Mike Wooldridge - *NEW* 'BlackSpin' Ferrule System

[MattCash]

Same as with a regular ferrule, but you just need to take a little extra care, which isn't a bad thing IMO.

[MikeWooldridge]

I read somewhere, some of TSF members saying after fitting the blackspin, it makes the tip changing process a little harder? Is this true?

I guess it depends how exactly you do it, or should I say how you are used to doing it.

For me, it is no different, although I can see it can be a little trickier without the benefit of some tooling, or extra patience.

Mainly it's a visual issue cos the ferrule is dark (black of course), whereas brass is reasonably bright and clear to see where/what you are cutting with the blade.

So, it may take a bit if getting used to, but that's all. Just a bit of extra patience/care.

Once you get your confidence up it's exactly the same.

Watch the video here:

http://www.handmadecues.com/cues/22-blackspin.htm

Same as with a regular ferrule, but you just need to take a little extra care, which isn't a bad thing IMO.

Absolutely correct. Not a bad thing at all.

Almost every single cue sent to me for various work, for as long as I have been making cues, has had the brass ferrule slowly and systematically f*cked by whoever has been tipping it.

Scratches and scrapes on the ferrule walls from blades/files/sandpaper, the ferrule face domed and mis-shapen from incorrect/incompetent efforts to remove old tip or level the surface. All signs of shoddy, careless workmanship.

No, taking extra care with a BlackSpin ferrule is actually a good thing cos it will force people to learn how to do it properly or, at the very least, take a lot more care and time than they may have been used to.

After all, it's only a once or twice a year job, and the benefits of BlackSpin far outweigh the 'inconvenience' of being extra careful and doing a job well.

One last little point, I've said this before, but tips stick incredibly well (I mean ridiculously well, so don't hang about positioning the tip when using superglue...), so it is highly unlikely your tip will come loose or fly off during a game again.

So yes, may well take a bit longer to make sure you re-tip it right, but you'll only have to do it when you actually need to. When you have time to do it properly...

[sydneygeorge]

Alcohol and driving do not mix !
Alcohol and and cue tip fitting do not mix !
Alcohol and sex do mix !

[gazza147]

After all, it's only a once or twice a year job, and the benefits of BlackSpin far outweigh the 'inconvenience' of being extra careful and doing a job well..

Once or Twice a Year! jesus mike you dont play alot then....lol

Mike I have also e-mailed you mate without a reply please check your e-mail.


Cheers Gaz.

[MikeWooldridge]

Once or Twice a Year! jesus mike you dont play alot then....lol

Mike I have also e-mailed you mate without a reply please check your e-mail.


Cheers Gaz.

i don't play much now but i would leave my tip on for as long as possible when i found a good one. make it last a season (which is what i was meaning by year)

secret there being don't sand the tip right down (mistake many make), leave it as big as it can be. only works on good tips though eh...

anyway, yes got your email but had a funeral wednesday, got completely w*nkered, and still recovering now...

so, been slowly doing stuff today, will sort you out later.

[gazza147]

Thanks for the Reply Mike.

I also leave the Tips quite big and people think im Mad but they change there Tip 2/3 Times more than me!...lol

[x3dnd3x]

Once or twice a year seems little to me. Even for me as I'm a student, I play like 10 hours each week. I change my tips like more than twice per year. Haha.

[BoBnoGG!n]

i play about 30 hours a week and i change mine about 3 times a year. cant wait to try out the blackspin. willl be in contact with you soonish mike about getting sumthing sorted

[Terry Davidson]

Not sure why you guys are changing those tips so frequently. By preference I like Phoenix M or else Talisman S or Pro Granite (have some Talisman M on order from ADR) although my preference might change as I'm now using one of MW's experimental tips on a blackspin ferrule system and it seems to be working well.

I play 4-5 hours almost every day, 7 days a week so I guess around 30hrs per week. With a good tip I never reduce the height of the tip (for instance Pro Granite are quite high and you shouldn't reduce the height at all). I expect to get 9 months to a year out of a good tip although I have had a couple of Talisman S tips lose their top layer after 6 months or so but then I just re-shape the tip and it goes for another 3 months easily.

Terry

[x3dnd3x]

Mike. Wondering whether in the near future would you make the supertips meant for pool cues as well? Like 14mm. I really like it on my snooker cue and would like it to be on my pool cue too.

[gazza147]

Not sure why you guys are changing those tips so frequently. By preference I like Phoenix M or else Talisman S or Pro Granite (have some Talisman M on order from ADR) although my preference might change as I'm now using one of MW's experimental tips on a blackspin ferrule system and it seems to be working well.

I play 4-5 hours almost every day, 7 days a week so I guess around 30hrs per week. With a good tip I never reduce the height of the tip (for instance Pro Granite are quite high and you shouldn't reduce the height at all). I expect to get 9 months to a year out of a good tip although I have had a couple of Talisman S tips lose their top layer after 6 months or so but then I just re-shape the tip and it goes for another 3 months easily.

Terry

Terry if people use Pressed Tips as I do some times aswell then you would definately need to change more than 2-3 Times a Year especially if your Playing quite alot, And some people ask me to give there Cue a Going over and Re-Tip them as some feel it gives them abit of a Confidence Boost.

I always advise people to take tip off before its near the Ferrule as you know its a Bad thing leaving them go down too Low as ruins the Ferrule.

[Deepscrew]

Elks i replace after a month max. Supertips i change only when i have sanded it too much over time when trying to scuff it up a bit. Once every 6 months maybe.

[andy carson]

Elks i replace after a month max. Supertips i change only when i have sanded it too much over time when trying to scuff it up a bit. Once every 6 months maybe.

christ what do you sand them with? a cheese grater???

[thelongbomber]

christ what do you sand them with? a cheese grater???

LOL, no kidding. Once a month is ridiculous unless you are practicing 10 hours a day. You never give enough time for the tip to bed in, compress, and provide it's best usage. Try nuking the EM in a microwave for 20 seconds before sanding the bottom and fitting to your cue. That hardens it up a bit.

Whatever you are doing, you should pay close attention to your chalking. Chalking is what should be wearing your tip down, not the bloody sandpaper!

[x3dnd3x]

LOL, no kidding. Once a month is ridiculous unless you are practicing 10 hours a day. You never give enough time for the tip to bed in, compress, and provide it's best usage. Try nuking the EM in a microwave for 20 seconds before sanding the bottom and fitting to your cue. That hardens it up a bit.

Whatever you are doing, you should pay close attention to your chalking. Chalking is what should be wearing your tip down, not the bloody sandpaper!

Putting elks in microwave helps to harden up?