Wanna build cues, don't beat me up to bad fellas

DeeRay86

DeeRay86

Active member
I started running a small repair lathe eleven years ago for about seven years out of a local room, (Fast Eddie's in Goldsboro Nc). So much has changed since then, Cf shafts and extensions etc. The room owner was shut down, (Taxes). I got divorced but my love of the game never went away so i started playing again and noticed everybody's equpiment needed help. So I have setup a small shop in my home. A Chris Hightower Cue Smith lathe, Great guy btw. I would like yall's thoughts and opinions on where can i learn about cue extension installs, Pin, butt cap replacement and basic cue/jump cue building? Chris sent me a dvd with the lathe but its a very old video. No i dont have or can afford a cnc machine setup. Im fine with building a cue with no inlays, just nice ring work and of course playability. Also I have been a mechanic for thirteen years that retaps cylinder heads all the time by hand so I have a lot of experience with thread repair or boring and cutting. Just not with somebodies cue they love. Scares the hell outta me im gonna screw up somebodies cue so I turn all of that work away until im confident with donor cues. Thnx guys
 
I used to go to Fast Eddies for the tournaments, good room with good food as well. Chris Hightowers book is the best info out there to get started in cue work.
 
DeeRay86 said:
I started running a small repair lathe eleven years ago for about seven years out of a local room, (Fast Eddie's in Goldsboro Nc). So much has changed since then, Cf shafts and extensions etc. The room owner was shut down, (Taxes). I got divorced but my love of the game never went away so i started playing again and noticed everybody's equpiment needed help. So I have setup a small shop in my home. A Chris Hightower Cue Smith lathe, Great guy btw. I would like yall's thoughts and opinions on where can i learn about cue extension installs, Pin, butt cap replacement and basic cue/jump cue building? Chris sent me a dvd with the lathe but its a very old video. No i dont have or can afford a cnc machine setup. Im fine with building a cue with no inlays, just nice ring work and of course playability. Also I have been a mechanic for thirteen years that retaps cylinder heads all the time by hand so I have a lot of experience with thread repair or boring and cutting. Just not with somebodies cue they love. Scares the hell outta me im gonna screw up somebodies cue so I turn all of that work away until im confident with donor cues. Thnx guys
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I'm just a hobbyist with a similar lathe, but here's my advice:

1) Buy Chris' book and starter stuff from him (pins, butt caps, joint material, etc.)
2) Buy lots of cheap wood to practice with, you are going to make a lot of firewood when you start.
3) There's lots of good videos on youtube, but see #2 again.
 
kling&allen said:
I'm just a hobbyist with a similar lathe, but here's my advice:

1) Buy Chris' book and starter stuff from him (pins, butt caps, joint material, etc.)
2) Buy lots of cheap wood to practice with, you are going to make a lot of firewood when you start.
3) There's lots of good videos on youtube, but see #2 again.
Click to expand...
Ditto that.
I bought Chris's book years ago and it has been some valuable information.
Yes you will go through some wood learning but I don't burn my mistakes yet, I need them to remind me of my hard knocks 😉.
I buy larger 6/4 or 8/4 boards and cut them into turning blanks myself. The Harwood store in Gibsonville NC is great. I'm still learning as well and it's always stressful working on someone's baby.
Good luck
 
Hard Knock Cues said:
Ditto that.
I bought Chris's book years ago and it has been some valuable information.
Yes you will go through some wood learning but I don't burn my mistakes yet, I need them to remind me of my hard knocks 😉.
I buy larger 6/4 or 8/4 boards and cut them into turning blanks myself. The Harwood store in Gibsonville NC is great. I'm still learning as well and it's always stressful working on someone's baby.
Good luck
Click to expand...

Eventually you will need to learn about wood science like moisture content and use wood that’s been properly dried, but nothing wrong with hardware store stuff when learning.
 
kling&allen said:
Eventually you will need to learn about wood science like moisture content and use wood that’s been properly dried, but nothing wrong with hardware store stuff when learning.
Click to expand...
Understood, I've been working with wood for 40 yrs in the construction trade and I'm still learning. I do turn slowly and over time sometimes wood from a wood and milling vendor not hardware store.
 
Chris's book is money well spent. Browse through several years of this forum. There is a wealth of information. You will learn that certain cuemakers advice will resonate with you. Look through their posts and responses.
Start accumulating wood. You will need a river of wood to succeed.
Practice each new task that you will need for cuemaking until you become proficient. Get some junk cues to practice on. Learn the little error sources introduced from your lathe, tooling and techniques and find ways to eliminate or minimize them. Become adept at measuring everything accurately. If you can't measure it, you can't improve it. Keep updating your tooling and technique. Experiment! If you really want to know something, design some experiments and do them. Avoid the cheapest cue parts. Buy quality parts.
Keep a log book. The act of writing things down will help to solidify your learning and you will have a valuable reference for the future.
Every mistake will be a learning experience. Never be in a rush. If you need to get something done real bad, you probably will. Some days you just don't have it. Either quit or find some menial tasks that doesn't require a lot of concentration.
Invest in Dust Control. Protect your lungs. Some woods and finishes are hazardous. Wear masks and get a good organic vapor respirator.
You will need a taper bar for wood shafts or you could use CF shafts.
For extensions, look at the weight bolt threads and find a bumper/pin set to match.
You have a lot of skills already. Leverage them and adapt them to cuemaking.
Good luck!
 
I'm not a Cue-Maker, but I will ad to the list of advice that you've been given. If you happen by YouTube, check out some of Bob Dzuricky's content.

The man posts many helpful videos, and they are very well done, when he decides to cover a given subject matter. Anything Bob posts is worth a look IMO.
Good luck
j2
 
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