My workshop

[vmax]

My latest guitar build, a BC Rich Mockingbird style kit guitar, three piece meranti body, black waxed to highlight the grain and finished in boiled linseed, maple neck coloured with black indian ink, oiled and waxed, topped off with my own style pickguard which was a pig to get as the supplier sent it folded so it cracked along the folds, so I messaged them to send another but rolled in a hard tube but they sent it folded again and it cracked again along the folds so I got a refund and used what I could to make something less than what I wanted.
Turned out OK I guess but I wanted to hide the three piece body below the top piece which as you can see is nicely figured unlike the othe two pieces. These kits are supplied to be painted so the three or two piece bodies don't need to match and usually a thin veneer is topped for a one piece natural wood finish but I don't have the tools for that and didn't want to hide the top piece.

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[rapidh32]

you have created some beautiful cues, it is good to see skilled craftsmen are still around

[vmax]

Do you have any idea how much weight was removed by taking off the lacquer/varnish, and how did the diametre change.

I didn't measure it and I didn't weigh it, sorry Customer isn't a player, simply wanted his dad's cue as a momento.

[rapidh32]

Do you have any idea how much weight was removed by taking off the lacquer/varnish, and how did the diametre change.

[itsnoteasy]

Totally agree about the titanium ferrule, there is no magical properties to it. It stays shiny which is nice and is a harder metal so should last longer re tipping wise, although I have seen some butchered.
Nice Post Vmax, good read thanks.

[vmax]

How does pearwood play, closer to maple than ash?

Well I've played with both of them over the past week, the 60 inch suits me lengthwise and I played very well with it even though it's lighter than I like, titanium ferrule didn't exclude any less deflection when using side, same aiming as with my stainless steel ferruled cue, same result so my conclusion is that it's simply the latest fashion which is what I expected.

The 58..75 inch one with the 10.5mm buffalo horn ferrule also played very well, first poke a 48 break and those who belive you can't screw back as much as with a smaller ferrule/tip then all I can say is that the break ended with a massive overscrew that lost me position. The fact that the shaft is obviously a bit thicker doesn't seem to matter, feel is very good and it's true that it's easier to find the middle of the cue ball, the black buffalo horn ferrule helps with this as well.

All in all pearwood works very well and it's simply the aesthetics of the timber one needs to get used to, but I believe that any decent hardwood will make a good cue, maple and ash are simply plentiful and cheap and don't possess any magical cue making properties.

[vmax]

Finished these two yesterday, 6 coats of boiled linseed oil finish over the next couple of days should suffice.
60 inch curly pearwood 3/4, wenge butt with coconut splice, 10mm titanium ferrle, 17 oz's, 20 inch bp
58.75 inch curly pearwood 3/4, coconut butt, 10.5mm buffalo horn ferrule, 17.65 oz's, 18.75 inch bp

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[vmax]

How does pearwood play, closer to maple than ash?

I've no idea at the moment, never played with one before and will give it a try when they're finished.

[itsnoteasy]

How does pearwood play, closer to maple than ash?

[mikee]

Very nice and a bit different

[vmax]

Been busy the past few days with the pearwood shafts I've had resting for the past two years. Not yet finished and haven't yet decided what I want them to be exactly, one is 3/4 split with wenge butt and a coconut (palmira) splice and the other is 3/4 split with a full coconut butt that at the moment is US 9 ball spec with a 12mm tip. Might taper it down to snooker spec, might not.
Four other pearwood shafts that I haven't started yet, should finish them all by september, just in time for snooker season

Note the titanium ferrule, boy is that stuff hard

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[vmax]

Thanks Steve, after reading this reply and looking at the lathe pics again, I get a good picture on how you build..
You mentioned 2pc, have you done any center joint work?

Not yet Jason, only done 3/4 joints, not much call for centre joints unless I get into US pool cues.

[j6uk]

Thanks Steve, after reading this reply and looking at the lathe pics again, I get a good picture on how you build..
You mentioned 2pc, have you done any center joint work?

[vmax]

Looks big for mid size vmax, how longs the bed?
thats stationed ready to do taper, joint, and ferrule work?

It's only 1.2 m long Jason and doesn't have the tapering bars that come with the full size model so it's only used for joint and ferrule work. You can see the tip end of the cue in the second picture goes far beyond the chuck which is right at the end of the bed so I have to be careful when fitting the ferrule or mini butt joint on a one piece, can't spin it up to full speed as the timber sticking beyong the chucks will whip.
A two piece will fit of course but any tapering will have to be done by hand and eye in stages between the steadies, too much hassle so I make a one piece with the hand planes and then place it in the lathe to make a cut at the correct point with a hacksaw sounds drastic but with two steadies close to the cutting point it's really easy and when the cut is finished the two pieces are held firm.
I can shave back brass joints before fitting to fit the cue at the point needed rather than fit the joint where the cue is at the stock joint diameter, shave back ferrules, shape tips, drill up the butt for mini butt joints, drill further up the butt for adding a length of threaded bar to bring the balance point where it's needed in tandem with the lead added under the splices.
I'm sure there are a few more htings I could do but I've yet to explore them. All in all a good piece of kit and has paid for itself already in sales.

[Danger Steve]

Wowzers! That looks like a nice bit of kit! I guess things have moved on from a block/jig and a hand plane?