Tip install question

twal

twal

"W"
Silver Member
So I see that some folks here “press” tips before they put them on.
I have never pressed a tip before install.
How does one go about doing this, Use a C clamp? Other methods? How do you know how much pressure?

I guess it might be a matter of opinion.
From what I have seen this appears to be that this is done for playing characteristics of the tip. Another way to put it is that is speeds up the break in process and on some tips it reduces mushrooming of the tip.
Is there any other argument for this?
 
1. Use vice. Clamp it over night.

2. Or put your tip between an old magazine. Take a hammer and hammer it hard for about 2 minutes. It should feel hot. It is ready for installation. :smile:
 
I have pressed a few tips in my day, but to be honest with you I think very little is gained by the practice.
To do it I simply used a bench vice with the tip placed between two pieces of brass sheet and squeezed. The tip will compress, becoming more dense, and thereby minimizing mushrooming, or at least in theory. Since there is almost always a trade-off with anything, it is possible the tip could fracture internally, and fail sometime in the future.
My advice would be to step on into the twenty-first century and install a laminated tip. Everest would be my choice. :smile:
 
Ya know, I must be old fashioned, but I think this is one of the most ridiculous things I've heard.

Even if it were of any value, what scientific means are you using to gauge pressure? Shouldn't this be a consideration for consistent results?

Why in the world do folks try to reinvent the wheel. With a zillion different commercially made tips available, with every style and hardness available, why in the world is this even seem like a logical thing to labor?

Here's a formula. Take the price of a tip,times the number of times it is replaced a year, and divide it by WTF and you will get some logical reasoning. :)
 
Divide it by WTF?
Hahaha, good one.

Actually, I've seen where people tap it with a hammer a couple of times, but to tell people to hammer on a tip for 2 minutes is pretty subjective. I mean how large a hammer you're using and how hard the blows are. I could completely annihilate a tip in 2 minutes. If you are going to practice this method, place the tip on a solid surface (small anvil that you can buy at a hobby shop for a couple of $) and give the tip a couple of very slight taps.
Joe Picone sells tip presses on EBay that are made for making Milk Duds. They work great for that. The press comes with a flat piston and a curved one so I would think that it will work great for any tip you may want to press. I use a C clamp on the presses. If you get one of his presses, you can accomplish what you like and make a Milk Dud or 2 as well. Kill 2 birds with one stone.

I suggest that you give the tip a normal break in period and if you experience any mushrooming, there are a couple of inexpensive tools made by Joe Porper that will take care of a shroom after that.
 
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Divide it by WTF?
Hahaha, good one.

Actually, I've seen where people tap it with a hammer a couple of times, but to tell people to hammer on a tip for 2 minutes is pretty subjective. I mean how large a hammer you're using and how hard the blows are. I could completely annihilate a tip in 2 minutes. If you are going to practice this method, place the tip on a solid surface (small anvil that you can buy at a hobby shop for a couple of $) and give the tip a couple of very slight taps.

I suggest that you give the tip a normal break in period and if you experience any mushrooming, there are a couple of inexpensive tools made by Joe Porper that will take care of a shroom after that.
 
As I've played around with this, I have one of the presses by Rocketcues. I use this in a drill press vise. I also use a torque wrench that allows me to adjust the pressure consistently in the vise. The only thing then is what you use to soak the tip in and the tips you want to use. This is my spin on the subject.

Note I will never go back to any layered tips after this........
 
Use as many methods and as much pressure as necessary untill you are convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that your playing ability has advanced due to your secret formula for tip compression. This is the only way you will truly understand what all the fuss is about.....or just practice till ya get better.......Dan
 
I used to...

I used to do this to LePro tips in the 70s so they wouldn't mushroom after installation. I would put one on the flat of my vise and take a regular hammer and tap the tip 20 times, just a bit harder than if the hammer fell on its own. This worked well on Champions too. There were no laminated tips out when I was doing this. The tips would play a little hard, about like they would after 3 months or so of regular play. The crowns held their shape and if the tip needed any mushroom work, a little 400 flat on the counter and rolling the tip for 10-15 seconds would take care of it. After that, the tip would usually never mushroom again right through until it needed to be replaced. Then The Color Of Money hit the theaters and LePros went into the toilet.
 
Blue Hog ridr said:
Divide it by WTF?
Hahaha, good one.
Click to expand...

Naturally I was only kidding. The real formula when compressing your tip in a vice is as follows:

For a medium tip = Think of your last bad pool game.

For a medium hard tip = Think of your mother-in-law

For an extra hard tip = Think of the $hit your wife is nagging on you to do around the house.
 
I don't believe there is any reason to press tips now. Players years ago did this press thing because the quality control wasn't what it is today. Twenty years ago maybe half a box of LePro would mushroom a bit to a lot. Now maybe 1 or 2 in a box. Just wet the side of the tip with a little spit, let dry, then burnish the side of tip a little. Johnnyt
 
My tips are all 'Pressed'. I press them. Then I cut them to size. Then I individually inspect each one before it is ready for sale. There is no need to press further.

In single layer or 11 layer laminated.
 
i havent played with a tip that doesnt miscue in over 5 years. Does pressing help in this department?
 
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