Mike Wooldridge - *NEW* 'BlackSpin' Ferrule System

[MikeWooldridge]

Good Day Mike,

I always said its a good idea to try out a cue before you buy it so that you can identify by feel and sound any loose joints or ferrules, I will even remove the tip to ensure the ferrule is well installed and that all wood is there, not epoxy from a quick fix prior to selling. I guess I wont have to remove tip if I ever buy a second hand Blackspin fitted Cue. Question, I fit my own tips and use a fitted sanding machine on top of cue to remove glue and leave a scratched surface so glue will adhere better, is this going to be a problem with the Blackspin.? I dont remove much material but some wear occurs, over the last 7 years I lost a few mm on my main playing cue, It accumulates, would your Blackspin survive my abuse.? Is there a special way to fit the tip on the ferrule.?
Cheers,

blackspin ferrule is approximately 7mm high. if you lose a few mm over the years, you are going to make it tiny. but it should still be fine.

however, i would strongly advise you change your tipping technique.

i think i know what it is you use, but there really is no need for it.

i'm not trying to teach you how to suck eggs, but watch my video, and pay particular attention to the method of removing old tip with blade:

http://www.handmadecues.com/info/30-retipping.htm

there is no need whatsoever to re-sand the top of the ferrule the amount that you have been doing. just carefully chip away at all the old bits of tip with the blade, and you will be left with the original, lathe faced, flat face on which to stick a new tip.

you can take a little bit of sandpaper and holding it with your finger in centre of ferrule, lightly turn the cue to just etch the surface slightly without 'crowning' the surface.

one last thing, i use cyanoacrylate (superglue), as do most people, and it sticks to blackspin like sh*t to a blanket. so you really do not need to worry about it adhering better.

[sharkster63]

blackspin ferrule is approximately 7mm high. if you lose a few mm over the years, you are going to make it tiny. but it should still be fine.

however, i would strongly advise you change your tipping technique.

i think i know what it is you use, but there really is no need for it.

i'm not trying to teach you how to suck eggs, but watch my video, and pay particular attention to the method of removing old tip with blade:

http://www.handmadecues.com/info/30-retipping.htm

there is no need whatsoever to re-sand the top of the ferrule the amount that you have been doing. just carefully chip away at all the old bits of tip with the blade, and you will be left with the original, lathe faced, flat face on which to stick a new tip.

you can take a little bit of sandpaper and holding it with your finger in centre of ferrule, lightly turn the cue to just etch the surface slightly without 'crowning' the surface.

one last thing, i use cyanoacrylate (superglue), as do most people, and it sticks to blackspin like sh*t to a blanket. so you really do not need to worry about it adhering better.

Thanks Mike,
I do it allot like you do except for the top sanding, I surely could be gentler. Cheers,

[joejoe]

hi Mike,how long waiting time for a black legend cue if availiable in your webside,thanks.

[jrc750]

hi Mike,how long waiting time for a black legend cue if availiable in your webside,thanks.

Says "2 to 4 weeks" on the website

[joejoe]

thanks jrc750,will be a proud owner of mike's cue soon.

[Tred]

it sticks to blackspin like sh*t to a blanket

Quite an advertising slogan that!!!

[Particle Physics]

agreed. tip on wood = good feel.

unfortunately, it is likely the wood will chip/splinter at some point, hence the need for a protective ferrule.

I wonder if the wood could be hardened and protected with Cuprinols wood hardener. From personal experience, this stuff makes stiff and strong wood that has been affected by dry or wet rot. It's a bit sticky mind. But it works very well. I think it has some acetone in there, and I'm guessing it's a bit like a hardener used by nail polishers before applying a base coat, which is exactly what I did, apply the hardener, then the primer coat. Another option would be to acrylic coat the 10mm below the tip with a methyl acrylate solution, like superglue, but more penetrating. Leather and wood and nothing else is the very best feel.

[Particle Physics]

Quite an advertising slogan that!!!

He doesn't do advertising, I've been personally told!

[carlos1981]

[QUOTE= As for MW's blackspin, well it is being described here, and in a way which is marketing, it's not just for information is it, it's placing juicy lettuce leaves amongst rabbits to see what happens! /QUOTE]

I've tasted one of those juicy leaves and believe me it was bloody lovely!

[MikeWooldridge]

[QUOTE=carlos1981;654190]

I've tasted one of those juicy leaves and believe me it was bloody lovely!

lol. just lol.

[trevs1]

I have used black fiber ferrules in the past and I can assure everyone the one thing that's better with black fiber is the less weight (compared to brass) in the tip of the cue does reduce the throw when using side. It also logically follows that a lighter ferrule will also reduce the amount of throw a player will get with unintentional side.

In my experience the type of ferrule, whether black, white, brass or stainless steel does not really affect or improve the ability to sight the cue as a player would normally be looking along the length of the visible cue at the front pauses to check the line of aim.

The statement that a black ferrule will define much clearer the point on the cueball the player wants to hit I think is up for debate as I've never had that problem as once the tip is chalked they all look the same to me as you would be looking at the cueball and the edge of the tip I would think.

Now my answer to the question...does the MW black ferrule help improve a player?...I would answer 'only those players who get unintentional side whether frequently or on occasion', which would mean probably around 99.5% of amateurs (including myself).

Now the obvious question is...why am I not playing with an MW cue with the black ferrule? And the answer is

'BECAUSE I F**KING CAN'T BECAUSE MIKE HAS HIS VCM TURNED OFF AND UNLESS I WANT TO ORDER A SHARK OR LEGEND ALL HIS CUES IN THE MONTH'S SPECIALS ARE F**KING SOLD OUT!!!!!

In reality I do the best that I can and try and use a thin-walled and shorter brass ferrule to cut down on the effects of unintentional side or cueing across the white.

Terry

Good post Terry, but the bit highlighted is the part I'd have to disagree with. Cues with traditional brass ferrules are readily available which do not throw / deflect the cueball at all. To suggest that by using a black composite ferrule, a cue which may throw a little would suddenly be transformed into one which does not, is perhaps a little optimistic at best, and totally misleading at worst. I have tried numerous cues with fibre / composite ferrules and certainly not all of them played anywhere near like would be desired.

At the end of it all, and as I have spoken of in the past with various tip types and brands, some of the greatest standard snooker ever witnessed has been played using cues of all sorts, with brass ferrules and tips which were just your average pressed Elkmaster / whatever.

[trevs1]

Patience dear boy. I have to deal with people/customers in the order they approach me, and there are only so many hours in the day.

I have almost completely caught up/organised the sh*tstorm that is my life/business, and will be in touch in the next couple of days.



Erm... Yes.

Royal Mail special delivery. That's all I've been complaining about.



There's already been a few. I doubt future ones will be much different



Brass is not awful. It has proven to be a very suitable material that is easy to machine/fit, whilst being strong enough, and has been used 'forever' for those reasons.

Stainless steel is pretty awful. It is very hard to machine and fit, and will never be used as a a 'standard' by cuemakers for that reason. It also brings no benefit to cue 'feel' so there is no place for it on cues, ever, IMO. Same goes for titanium ferrules.

Plastics are not far superior as such, but can bring some benefits regarding feel, as well as disadvantages including glueing, durability etc..

The quality of fitting is vital in producing a good feel. Get this right and brass/steel/plastic will feel solid on contact and perform similarly. Although clearly, levels of cueball deflection and spin generated in relation to power have been proven to be quite different.



I see your point, but it really isn't marketing as such.

Firstly, I don't need to market my products here. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this forum is tiny compared to the world market. My website introduces my business to far more people around the world than this forum ever will. I'm doing the forum a favour by keeping those interested in cues and such informed of new idease/developments. It helps keep the forum interesting to have new topics of discussion.

Secondly, I get barely any business from forum members anyway cos mostly, like all forums, they are made up of scradders looking for tasty titbits at knockdown prices, and I am not known for being cheap...

So, if i choose not to post here, would I be worse off? No. I've been busy for years on the back of personal recommendations, repeat business, and new customers from search engine results.

However, I have a lot of friends on here, and there's always a number of people asking questions or generally interested in cues and cue making etc., so it's simply a case of letting everyone know what's going on.

And yes, I don't use the forum as a store front. Never have, never will. My business has built slowly and professionally over many years and I do not wish to get involved with back door deals via pms, usually with people who don't know what they are talking about, make too many demands, and are generally here to try and get something for nothing.

So, marketing? Not really, just a friendly heads up.



This is not an issue of firmness.

A well fitted brass/steel/plastic/whatever traditionally fitted ferrule will feel plenty firm enough and the tip will affect 'firmness' more than the ferrule material.

'BlackSpin' does not feel firmer, nor does it feel softer. It just feels solid and crisp on the shot (as can a well fitted brass ferrule). There is no attempt to make, or imply, a firmer contact. It is far less detectable and cannot be explained away so easily. It just feels nice. Or to quote frenchi - 'delicious'. I still think that word sums it up better than any other...

But you are right of course about adding things to objects to affect transmission of vibration and energies. Just depends how much it is noticed or, indeed, if it is beneficial.

Great post Mike.

[Giggity1984]

Good post Terry, but the bit highlighted is the part I'd have to disagree with. Cues with traditional brass ferrules are readily available which do not throw / deflect the cueball at all. To suggest that by using a black composite ferrule, a cue which may throw a little would suddenly be transformed into one which does not, is perhaps a little optimistic at best, and totally misleading at worst. I have tried numerous cues with fibre / composite ferrules and certainly not all of them played anywhere near like would be desired.

At the end of it all, and as I have spoken of in the past with various tip types and brands, some of the greatest standard snooker ever witnessed has been played using cues of all sorts, with brass ferrules and tips which were just your average pressed Elkmaster / whatever.

Greatpost trevor.

[MikeWooldridge]

Good post Terry, but the bit highlighted is the part I'd have to disagree with. Cues with traditional brass ferrules are readily available which do not throw / deflect the cueball at all.

i've never seen one...

if you are referring to acuerate, the reason they deflect the cue ball less is cos they have been tapered thinner at the tip end, thus reducing end mass, thus reducing throw.

as you know, this can be achieved on any cue by making it thinner near the tip end, thus reducing it's end mass, thus producing the effect of less cue ball deflection. whether that's worth an odd shaped, uncomfortable (imo), taper is another matter.

unfortunately, whether you like it or not, it is a proven fact that lighter, less dense, ferrules affect the level of cue ball deflection. every single pool cue maker in america, europe, and rest of the world, knows this to to be true cos they have been using composite materials for years and are far more experienced in this field than british cue makers, who have traditionally only ever used brass.

To suggest that by using a black composite ferrule, a cue which may throw a little would suddenly be transformed into one which does not, is perhaps a little optimistic at best, and totally misleading at worst. I have tried numerous cues with fibre / composite ferrules and certainly not all of them played anywhere near like would be desired.

sorry, it is not optimistic nor misleading. terry is correct.

neither you nor i have had much experience with composite ferrules. we were brought up on brass ferrules, and only brass ferrules. canadians have used fibre ferrules for years. they know what they are talking about.

put a fibre ferrule on a cue that previously had a brass ferrule, and it WILL deflect less, and give a different feel to the shot.

whether that lower deflection/feel is preferred or not is a moot point.

At the end of it all, and as I have spoken of in the past with various tip types and brands, some of the greatest standard snooker ever witnessed has been played using cues of all sorts, with brass ferrules and tips which were just your average pressed Elkmaster / whatever.

correct.

however, kirk stevens made a 147 using a composite ferrule and doesn't john higgins (and others so i'm told) use a layered tip now?

the point being, it is irrelevant what was used in the past, or is used in the present. in the hands of a dedicated professional/amateur, any well made cue can be made to perform. we all know that.

but, if there are any small advantages to be had in tweaking parts, why shouldn't players look for them? it's evolution. it happens in all fields. look at wooden tennis rackets. when was the last time you saw one? and yet at one time, every champion used one...

[Terry Davidson]

trevor:

I just have to correct you a little bit. NEVER did I say a cue with a black fiber ferrule would have NO THROW, but rather it would THROW LESS and this is provided the fiber weighs less than the original brass ferrule. (I have owned an Acuerate cue and found it to be a gimmick as the cue still had throw and any cue can be adjusted to give less throw.)

In fact, I've just done a test with a maple 'unclevit' C-type cue where the cue had a very thick-walled brass ferrule at 9.8mm installed. I find the best shot to test the throw of a cue when using side is the break shot, since I repeat it all the time and I always use right-hand side. When I first broke with this cue the throw was significant and I was catching the second red up fairly thick and hitting the pink on the way back. I took the ferrule of this C-type maple down to 9.2mm, making it fairly thin walled and I also took down the last 8" or so of the shaft to match the smaller diameter ferrule.

I then tested the cue again for throw on the break and it was comparable to my Trevor White cue as far as thrown goes. In other words the throw was greatly reduced since my TW cue has a very thin-walled 9.4mm brass ferrule.

I've always maintained EVERY cue has some throw and the cue that will have the least throw is a fairly stiff cue with a very light ferrule (or even no ferrule at all). The whole point of this is the bulk of snooker players in the world (meaning the amateurs) do not have a perfect cueing technique and will put unintentional side on the cueball and with a lighter ferrule the AMOUNT of throw on the cueball will be less and thus they will make more pots and come closer to their intended position.

That said, I also believe a player given enough time can get used to the throw of any cue. For instance, if you made a very whippy cue with a heavy brass ferrule for a pro and told him 'I'll give you a million pounds to use this cue continuously for a year' without a doubt by the end of the year the pro would be playing well with that cue as his brain would have adjusted to the throw when he was using side and presumably this pro would not put on unintentional side.

The bottom line is, every player should get himself one decent cue (once he knows the specs he likes) and use that cue exclusively forever. (Here is a case where I should take my own advice). If his cue action is not the best he should consider getting a good medium-stiff cue with a light ferrule, either thin-walled and shorter in length brass or else a black or white fiber ferrule which is also reasonably thin walled and not too high.

In this way he will minimize the effects of unintentional side and also I think learn how the cue throws when using side much quicker. This is why I think MW's black ferrule system SHOULD help the average player since the weight at the end of the cue should be less when compared to a normal brass ferrule which is usually taller than it has to be and usually has thicker walls that it really needs for strength.

BOTTOM LINE...every cue will throw somewhat when using side and it's up to the individual player to decide how much throw he's comfortable with. My Trevor White cue has a medium shaft flex with a thin-walled brass ferrule and I've been using it for over a year now and I'm comfortable I've adjusted to the amount of throw from this cue.

A sure test is using a just off straight black off the spot and using extreme top right or left side and see how close you come to the pot. Using this pot you can quickly learn how much throw any cue has.

Terry