Uneven points

[Michael Webb]

Maybe there's a market out there for 3 long - 1 short pointed cues. I mean the 3 long - 3 short thing flew /shrug

All kidding aside I am going to bookmark this thread so I can revisit it after another 5 or 10 cues. There's a ton of good knowledge and hints in here but you honestly have to be at quite an advanced level of cue building to turn some of it into repeatable action. The more cues I make, the more my respect for you guys grows.

A real wake up call for me was. When I finally broke down points and especially veneers and defined what I wanted and was looking for.
Properly seasoned wood. I core everything and I still season it.
Cutting points, making a dead center that brought me back to the same point consistently. Marking my live center and the base of the forearm to also bring it back to the same point. Dial indicators for trueness.
This is square one. You can't skip any steps.
Joining the forearm to the handle straight. Indicate everything. Every time.
Veneers?
What a pain in the ass understanding them and how they were made, dyed and dried. The variances are rediculous. Because I do both overlapped and mitered, I've wasted a couple of thou easily.
Some colors tint from wood glue some will bleed from epoxy. You need to know because some people will ask. How you answer is on you. Wood puzzles aren't perfect and some people will condemn you no matter what you do and usually by someone who can't chew bubble gum and talk at the same time. But he went to a video somewhere and thinks he has knowledge now.
Welcome to Cue making.

 

[Michael Webb]

Points by themself.
Do your points actually match your vee channels?
When I buy Vee cutters. I don't bother to open them. I bring them to my Grinding shop and she makes sure it's what it's suppose to be. Short added money for the bigger picture. If your cutting 90's, is your stock really a 90?
Having fun yet???
I love it.

 

[Michael Webb]

Dial indicators.
The reason I say dial is because digital just doesn't click for me. I want to see the dial and it's movement. Pretty simple.

 

[MVPCues]

Points by themself.
Do your points actually match your vee channels?
When I buy Vee cutters. I don't bother to open them. I bring them to my Grinding shop and she makes sure it's what it's suppose to be. Short added money for the bigger picture. If your cutting 90's, is your stock really a 90?
Having fun yet???
I love it.

I think this might be why sometimes you can see the ever so small remnant of a vee groove at the very tip of one (or more) of the points. If a cutter is say 88-89 degrees (which has been reported) and the point stock is a good 90 they will fight to get all the way to the bottom when you clamp. The fins will spread a little but one or more of the points might lose the fight. The points could ever so slightly look uneven but if you include the actual Vee groove depression they are even, or vice versa.

Of course if the point blanks themselves have a dull corner...

 

[Michael Webb]

I think this might be why sometimes you can see the ever so small remnant of a vee groove at the very tip of one (or more) of the points. If a cutter is say 88-89 degrees (which has been reported) and the point stock is a good 90 they will fight to get all the way to the bottom when you clamp. The fins will spread a little but one or more of the points might lose the fight. The points could ever so slightly look uneven but if you include the actual Vee groove depression they are even, or vice versa.

Of course if the point blanks themselves have a dull corner...

Check your email. You'll see my logic.

 

[Big-Tattoo]

It could be the nicest looking, well aged piece of meat in the locker but when they bring it to your table for you to saw into it better have had some heat put to it. And a little sizzling noise to boot.
Building cues is no different. It could be the nicest piece of wood the forest has to offer but sitting on a shelf, in square form, does nothing for it to the end user.
It's the sizzle that will help put you on a higher rung in the world of anything.

Make a list..........
even points vs. uneven points
glass finish vs. crappy scratch filled finish
nice cut threads vs. beaver chewed threads in shafts
glue line on ferrules vs. ferrule to wood transition
leather wraps that look like they are molded into place vs. crappy glued wraps
cleaned up under the bumper vs. compound caked under
polished joint pin vs. off the shelf crap
clean miters in box cues vs. miters that are hideously constructed
clean miters in points vs. miters that are hideously constructed

These are just few off the top of head that I've noticed over the course of wandering thru the gallery posts. Do any of them make a cue play any better or worse? That would be a no......but it can make a huge difference in the clientele you attract and ultimately says whether you will continue to be successful at the craft or just piddle pucking with wood and wasting a valuable exotic wood resource that is soon to run out.
If you fall in the latter group please find something else to waste your time on and allow those who care to purchase your wood collection. But then we might not want that either! :wink:

sooooo true, well written my Friend:grin:
RG

 

[qbilder]

I agree...pick any cue builder in the world. An 8 pointer with those specs...guy has 3 forearms to practice on and I bet he can’t get point tips within 20 thou on a final turn without sanding. The wizard in Florida wouldn’t take that bet and his mill / fixture is probably tram and true to microns

I'd bet against God himself & like my odds.

 

[Michael Webb]

I think this might be why sometimes you can see the ever so small remnant of a vee groove at the very tip of one (or more) of the points. If a cutter is say 88-89 degrees (which has been reported) and the point stock is a good 90 they will fight to get all the way to the bottom when you clamp. The fins will spread a little but one or more of the points might lose the fight. The points could ever so slightly look uneven but if you include the actual Vee groove depression they are even, or vice versa.

Of course if the point blanks themselves have a dull corner...

Bare with me. My test for myself. If everything I've shared isn't good guidelines. This wouldn't work. I got lucky and I'm never satisfied because the equation always changes.
One test for myself. Elforyn on Elforyn.

 

[Michael Webb]

I don't even pretend to have all the answers. To many variables.

 

[qbilder]

Too many variables.

The most accurate sentence in the entire thread.

 

[thepavlos]

Bare with me. My test for myself. If everything I've shared isn't good guidelines. This wouldn't work. I got lucky and I'm never satisfied because the equation always changes.
One test for myself. Elforyn on Elforyn.

If I was learning how to inlay points, your posts and pictures would be beyond helpful.

 

[Michael Webb]

If I was learning how to inlay points, your posts and pictures would be beyond helpful.

Thank you Sir.