Willards Tipper/Shaper help

[DallasHopps]

Hi all. I have a Willards tipper/shaper and I've done a few tips on it. I'm curious as to whether the design of the tool is the cause of conical tapered tips, or if I'm somehow doing something wrong?

I'm guessing it's design... after all, it's basically a pencil sharpener. Opinions and help appreciated

 

[BLACKHEARTCUES]

Hi all. I have a Willards tipper/shaper and I've done a few tips on it. I'm curious as to whether the design of the tool is the cause of conical tapered tips, or if I'm somehow doing something wrong?

I'm guessing it's design... after all, it's basically a pencil sharpener. Opinions and help appreciated

It is designed to give you a 2 degree tapered cut. That's to compensate for a tips tendency to mushroom...JER

 

[poke&hope]

Tip shape

Hi all. I have a Willards tipper/shaper and I've done a few tips on it. I'm curious as to whether the design of the tool is the cause of conical tapered tips, or if I'm somehow doing something wrong?

I'm guessing it's design... after all, it's basically a pencil sharpener. Opinions and help appreciated

I have been using one for years and they are a very rugged well made american tool. From my experience your likely trimming a layered tip all the way even with the ferrule before shortening the height of the tip. The trimmer is tapered and a lot of the premium layered tips are very long to start with. I had the same problem. If you use a 13mm or less diameter tip pre shaped like an elkmaster,lepro,triangle etc. you will notice you don't have this problem because they are short-preshaped and the taper of the trimmer does not affect them. To solve this problem with the long, 14 mm tips with the flat tops is as follows. After the tip is glued take a tip sander ( the cheap one plastic or metal with the precut sandpaper that slides into it) and sand the top down to a little longer than desired height before trimming. Be careful to keep the tip sanded level as you can. Now trim the tip diameter close but not even to the ferrule. Next sand tip down to desire height and shape. A cue cube helps keep things straight while shaping also. NOw trim the tip even with the ferrule. Check height and shape adjust if necessary. If the blade gets dull in the trimmer, meuller sells new ones. If its a 12mm or smaller tip it requires a whole new explanation. Of course if you have access to better tools use them. But for us Po Boys in the woods it gets the job done.:grin:

 

[DallasHopps]

Between the two answers above (and an additional helpful PM from Blackheart cues) I think it's taken care of. I'll experiment and ask again if necessary.

FYI- I use 14mm triangle tips and cut them flush, so the height looks to be the issue. I noticed the taper on the smaller shafts, but not on the junk practice shafts I have (that happen to be closer to 14mm than the others).

Thanks!