Cue making practice

[Ninja.cues]

A few points with that video....

Try and keep the plane in line with the wood as you've have more chance of keeping what your planning straight, using the whole of the plane and not just the front part.
More so if your making a one piece cue and if you can get a No5 plane or something bigger, that makes keeping it straight much easier..

[narl]

Lol, i posted that video on here years ago when it only had maybe 50 views, over 500k now

http://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/boa...-a-cue-(video)

[itsnoteasy]

A few points with that video....

Try and keep the plane in line with the wood as you've have more chance of keeping what your planning straight, using the whole of the plane and not just the front part.
More so if your making a one piece cue and if you can get a No5 plane or something bigger, that makes keeping it straight much easier..

What do you mean keep the plane in line with the wood, plane with the grain?

[Ninja.cues]

What do you mean keep the plane in line with the wood, plane with the grain?

If you look at the video, the guy is only got the front of the plane on the cue.
He should have all of in plane on the cue but help if you have the cue in a planning jig.
He turns the plane about 30 degree's to the wood and doing that on a one piece, you have more chance of it not being straight.
Hope that's clear?

[itsnoteasy]

If you look at the video, the guy is only got the front of the plane on the cue.
He should have all of in plane on the cue but help if you have the cue in a planning jig.
He turns the plane about 30 degree's to the wood and doing that on a one piece, you have more chance of it not being straight.
Hope that's clear?

Yep got you, many thanks.

[Ninja.cues]

Not a problem.

Why some don't want to help others, is because they don't want competition...
I think if you do a good job on your product, people will buy from you and recommend other to you..

[Alex Gara]

If you look at the video, the guy is only got the front of the plane on the cue.
He should have all of in plane on the cue but help if you have the cue in a planning jig.
He turns the plane about 30 degree's to the wood and doing that on a one piece, you have more chance of it not being straight.
Hope that's clear?

Having the cue securely held in some sort of jig or clamp helps a lot. I do some planing one handed as I turn the cue while planing, but for the most part two hands on the plane and the cue held securely is the way to go. Not that my planing is in any way good yet.

[Ninja.cues]

Having the cue securely held in some sort of jig or clamp helps a lot. I do some planing one handed as I turn the cue while planing, but for the most part two hands on the plane and the cue held securely is the way to go. Not that my planing is in any way good yet.

That come with lot of practise and not trying to rush it.

[The Doctor]

Very important to have a very sharp plane. Ideally a no.7 for planing the cue for the splices.

[vmax4steve]

One very important factor is a straight jig so that the shaft doesn't turn as you plane it and you end up with an oval shaft instead of a round one. Mine is made from a 50mm ash dowell that I split down the centre and glued and screwed to a length of 25mm hardwood ply. The two half rounds were set alongside each other, using a dead straight cue as a guide, so that they created a taper that the cue would sit in perfectly, lined with 1mm rubber sheet applied with double sided tape, a stop at either end prevents the shaft from moving forwards as you plane.

[Byrom]

My advice - when you smack in the nails I find its always better using a lump hammer for best results.

Pull your arm back slowly at first then bring it down and just whack the hell out of it -

It is a skilled technique but then again I have been making cue brooms for - well about a week now. Knowledge like this does not come easy. I am the best - well that is what others say not me.

Good luck with your cue making Alex.

[Alex Gara]

One very important factor is a straight jig so that the shaft doesn't turn as you plane it and you end up with an oval shaft instead of a round one. Mine is made from a 50mm ash dowell that I split down the centre and glued and screwed to a length of 25mm hardwood ply. The two half rounds were set alongside each other, using a dead straight cue as a guide, so that they created a taper that the cue would sit in perfectly, lined with 1mm rubber sheet applied with double sided tape, a stop at either end prevents the shaft from moving forwards as you plane.

I just took 5 minutes and screwed a couple of thin lengths of oak to my bench with a 45 degree angle on the edges, would work much better when I redo it and make then level! It was ok for my first couple of practice shafts but you are correct that it needs to pretty much be perfect to have a chance of planing accurately.

Really liking your rubber idea, and will give it a go as the extra friction must help out a lot at times. Sourcing good wood is a big problem for me but it is just as well as I am not quite ready to move on to quality (expensive woods) yet. For now just learning, experimenting and trying to develop some skills, then maybe a few good playing cues will happen somewhere down the road.

[Ninja.cues]

I just took 5 minutes and screwed a couple of thin lengths of oak to my bench with a 45 degree angle on the edges, would work much better when I redo it and make then level! It was ok for my first couple of practice shafts but you are correct that it needs to pretty much be perfect to have a chance of planing accurately.

Really liking your rubber idea, and will give it a go as the extra friction must help out a lot at times. Sourcing good wood is a big problem for me but it is just as well as I am not quite ready to move on to quality (expensive woods) yet. For now just learning, experimenting and trying to develop some skills, then maybe a few good playing cues will happen somewhere down the road.

That's the only way to think about it and you will get there, good luck and there are plenty that will help....
Not me

[Alex Gara]

My advice - when you smack in the nails I find its always better using a lump hammer for best results.

Pull your arm back slowly at first then bring it down and just whack the hell out of it -

It is a skilled technique but then again I have been making cue brooms for - well about a week now. Knowledge like this does not come easy. I am the best - well that is what others say not me.

Good luck with your cue making Alex.

Am really only hoping to make a couple of good cues one day.

It Is just wrong to use a lump hammer for nails. The back of an axe works much better, and positioning someone I hate directly behind me gives extraordinary satisfaction.

[Alex Gara]

That's the only way to think about it and you will get there, good luck and there are plenty that will help....
Not me

I'm just enjoying the process, it is great to have no deadlines or great expectations, just do a little when I have time, thats how I enjoy making things. Maybe thats the reason I don't make things for other people.