Need help with tip changing & tip maintenance

[burgerunderwear]

Hello everyone. I have a few questions about tips today.

1) What is the best and simplest way to change cue tips? Best meaning: great results and comfortable/good to play with, and simplest meaning: least amount of tools or tools that are easy to get. (please give me a list)

2) What is/are the cause(s) of the fine little 'hairs' on the tip? Is it bad to play with or is it fine for them to be like that?

3) What grit sandpaper should I use on my tip to keep them in shape and maintain them?

Would love to hear everybody's opinions/thoughts!

[burgerunderwear]

Anyone can offer some insight?

[bluenose1940]

Make yourself a nice cuppa and then sit down and have a watch of this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cndvCRNwL6o

[tomwalker147]

1) What is the best and simplest way to change cue tips? Best meaning: great results and comfortable/good to play with, and simplest meaning: least amount of tools or tools that are easy to get. (please give me a list)
I simply take the tip off with a stanley knife then remove any of the tip/glue that may still remain on the ferrule so that the surface is completely flat. Bit of superglue on the tip then press it on the ferrule, turn the cue upside down so the tip is touching a solid flat surface (my kitchen tiles are ideal) and apply pressure for around 5 minutes giving the glue time to set. Ideally I would then leave the cue for a few hours (usually overnight) and then shape the tip with the stanley blade/sand paper/wire wool/whatever you have at your disposal.

I put a tip on for a friend last week in just 5 minutes using the process above, I've never had an issue re-tipping in this manner. The minimum no of tools required are;
1 x superglue (loctite is best from experience, some people use tip cement)
1 x stanley knife/blade
1 x fine grade sandpaper

2) What is/are the cause(s) of the fine little 'hairs' on the tip? Is it bad to play with or is it fine for them to be like that?
They are the fibres, sometimes when shaping the tip some of them stick up above the rest of the tip, they almost look 'fluffy'...If you play 10/15 shots you should fine that these fibres fall into place.
3) What grit sandpaper should I use on my tip to keep them in shape and maintain them?
A relatively fine grade of sandpaper, I don't know how fine the one in my house is! Wire wool is handy for this.

[Shockerz]

Anyone can offer some insight?

You've asked a lot of questions in one go I think.

Question 1 - Probably the easiest way is to watch a simple video; here is one from Mike Wooldrige from his website - click here.

Question 2 - The hairs on the tip are generally where you have started to shape (file or sand) the tip and the fibres are coming away. Personally I take them off with a piece of 1000 grit paper.

Question 3 - This depends on what tip you have? Whether it be an Elk (pressed) or a laminated (Talisman).

As an example and contrary to most I would think, I initially shape with 80 grit sandpaper to take off the majority of the unwanted tip height and then go up through the grades until I get to 1000 to lose the hairs.

Because I've done a few over the years I can control how much is taken off initially with 80 grit without wrecking the tip and causing it to break down so you have to consider how hard you are sanding as well.

There is so much more as to what is required as it's all personal so what you may find comfortable someone else finds uncomfortable.

Here are some questions you may want to consider:

Do you prefer a pressed or laminated tip?

What shape of tip do you prefer?

Does the sound the tip makes bother you?

Some typical tools used to fit and maintain a tip can be chosen from:

Various grades of paper dependent on your preference.
Sharp knife e.g. Stanley or scalpel.
Masking tape to protect your shaft and ferrule.
Steel wool to shine the ferrule and remove any glue.
A tip adhesive like tweetens 10 minute cement, super glue gel or whatever you prefer.
Tip shaping tools like a pencil sharpener, file, shaped cue tip sander,, box file shaper,
Cue tip fastener (I don't use them as I prefer to hold the cue upside down and force against a floor tile so I can feel it, takes around a minute).
Tip press if you like to compress tips prior to fitting.
A bowtie tip mate to release impregnated chalk or shape the tip if required.

The thing to remember is that this topic is personal, each person will use different tips, their personal choice of tools and maintenance methods so you will get various answers and they may all be correct!

[Shockerz]

You beat me too it Mr Walker.

It would have saved me some time if I had refreshed the page and seen yours!

[tomwalker147]

You beat me too it Mr Walker.

It would have saved me some time if I had refreshed the page and seen yours!

I had a little fit when seeing that bluenose simply posted a link to the video, that's probably all he needs rather than my chapter and verse!

[Shockerz]

I had a little fit when seeing that bluenose simply posted a link to the video, that's probably all he needs rather than my chapter and verse!

Yep. Why post a link to a video when you can write chapter and verse!

[burgerunderwear]

You've asked a lot of questions in one go I think.

Question 1 - Probably the easiest way is to watch a simple video; here is one from Mike Wooldrige from his website - click here.

Question 2 - The hairs on the tip are generally where you have started to shape (file or sand) the tip and the fibres are coming away. Personally I take them off with a piece of 1000 grit paper.

Question 3 - This depends on what tip you have? Whether it be an Elk (pressed) or a laminated (Talisman).

As an example and contrary to most I would think, I initially shape with 80 grit sandpaper to take off the majority of the unwanted tip height and then go up through the grades until I get to 1000 to lose the hairs.

Because I've done a few over the years I can control how much is taken off initially with 80 grit without wrecking the tip and causing it to break down so you have to consider how hard you are sanding as well.

There is so much more as to what is required as it's all personal so what you may find comfortable someone else finds uncomfortable.

Here are some questions you may want to consider:

Do you prefer a pressed or laminated tip?

What shape of tip do you prefer?

Does the sound the tip makes bother you?

Some typical tools used to fit and maintain a tip can be chosen from:

Various grades of paper dependent on your preference.
Sharp knife e.g. Stanley or scalpel.
Masking tape to protect your shaft and ferrule.
Steel wool to shine the ferrule and remove any glue.
A tip adhesive like tweetens 10 minute cement, super glue gel or whatever you prefer.
Tip shaping tools like a pencil sharpener, file, shaped cue tip sander,, box file shaper,
Cue tip fastener (I don't use them as I prefer to hold the cue upside down and force against a floor tile so I can feel it, takes around a minute).
Tip press if you like to compress tips prior to fitting.
A bowtie tip mate to release impregnated chalk or shape the tip if required.

The thing to remember is that this topic is personal, each person will use different tips, their personal choice of tools and maintenance methods so you will get various answers and they may all be correct!

Thank you so much for your answers!

What are the differences between a pressed and laminated tip? Unfortunately I don't even know which one I'm currently using.

The sound of the tip striking the cue ball doesn't really bother me all that much. In fact, I enjoy the sound and I think it helps me play better in certain ways.

Do different sizes/shapes/types of tips affect the sound?

[burgerunderwear]

1) What is the best and simplest way to change cue tips? Best meaning: great results and comfortable/good to play with, and simplest meaning: least amount of tools or tools that are easy to get. (please give me a list)
I simply take the tip off with a stanley knife then remove any of the tip/glue that may still remain on the ferrule so that the surface is completely flat. Bit of superglue on the tip then press it on the ferrule, turn the cue upside down so the tip is touching a solid flat surface (my kitchen tiles are ideal) and apply pressure for around 5 minutes giving the glue time to set. Ideally I would then leave the cue for a few hours (usually overnight) and then shape the tip with the stanley blade/sand paper/wire wool/whatever you have at your disposal.

I put a tip on for a friend last week in just 5 minutes using the process above, I've never had an issue re-tipping in this manner. The minimum no of tools required are;
1 x superglue (loctite is best from experience, some people use tip cement)
1 x stanley knife/blade
1 x fine grade sandpaper

2) What is/are the cause(s) of the fine little 'hairs' on the tip? Is it bad to play with or is it fine for them to be like that?
They are the fibres, sometimes when shaping the tip some of them stick up above the rest of the tip, they almost look 'fluffy'...If you play 10/15 shots you should fine that these fibres fall into place.
3) What grit sandpaper should I use on my tip to keep them in shape and maintain them?
A relatively fine grade of sandpaper, I don't know how fine the one in my house is! Wire wool is handy for this.

Thank you so much for your response, I appreciate it greatly!

[burgerunderwear]

I had a little fit when seeing that bluenose simply posted a link to the video, that's probably all he needs rather than my chapter and verse!

Don't worry, your chapter and verse hasn't gone to waste. It's just what I needed, different people's ways and different tools.

[Shockerz]

Thank you so much for your answers!

What are the differences between a pressed and laminated tip? Unfortunately I don't even know which one I'm currently using.

The sound of the tip striking the cue ball doesn't really bother me all that much. In fact, I enjoy the sound and I think it helps me play better in certain ways.

Do different sizes/shapes/types of tips affect the sound?

A pressed tip is a single piece of leather pressed (cut/punched etc) out of an animal hide (skin).

A laminated tip is made from multiple layers of skin (hide) glued together.

For example, an Elkmaster would be a pressed yip and a Talisman would be made from multiple layers of pig skin glued together.

A standard Elkmaster is soft by nature when shaped and a Talisman is a lot harder and therefore a little noisier to those that notice.

Some dislike the clunkier / louder noise of a harder tip and others just don't notice so it's personal.