What would YOU do ???

Dirtbmw20

Dirtbmw20

Lee Casto
Silver Member
Over the past year or so I have been buying old junk/broken/damaged/or just some of the cheapest sneaky Pete's and repairing/rebuilding/updating them. I never have more than $20 bucks invested in the cue and that includes shipping too as most are bought off eBay.
Afterwards I take them and give them away at the pool hall.

Now that you know the story, here's my dilemma. The last sneaky I bought is a CHEAP sneeky and I mean cheap as in the points and wood coloring were painted on. Now that it is sanded it has the character of the broom in my pantry.

I've never even tried to dye any wood before, never even walked down that aisle at Lowe's. I don't want to put a lot into the cue because it will he given away to someone for free but it HAS to look better before I associate my name with it even if it is free. Should I dye it an actual "color" like blue or green or red ??? Or would a wood stain work/look better ???
Gonna look at Lowes tomorrow but wanted opinions on what would be cheaper and easier ..?? As always thanks in advance for any input.

A crappy phone pic is included below, the best I could do.
uqesy8y2.jpg


Lee Casto
 
Try a colored stain,
Works for a lot I production cues!
Then resell the sucker on eBay, it's nice to give stuff away, but it's nicer to recoup your investment to help pay for your equipment :)
 
Is it actually maple, or just white looking wood? If the points were painted, it may not be worth putting your name on it as it may come back to bite ya. I have found most people that ***** are the ones that got the freebie from me...when I was doing them a favor by fixing their POS or converting their POS that they found. Ended up not even being worth beer money. JMO.
Dave
 
Darcy...... I was actually WANTING to try a color like blue or green, so you probably just talked me into a color that easily, lol. I still wanna give it away. As of right now I have $10.28 tied up in the cue.


Dave....... it don't look like maple to me, it literally looks like the wood a broom handle is made from, just white wood. The WHOLE cue was painted, not just the points. Even what would have been the maple part of the cue was painted a "maple" color. And I don't actually put my name on it, I just want it to LOOK a little better before I'm associated with the work. The first to come back and ***** to me about a free cue, I'll snap it in half and give it back to them. :)

Lee Casto
 
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Haven't tried It on a cue, But I made handle for a piece of equipment one time out of plain maple, and made a mixture out of denatured alcohol, and rid dye that You can buy in most stores. Mixture was kind of thick, I would have to keep thinning It, because the alcohol evaporates quickly, and It took a little work, but after clearing over It, I had a pitch black handle.
 
Cue Crazy said:
Haven't tried It on a cue, But I made handle for a piece of equipment one time out of plain maple, and made a mixture out of denatured alcohol, and rid dye that You can buy in most stores. Mixture was kind of thick, I would have to keep thinning It, because the alcohol evaporates quickly, and It took a little work, but after clearing over It, I had a pitch black handle.
Click to expand...

That's funny. 30+ years ago I use to use RID dye to change the colors on my skate wheels.

Lee Casto
 
Hi,

A lot of those real cheap ones are Ramon Wood.. If so it may not take stain too evenly.

Rick
 
Try black india ink..... you will be amazed...... spin it slow and put the ink on with a small wedge of paper towel.... use rubber gloves.....

Kim
 
whammo57 said:
Try black india ink..... you will be amazed...... spin it slow and put the ink on with a small wedge of paper towel.... use rubber gloves.....

Kim
Click to expand...

Or Kiwi Black liquid shoe polish. Works just like India ink and a little cheaper.

Paul
<@>
 
What ever color you go with make sure you use alcohol or water based stain. The leather dye already mentioned is fine also. Don't get oil based.
 
Aniline dye. Probably available on Flebay, certainly at Rocklers or many of the
"Gentlemen's" woodworking retailers.

Looks like Ramin to me also.

Google and Utube are your friends.

Dale
 
Aniline dyes as mentioned previously are great and available in many wood tones as well as primary and secondary colors. Use alcohol instead of water. If you use something like Watco oil stain, let it air for at least 3 days before wiping with acetone and applying finish. Aniline dyes may go on splotchy. Watco does not.
 
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Tint the Clear

Why not just tint the clear coat? If you can spray auto clear just have them give you some tint to put in the clear. You can even have them put it in a spray can for you and then bam you have your character at almost no added cost or hassle. The green, pink and yellow cues are done this way. On the yellow cue my wife did the web and spiders per the customers request.
 

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whammo57 said:
Try black india ink..... you will be amazed...... spin it slow and put the ink on with a small wedge of paper towel.... use rubber gloves.....

Kim
Click to expand...

Where might black India ink be acquired ?? There are no "woodworking" retail places in Augusta. Just Lowes and Home Depot and neither one of them had jack dookie today when I went and looked, just the normal Minwax wood stain in the normal usual colors and a few other name brands but nothing in "color" and no india ink.

Lee Casto
 
opiesbro said:
Why not just tint the clear coat? If you can spray auto clear just have them give you some tint to put in the clear. You can even have them put it in a spray can for you and then bam you have your character at almost no added cost or hassle. The green, pink and yellow cues are done this way. On the yellow cue my wife did the web and spiders per the customers request.
Click to expand...

I don't know how to spray auto clear and don't have the knowledge/materials to do it. I'll be using Ceramathane to clear it with afterwards.

Lee Casto
 
Dirtbmw20 said:
Where might black India ink be acquired ?? There are no "woodworking" retail places in Augusta. Just Lowes and Home Depot and neither one of them had jack dookie today when I went and looked, just the normal Minwax wood stain in the normal usual colors and a few other name brands but nothing in "color" and no india ink.

Lee Casto
Click to expand...

I get it at Michaels or Hobby Lobby. India ink comes in many colors. I use the white to color epoxy for ferrules.


Kim
 
pdcue said:
Aniline dye. Probably available on Flebay, certainly at Rocklers or many of the
"Gentlemen's" woodworking retailers.

Looks like Ramin to me also.

Google and Utube are your friends.

Dale
Click to expand...

Thanks Dale. Found aniline dyes on ebay listed under guitar dyes.

Lee Casto
 
Try Transtint dye's.

You can find them at Woodcraft, or other similar wood working supply stores.

A little bottle goes a long way as it's very concentrated.


Royce
 
RBC said:
Try Transtint dye's.

You can find them at Woodcraft, or other similar wood working supply stores.

A little bottle goes a long way as it's very concentrated.


Royce
Click to expand...

Thanks Royce. Nice VIBRANT colors in transtint dyes but damn they are expensive. I LOVE the colors though.

Lee Casto
 
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