Cue making

[Qubit]

Dan,
How do you do a ferrule without a lathe?

It is possible to just do it with a sharp knife, you just have to be patient and take your time.

[totlxtc]

It is possible to just do it with a sharp knife, you just have to be patient and take your time.

Spot on. Knife and a file.

Dan

[rhubarb]

Hi guys, wanted to add my two cents. I've also of late made my first forays into cue making, there's no doubt - its bloody hard work! If you're looking for some shaft wood just head down to your local timber yard, if they stock hardwood timber its pretty much a certainty that they'll have ash, maple, or both.
Don't be scared to tell them what you're after and ask for help either! One pointer though - if you have rummage through the timber piles always leave them neatly, as you found them when you're done . If you're lucky they'll also have an offcuts bin which you can have a root around in for some nice figured splice wood.

I've messed around with old cues and splicing for a while and have lately been working on producing cue shafts from scratch. Having limited tools its hard work and easy to make mistakes. I'm producing some reasonable efforts though, and have a couple of complete cues done. The key is to break it down into small steps and ensure each is spot on before moving on to the next.

Seems there's more people having a bash than I thought, if anybody fancies comparing notes I'd love to have a chat.

Steve.

[neptar]

I don't really know much about woodwork. And I was thinking over how cues are made, and how the splices are cut. I think I have worked it out, but it got me thinking when looking at other cues at the club I go to. Could you create a cue with no splices? A 3/4 cue, where the bottom half is ebony and the top half is ash. And simply put the brass joints into the edges. I was thinking of trying it, but getting two pieces and glueing them. Planing them down as good as I can. The glue should hold for this part with thelp of some vices. I would then seperate, and sand the glue off, and try and places the brass joints in. Obviously the weighting would most likely be terrible, but would it work?

[felipecocco]

Sure... just look at American pool cues.

[atm147iwish]

just out of interest there is a supplier of exotic hardwoods based at the alpaca centre in penrith, just off the M6 where you can hand pick your own blanks from a good selection.
they also have a vast selection of woodworking tools and if your having a dabble at cue making its worth a look.

ive bought wood from westpenn hardwood (american) on ebay and cant fault their service but there's only so much you can do with 10 blanks of lignum vitae!

its nice if you can source your own wood and for £20 i came away with 6 single blanks of different woods

[Virkokka]

Thanks for everyone's anecdotes and advise, much appreciated. I was also interested in one day making a cue from scratch; is using a lathe the only way to produce the ash shaft??

[mattyuk]

just out of interest there is a supplier of exotic hardwoods based at the alpaca centre in penrith, just off the M6 where you can hand pick your own blanks from a good selection.
they also have a vast selection of woodworking tools and if your having a dabble at cue making its worth a look.

ive bought wood from westpenn hardwood (american) on ebay and cant fault their service but there's only so much you can do with 10 blanks of lignum vitae!

its nice if you can source your own wood and for £20 i came away with 6 single blanks of different woods

cheers, im in carlisle might have a look there!

[KeithinFrance]

I know it's probably not the sort of thing you guys were looking for, but I found this on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/snooker-cue-ma...3A1%7C294%3A50

There are a lot of things included in the sale that make this a real deal, I believe, and unfortunately also point towards the unfortunate demise of Keith Auld. I don't know with any certainty if Keith has passed on, but the selling of ALL his equipment and woods etc leads me to this conclusion. I know there'd been speculation about Keith's death on TSF, but this is the first tangible evidence I've seen. If it is the case, then I'd like to pass on my condolences to his family and wish them all the best for the future. I spoke to Keith on a few occasions and he was always friendly and helpful, and I hope he has a happy retirement on the other side. RIP.


Apparently I'm mistaken, as teacup said he just met Keith recently and he was fine, so my most profuse apologies if I've upset anyone - it was an honest mistake.

[poolqjunkie]

I will not suggest a Cuesmith lathe for snooker cue making. And it is only about $3000 USD brand new. Not a good deal at all to pay $8000 for it along with some used old machines.

Anyway, speaking of ebay, there are always lots of wood suppliers selling their woods there--but unless you actually go and pick your wood, it is very hard to find something really nice buying sight unseen. But it is a place for you to start, especially if you are buying small quantity.

[rhubarb]

is using a lathe the only way to produce the ash shaft??

Nope, though it is by far the easiest way. I've been making one or two with nothing more than a 10'' table saw, hand plane and drill. It does take rather a long time though :S .

[poolqjunkie]

You will need a lathe to install a joint though I would think.
I actually like the idea of using hand plane to taper the shaft rather than turning it on a lathe, because with a lathe, the router will cut across the grain of the wood while with a hand plane you can always go along the grain.

[rhubarb]

You will need a lathe to install a joint though I would think.
I actually like the idea of using hand plane to taper the shaft rather than turning it on a lathe, because with a lathe, the router will cut across the grain of the wood while with a hand plane you can always go along the grain.

I guess there is a certain aesthetic appeal to using a hand plane, it is hard work though! I imagine that using a router, even if it does mean cutting across the grain, really isn't an issue though. With a good motor, sharp bit and care it will impart such little cutting force as to make any such concerns irrelevant. Plus it would be a darned sight faster, it takes (at least in my experience) longer than you might expect to remove any high or flat spots, twist or curve from a cue shaft by hand.

[poolqjunkie]

You can buy a CNC machine to cut your shafts, it is quite easy.

[rhubarb]

If only I could afford such things as a CNC lathe... I think that would be taking things a bit far though. While it would be nice to have some kit to make everything easier the CNC route is a bit too hands off for my liking .