Can I make my case waterproof?

[Cuehead]

Is this a bad time to mention umbrellas?

[Smeeagain]

Is this a bad time to mention umbrellas?

I don't think he take too kindly to that somewhat marvellous observation ......

[andy carson]

wrap it in clingfilm if it looks cloudy outside

[fredkite]

Can I make my case waterproof?

Lol, nice one Andrew.

[Smeeagain]

wrap it in clingfilm if it looks cloudy outside

Cheap and lightweight too. Nice

[tetricky]

Living in the UK I can understand not wanting to take a cue too far without waterproofing. Who says a case is just for physical protection? It might be the case (ahem) for some, but not all.

32mm or 40mm abs (solvent weld) waste pipe. I prefer the black. If you use 40mm you can use heating pipe insulation (less than a UKP a meter, which will do loads) to pack the tip, to stop it rattling around, but you'll need to pack the butt. If you use 32mmm it's a better fit to the cue, but needs tailored packing - cut down a few cheap kitchen sponges, and bung them in the ends. Solvent weld a coupler and an access plug at each end...or (black in my case) gaffer tape them on if you want to be able to reconfigure later. Make as a one piece or multi-pipe spaced out (and again gaffered together) with timber, plastic, or whatever you have around to space out the end caps. Webbing around the spacer, or the tube, to make a handle.

I just made two one piece cases out of the abs shipping tubes the maker shipped the cues in (yes! 32 mm black abs waste pipe!). All I had to do to re-use it was wipe off the packing tape adhesive with white spirit. That's two one piece cases for £8.18 (screwfix) plus a bit of gaffer tape. Waterproof and abs strong.

A decent aluminium case was almost as much as I paid for the cues. On principle I wasn't doing that.

[Master Blaster]

Living in the UK I can understand not wanting to take a cue too far without waterproofing. Who says a case is just for physical protection? It might be the case (ahem) for some, but not all.

32mm or 40mm abs (solvent weld) waste pipe. I prefer the black. If you use 40mm you can use heating pipe insulation (less than a UKP a meter, which will do loads) to pack the tip, to stop it rattling around, but you'll need to pack the butt. If you use 32mmm it's a better fit to the cue, but needs tailored packing - cut down a few cheap kitchen sponges, and bung them in the ends. Solvent weld a coupler and an access plug at each end...or (black in my case) gaffer tape them on if you want to be able to reconfigure later. Make as a one piece or multi-pipe spaced out (and again gaffered together) with timber, plastic, or whatever you have around to space out the end caps. Webbing around the spacer, or the tube, to make a handle.

I just made two one piece cases out of the abs shipping tubes the maker shipped the cues in (yes! 32 mm black abs waste pipe!). All I had to do to re-use it was wipe off the packing tape adhesive with white spirit. That's two one piece cases for £8.18 (screwfix) plus a bit of gaffer tape. Waterproof and abs strong.

A decent aluminium case was almost as much as I paid for the cues. On principle I wasn't doing that.

I've done that in the past as well and even sprayed one with some spare paint. It's a great solution, cheap, really tough but a bit heavy. The black plastic tube cases with lockable endcaps for a tenner are my choice practice case now. They can take a rubber seal on the endcap and it will keep water out but why you would want to take your cue near water is a mystery unless you travel by boat to matches? I keep a Cue Craft aluminium case for matches etc, that holds all the bits needed. But I could survive on the placky case and a small rucsac for the bits instead. Fancy cases aren't needed and no-one ever compiled a 147 with one.

[tetricky]

Heavy? A one piece out of abs waste pipe is lighter than a commercial case. I have a number of 3/4 cases. The handle is on the opposite side to the hinge, on all of them. The sponge loads against the lid, when the cue is installed, and the case can have a gap form at that side. So carrying it in a downpour, by the handle, can cause water ingress inside the case. Rarely a problem for from car to hall, but can be for any distance.

The only problem with a one piece abs case, is its long and awkward, which is a problem of the cue, not the case.

[tetricky]

Note: Just weighed a few cases.

40mm abs waste pipe, 2 straight couplers, two end caps, gaffer taped all over (joints and the pipe itself for a silver rather than white finish. ), sponge padding, and long enough for one piece plus mini-butt. Weight: 22oz

3/4 Aluminium three piece case, end caps, but no plastic end protectors, full plastic handle. Weight: 44oz

So depending on what you do handle and spacer wise, it is possible (likely) that you can make an abs case for half the weight, and a fifth the price. It would be less strong than aluminium longtitudinally...but you could improve that with a multi-tube design (two or three secured together become much stronger and more resistant to bending forces).

...but it should be good against bangs and scrapes in any form...and as one tube it's the easiest way of carrying a one piece (loading in and out of a car, etc.).

[Master Blaster]

Note: Just weighed a few cases.

40mm abs waste pipe, 2 straight couplers, two end caps, gaffer taped all over (joints and the pipe itself for a silver rather than white finish. ), sponge padding, and long enough for one piece plus mini-butt. Weight: 22oz

3/4 Aluminium three piece case, end caps, but no plastic end protectors, full plastic handle. Weight: 44oz

So depending on what you do handle and spacer wise, it is possible (likely) that you can make an abs case for half the weight, and a fifth the price. It would be less strong than aluminium longtitudinally...but you could improve that with a multi-tube design (two or three secured together become much stronger and more resistant to bending forces).

...but it should be good against bangs and scrapes in any form...and as one tube it's the easiest way of carrying a one piece (loading in and out of a car, etc.).

My wastepipe abs tube case weighs about the same as yours but my black snooker pvc tube with cap and clasp for a lock weighs 16oz, thinner walled. The two ends are smoothly rounded as well, so it slips through the hatch, down the doorline between the two doors or between the front and backseats into the passenger footwell very easily without scratching anything. Like this one, but mine was free from one of my clubs:

http://www.fcsnooker.co.uk/online_st..._case_2551.htm

[tetricky]

I'm not saying it's an optimal design. It is however functional, cheap, and can be made with minimal tools and skills. Cut pipe in half (one cut). Gaffer tape end stops. Ram sponge in the ends. Two for thirteen quid (plus tape and sponge).

It's an option.

[Master Blaster]

I'm not saying it's an optimal design. It is however functional, cheap, and can be made with minimal tools and skills. Cut pipe in half (one cut). Gaffer tape end stops. Ram sponge in the ends. Two for thirteen quid (plus tape and sponge).

It's an option.

If you have it in your garage folks, this is a good idea and it's strong, stronger than leather or ply cases. I still have mine, it's probably tougher than my pvc tube case.

tetricky, when I made my abs tube case, I got some old thick PP paint pots (kiddies type), put them on the end of the abs, heated them using a hot air gun, then (wearing gloves!), shaped them round both ends tight = two free endcaps without the gaffer tape solution. Each time I played, I pushed the PP pot on hard and it never fell off; push on, pull off.