cuesmith.com
and www.prathercue.com
in addition to the above mentioned fine companies.
I feel those are the two best sources for final sanding size shafts. They are also some the oldest suppliers of tapered blanks.

 

[dave sutton]

i use atlas. never had a prob there.

 

[Sheldon]

Cuestock rocks! They know how to grade shafts, unlike some I've bought from. Mr. Dominiak is a nice guy too.
His radial shafts are probably the best deal out there too, $45 for blanks.