Tip replacement - what to use?

poohkiller

poohkiller

Still life.
Silver Member
It must be a very boring and old question but I found an old thread - more than a year old - and thought I'll ask you, proffessionals, what to use to replace my tips without a lathe.

Is it worth it to buy a 450 dollar Willard machine or should I use a Porper Big Shaver? I do not feel confident enough to do it all by hand now, at the beginning so I thought I'll go for a machine or tool of some kind.

Thank you very much for your time and any answer is greatly appreciated.
 
Your question is well-founded, but my humble answer would be that because here, in Hungary, you may find many who can change your tips but none of whom I would gladly hand over my new cue's shafts because my feeling is that they do not show enough (any?) respect to what they do and they do a rather shabby work - hence I'd like to give them my shafts as few times as possible.
My other reason is that because I would love to do it and be the only one around who loves what he does. I love cues more than anything else - except girlfriend, family - and I firmly believe that I'd be the only one doing it with passion. My summer holiday is near and I'll have plenty of time to experiment (firstly with cheap tips on cheap shafts) - I just want to find the best equipment there is.

Thank you for your comment,
 
The Porper big shaver works I wouldn't use it on any collectable cue shafts but in a pinch it works.

All of them nick your ferrulle no matter how many times you use it. If you practice the setup on every shaft then you limit the number times you can nick a shaft most cheap cues are not perfectly round thats mostly why you will nick ferrulle's. All you can do is save up for a lathe to do it right. If you have to use one of this tools you can do it butts it's a royal pain no matter what brand of tool thay all have thier limits.

Craig
 
Poolplayer2093

Come up to Sacramento I can fix most of your needs. Doesnt Able still do repairs down in Stockton I give him supplies all the time but I have never seen is work. I like the guy maybe I will go down there and give him a hand if he needs it.

Craig Herman
916-825-2036
 
if you really want to do the job right, then you need a lathe. plus you can do a lot of other things with it as well. i bought a small desktop one and it has been wonderful to be able to do things myself. i got the travel tipper from unique products.
 
poohkiller said:
It must be a very boring and old question but I found an old thread - more than a year old - and thought I'll ask you, proffessionals, what to use to replace my tips without a lathe.

Is it worth it to buy a 450 dollar Willard machine or should I use a Porper Big Shaver? I do not feel confident enough to do it all by hand now, at the beginning so I thought I'll go for a machine or tool of some kind.

Thank you very much for your time and any answer is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

If there are no qualified people to take your cue to for repairs/tipping, and you don't want to spend the money to buy a lathe, then develop the confidence to be able to do it all by hand. For the $450 dollars of the willard, you can buy a LOT of tips and spent a LOT of time practicing doing the job by hand. A good sharp razor, sandpaper, CA glue, a small vice for pressing non layered tips, and practice, and you can certainly get good enough for your own personal use.

(I am not saying either of the two devices you listed are not worth it, just another option.)


Kelly
 
the Willard machine looks alot better than the one my budy used to have.not sure what he paid,but it was an older one and it was ty much useless.i know irt wasn't cheap.

for 450 i would look for a used small metal lathe or cue lathe maybe with some accessories for doing tips and ferrules.
 
Alhough I can't imagine wanting to change tips and not want to mess around with shaft tapers & such. I have all the big macheins but I'm still hankering for a cue companion.
 
poohkiller

If you want to try a big shaver contact me through PM... I hate the thing...

Also if I can get the access on my vonage changed I can walk you through a replacement by hand. I use a tool Called the "Cue Cutter" I picked up here in S.Korea. I really don't think it's worth the money to get the williard machine or a travel tipper from unique if you are only changing your tips or just a few tips for friends. I do all the repairs for my local area and do everything by hand. I have developed a couple tools using autocad that I will not show the world until the patents go through for replacing the tenon when doing ferrules. I think the hardest thing for me was trusting my own hand in the matter.... Some tips you can do one way by hand and with another tip you have to employ a different method. Then you get into getting a nice shine from burnishing it so many different ways...

Good luck and PM if you want to get into depth on the subject....
 
Thank you all for your suggestions, I greatly appreciate it. It is great to hear all the opinions.

gwjackal: I'll write a PM soon. Thanks!
 
poohkiller said:
It must be a very boring and old question but I found an old thread - more than a year old - and thought I'll ask you, proffessionals, what to use to replace my tips without a lathe.

Is it worth it to buy a 450 dollar Willard machine or should I use a Porper Big Shaver? I do not feel confident enough to do it all by hand now, at the beginning so I thought I'll go for a machine or tool of some kind.
Click to expand...


I do not know of any cue repair person that does NOT use some machine to replace tips. Even after they become very experienced at replacing tips they still continue to use tools.

I have a used Williard Tip machine around here somewhere that I never use anymore and could make you a real deal on it if you think that is what you want.
 
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WilleeCue said:
I do not know of any cue repair person that does NOT use some machine to replace tips. Even after they become very experienced at replacing tips they still continue to use tools.

I have a used Williard Tip machine around here somewhere that I never use anymore and could make you a real deal on it if you think that is what you want.
Click to expand...


You should send it to me :D I would really like to try one out.. I will pay a rental fee and shipping and give you my First Sergeants Name and number so you know you will get it back...:rolleyes:
 
I have 2 Willards & every tip I put on is done with them. I think they are the best for layered tips. I bought my 1st one in 1982...JER
 
PM me with your phone number and I will sell you my Williard tip machine for much cheaper than you are talking about. I also have a lathe for sale cheap.
 
Thank you all very very much for your offers and suggestions.

I am taking my final exams about 2 weeks from now and until I pass them I cannot get into replacing tips, etc.

Anyways, when the time comes and I have the funds too, I surely will get back to everyone who replied.

Thanks once again,
 
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