What's Your Story?

[JesPiddlin]

1. What made you decide to start building cues?

2. Did you ever quit, or almost quit? Why?

3. Are you married and how does your spouse deal with you being a cuemaker?

4. Have any of you been taken to school for Career Day? How did that go?

5. Is this your only job? Is it a job/career, or just a hobby for you?

6. What makes you keep building cues, even when times get hard?

7. Do you have any family members who work with you?

8. What kind of Birthday/Christmas gifts do your family members get for you?

 

[JoeyInCali]

1. Love for the game and fascination with cues.
2. It has crossed my mind but I have plenty of woods.
3. She's supportive
4. What's that?
5. No and it's not a job for me.
6. Happy customers, satisfaction of building something that is fascinating.
7. No.
8. Chia pet and the Clapper.

 

[JesPiddlin]

4. What's that?

Carreer Day.....
Pardon me. I'm not sure I actually got that right, anyway. Many schools used to have a day the kids could spend at work with a parent to help them understand what their parent does at work.

I think the term I was looking for was actually Career Month. That's when parents go to the school and tell the class what they do for a living and answer questions about their jobs/careers.

Actually, I guess the question should be, "Have you done either of these?"

 

[conetip]

story

1. What made you decide to start building cues?
Because I could, and no one else makes a cue like I do.

2. Did you ever quit, or almost quit? Why?
No

3. Are you married and how does your spouse deal with you being a cuemaker?
Yes and she is supportive

4. Have any of you been taken to school for Career Day? How did that go?
I do a cultural day for 2 schools each year

5. Is this your only job? Is it a job/career, or just a hobby for you?
No, Just a hobby that is becoming far more serious

6. What makes you keep building cues, even when times get hard?
People keep buying my playing cue, so I have to replace it.

7. Do you have any family members who work with you?
No

8. What kind of Birthday/Christmas gifts do your family members get for you?
1 piece pyjamas set, some chocolate almonds.
We are all together this Christmas.

Neil Lickfold

 

[Bill the Cat]

Bill-the-Cat's story

1. What made you decide to start building cues?

I wanted to make a cue that was uniquely my own.

2. Did you ever quit, or almost quit? Why?

No

3. Are you married and how does your spouse deal with you being a cuemaker?

She likes that fact that it keeps me home, but hates the fact that I spend all my time in the shop

4. Have any of you been taken to school for Career Day? How did that go?

Not yet.

5. Is this your only job? Is it a job/career, or just a hobby for you?

It's a hobby that is my passion!

6. What makes you keep building cues, even when times get hard?

I always know that the next one will be even better:thumbup:

7. Do you have any family members who work with you?

No.

8. What kind of Birthday/Christmas gifts do your family members get for you?

We've gotten away from the commercialism of Christmas in recent years.

Happy Holidays to all!

 

[BLACKHEARTCUES]

1. What made you decide to start building cues?
I was doing repairs for 2 years & thought I could make a cue from scratch. I took me several failures, before I made a cue that satisfied me. (I still have that 1st cue & play with it occasionally).

2. Did you ever quit, or almost quit? Why?
I have only finished 2 cues in the last 3 years. Poor health, equipmet failure & I just lost the fire. I have recently started a 1/2 dozen new cues.

3. Are you married and how does your spouse deal with you being a cuemaker?
Married 48 yrs this coming Feb. She has her own lathe ( we have 6), helps with repairs & turns my square stock round.

4. Have any of you been taken to school for Career Day? How did that go?
Yes, but when I delivered milk house to house.

5. Is this your only job? Is it a job/career, or just a hobby for you?
I've made at least 20 cues a year ( high of 74),for 20 yrs, but always had a day job.

6. What makes you keep building cues, even when times get hard?
see #2.


7. Do you have any family members who work with you?
See #3.

8. What kind of Birthday/Christmas gifts do your family members get for you?[
Golf & fishing.

 

[JesPiddlin]

4. Have any of you been taken to school for Career Day? How did that go?
Yes, but when I delivered milk house to house.

I miss the days when the milkman came every day. He was like Santa Clause. I never caught him. I kept promising myself I was going to get up early enough to see him, but I never did.

 

[Bigkahuna]

8. Chia pet and the Clapper.

You know when I was much younger I used to worry about someone giving me the clap. Now that I am getting much older I worry about someone giving me the "clapper".

 

[bdcues]

1. What made you decide to start building cues?
Started selling exotic wood to cue makers then started making 6-pie laminated shafts and coring pieces, then started making whole cues
2. Did you ever quit, or almost quit? Why?
No, but had to put it all aside to care for my elderly father for 2 1/2yrs.
3. Are you married and how does your spouse deal with you being a cuemaker?
No, but have a live-in g/f. She thinks I need a new hobby sometimes but loves it when I show her a new cue.
4. Have any of you been taken to school for Career Day? How did that go?
Years ago, was a mechanic then.
5. Is this your only job? Is it a job/career, or just a hobby for you?
There is no money coming in any other way, so does that make it a hobby. This is what I do and what I want to do till I am too old to do anything else.
6. What makes you keep building cues, even when times get hard?
Knowing that I make something no one else does, wanting to learn new things about what I do and seeing those things come to life in the finished cue.
7. Do you have any family members who work with you?
No

8. What kind of Birthday/Christmas gifts do your family members get for you?
Socks and warm shirts, it's cold here. A beautiful book called "Scientifica" and a new sign for the pool room.

Merry Christmas to all.

 

[CrownCues]

1. What made you decide to start building cues?

My wife wanted a yellow cue. After that project, I bought a cue with a warping shaft. I started trying to figure out what I could do to fix it.

2. Did you ever quit, or almost quit? Why?

I have never quit. I get really aggravated sometimes and feel like quitting, but that doesn't usually last very long.

3. Are you married and how does your spouse deal with you being a cuemaker?

I am married. My wife helps a lot. Sometimes she wishes I'd spend more time with her.

4. Have any of you been taken to school for Career Day? How did that go?

No.

5. Is this your only job? Is it a job/career, or just a hobby for you?

Making cues full time is what I want to do when I grow up, but for now I still have a day job.

6. What makes you keep building cues, even when times get hard?

I truly enjoy making cues. I guess I just like to stand around and vegetate while the wood is cutting. Oh, I also like to look at all that pretty wood.

7. Do you have any family members who work with you?

I have a son that worked with me for a while and my wife helps me a lot.

8. What kind of Birthday/Christmas gifts do your family members get for you?

Card cases, tools, cordless drill motor, a lot of stuff like that.

 

[cueman]

1. What made you decide to start building cues?

I was repairing cues and building a cue repair lathe for the public and a cue maker told me He didn't think I had what it takes to build a cue. I didn't aksi if he meant equipment or talent, but took it as a insult and went home and ordered some wood and built a cue.

2. Did you ever quit, or almost quit? Why?

A time or two I took a break for a few months because I was frustrated with the finish.

3. Are you married and how does your spouse deal with you being a cuemaker?

Yes I am and she just lives with it even though she has little interest in pool. My late wife was pretty much the same way.

4. Have any of you been taken to school for Career Day? How did that go?

No!

5. Is this your only job? Is it a job/career, or just a hobby for you?

Cue building is a good paying hobby for me with the machinery and other items making me the main part of my living.

6. What makes you keep building cues, even when times get hard?

I would compare it to a marriage. It gets in your blood. Even during the hard times you stick it out.

7. Do you have any family members who work with you?

My son helps build cues and my daughter helps with a lot of other things.

8. What kind of Birthday/Christmas gifts do your family members get for you?

We pretty much quit exchanging gifts years ago. I got some home made fudge today.

 

[JesPiddlin]

...We pretty much quit exchanging gifts years ago. I got some home made fudge today.

You almost can't beat homemade fudge! Love that stuff.

I'm glad you guys are answering these. I think we tend to forget that our cuemakers are human, too. You have ups and downs and everyday life, celebrations and emotional issues, just like everyone else. That's the whole reason I started this thread. I just wanted to get to know the cuemakers a little more and help us all remember that you are human. I hope more of you guys will chime in and answer, too.

 

[patrickcues]

1. What made you decide to start building cues?

2. Did you ever quit, or almost quit? Why?

3. Are you married and how does your spouse deal with you being a cuemaker?

4. Have any of you been taken to school for Career Day? How did that go?

5. Is this your only job? Is it a job/career, or just a hobby for you?

6. What makes you keep building cues, even when times get hard?

7. Do you have any family members who work with you?

8. What kind of Birthday/Christmas gifts do your family members get for you?

I got into building cues because a local cue builder at the time, never could get the time to build me a cue!
I took a couple year break when I got divorced and had some personal problems to deal with.
Yes, I am married again! I will just say She doesn't mind what I do at all. You know, working 60 hours a week and gone a lot of weekends! LOL
No I haven't been asked to do career day as of yet.
Yes this is what I absolutely love to do! Almost a Job!
No one works with me. My brother used to work with me when I first started back in 1994.
Anything from the St. Louis Cardinals!

I love building cues. Thanks to everyone here and to all the Players out there! I couldn't do what I Love to do without all of you!

 

[CrownCues]

Bump.... I'd like to hear more.

 

[Mase]

1. What made you decide to start building cues?
I was looking for something to do when I retired. I started putting coin op tables in bars and had to retip the cues used on them. After a while people started to ask me to fix their cue and it just mushroomed from there.

2. Did you ever quit, or almost quit? Why?
I had a heart attack a couple years ago and lost my interest for about a year.

3. Are you married and how does your spouse deal with you being a cuemaker?
Yes I am married and she is pretty good about it. I have taken over our basement.

4. Have any of you been taken to school for Career Day? How did that go?
No

5. Is this your only job? Is it a job/career, or just a hobby for you?
This is my only job since I retired from the government about 11 years ago.

6. What makes you keep building cues, even when times get hard?
I enjoy the kick I get when someone buys something that started out as squares of wood.

7. Do you have any family members who work with you?
No but over the years I have had a number of people who have worked with me. I currently have 2 people that come 2 days a week each.

8. What kind of Birthday/Christmas gifts do your family members get for you?
Generally it is golf or electronics.

Some interesting answers.

 

[Fatboy]

great thread,

my story-I cant change a tip:embarrassed2:

 

[JesPiddlin]

great thread,

my story-I cant change a tip:embarrassed2:

Thanks for that info anyway, Fatboy. I'll try to remember that!

 

[JesPiddlin]

Bumpin' it back up. I KNOW we have more cuemakers out there!

 

[dave sutton]

i started as a collector. as everything i do i dive in head first. i wanted to understand what made a great cue great. then i saw the work some "professionals" did and knew i could do better. i didnt like giving my high end cues to a total stranger and wondering if what i wanted would be done and done right. so i learned to do it myself mostly by myself. plus i saw what some people did to their cues. now i could offer a service. except for a few well known makers i know from making me cues and the great azers here i am the type to just get my hands dirty and im good at everything i do. luckily.

chris hightowers book was also a huge help. is my first step when someone wants to learn. buy his books and videos

 

[JesPiddlin]

i started as a collector. as everything i do i dive in head first. i wanted to understand what made a great cue great. then i saw the work some "professionals" did and knew i could do better. i didnt like giving my high end cues to a total stranger and wondering if what i wanted would be done and done right. so i learned to do it myself mostly by myself. plus i saw what some people did to their cues. now i could offer a service. except for a few well known makers i know from making me cues and the great azers here i am the type to just get my hands dirty and im good at everything i do. luckily.

chris hightowers book was also a huge help. is my first step when someone wants to learn. buy his books and videos

Oh, c'mon, Dave. I'm assuming you got carried away and forgot what you were answering. :wink: :wink: Here's the rest of the questions...


2. Did you ever quit, or almost quit? Why?

3. Are you married and how does your spouse deal with you being a cuemaker?

4. Have any of you been taken to school for Career Day? How did that go?

5. Is this your only job? Is it a job/career, or just a hobby for you?

6. What makes you keep building cues, even when times get hard?

7. Do you have any family members who work with you?

8. What kind of Birthday/Christmas gifts do your family members get for you?