any cue makers on here?

[se7enthhell]

newbie here just wondering if there are any of you that have made your own cue?

always wanted to make one myself (i am a bench joiner and woodturner as it happens) but just never got round to it. i also never quite decided what timber to use as i wanted to make mine frome something other than Ash or maple even though i know they are the best timber to use.

what other species have others tried to use (whether successful or not?) on ether the shaft or the butt material?

[vmax]

newbie here just wondering if there are any of you that have made your own cue?

always wanted to make one myself (i am a bench joiner and woodturner as it happens) but just never got round to it. i also never quite decided what timber to use as i wanted to make mine frome something other than Ash or maple even though i know they are the best timber to use.

what other species have others tried to use (whether successful or not?) on ether the shaft or the butt material?

Find the My Workshop thread on the Cues section, also J6 cues, you'll find some good info, maybe enough to get you started. I was a joiner and wood machinist as well and turned my hand to making cues, not difficult just basic woodworking but not something to be rushed.

[se7enthhell]

thanks, i'll look for that.

i'll be interested to hear what others have used for cue butts.
i got asked to supply some genuine Lignum Vitae and Macassar Ebony a few years ago and wondered if you can have too heavy a butt for the user?

i have lots of exotic woods that could be used for splicing if anyone is interested?

[gg29]

Lignum Vitae good luck with that lol

[se7enthhell]

Lignum Vitae good luck with that lol

how do i need luck?

using it or selling it?

[Griff1]

how do i need luck?

using it or selling it?

I think, if memory serves me well, that it's a very dense wood, blunts plane blades very quickly. I had a cue made with ebony and then 4 splices of lignum vitae years ago, looked lovely and in hindsight I should never have sold it. Absolutely nothing wrong in using it on a cue.

[se7enthhell]

I think, if memory serves me well, that it's a very dense wood, blunts plane blades very quickly. I had a cue made with ebony and then 4 splices of lignum vitae years ago, looked lovely and in hindsight I should never have sold it. Absolutely nothing wrong in using it on a cue.

ah, plane blades can be a problem yes. in my experience once you've roughed it down to shape the best thing to use is a scraper. personally i turn it as i make skittle balls from it.

lignum is the densest commercial timber but once you learn how to work it then it's much easier to do.

[gg29]

I think, if memory serves me well, that it's a very dense wood, blunts plane blades very quickly. I had a cue made with ebony and then 4 splices of lignum vitae years ago, looked lovely and in hindsight I should never have sold it. Absolutely nothing wrong in using it on a cue.

i think its one of the few woods that dont float

[se7enthhell]

i think its one of the few woods that dont float

actually there are dozens of woods that won't float. possibly a couple of hundred if i were to research it.
any timber that is over 62lbft3 should sink.

check out "the wood database" for really heavy timbers.

[vmax]

ah, plane blades can be a problem yes. in my experience once you've roughed it down to shape the best thing to use is a scraper. personally i turn it as i make skittle balls from it.

lignum is the densest commercial timber but once you learn how to work it then it's much easier to do.

The hardest wood I've used for a cue is ipe tabaca, a species or ironwood. From 1mm oversize I sanded it to it's final finish and it took me four hours

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[se7enthhell]

The hardest wood I've used for a cue is ipe tabaca, a species or ironwood. From 1mm oversize I sanded it to it's final finish and it took me four hours

Ipe is Handroanthus spp and is fairly tough but not one of the hardest to work but boy does it blunt tools quick.
i'd say it's one of the hardest to get a good finish on it though. you did well.

how much do people rely on heavy woods to add the weight rather than a lead slug?

[vmax]

Ipe is Handroanthus spp and is fairly tough but not one of the hardest to work but boy does it blunt tools quick.
i'd say it's one of the hardest to get a good finish on it though. you did well.

how much do people rely on heavy woods to add the weight rather than a lead slug?

I've made three cues using ipe tabaca, a bloody curse to work but it's really lovely when finished with flecs of red and purple in it, it's so dense you can't see any end grain and when glueing you have to wet the faces to be glued otherwise the glue won't penetrate it very well, a trick I use with many oily hardwoods that naturally repell moisture.
Most old cues, and I mean pre 1980, were mass produced and quite light by today's standards with only a small weight placed in the end to bring the cue up to something a little more than the cues natural weight at around 15 oz's.
The bespoke cue maker of course can surpass these mass produced limitations and tailor a cue to a customers specific needs/wants, full ebony splices will only bring a bare shaft up to about 15 oz's so weight can be added before the spices are glued on to increase this up to whatever is needed with a small weight placed about three inches up from the end to balance it.
I drill and plug with lead under the spices, some cut out a channel and fill with lead, some make one piece cues by fastening together two lengths of shaft wood (joined under the splices) and use a length of threaded steel bar to join the two pieces that acts as a weight as well as a joint.

[se7enthhell]

I've made three cues using ipe tabaca, a bloody curse to work but it's really lovely when finished with flecs of red and purple in it, it's so dense you can't see any end grain and when glueing you have to wet the faces to be glued otherwise the glue won't penetrate it very well, a trick I use with many oily hardwoods that naturally repell moisture.
Most old cues, and I mean pre 1980, were mass produced and quite light by today's standards with only a small weight placed in the end to bring the cue up to something a little more than the cues natural weight at around 15 oz's.
The bespoke cue maker of course can surpass these mass produced limitations and tailor a cue to a customers specific needs/wants, full ebony splices will only bring a bare shaft up to about 15 oz's so weight can be added before the spices are glued on to increase this up to whatever is needed with a small weight placed about three inches up from the end to balance it.
I drill and plug with lead under the spices, some cut out a channel and fill with lead, some make one piece cues by fastening together two lengths of shaft wood (joined under the splices) and use a length of threaded steel bar to join the two pieces that acts as a weight as well as a joint.

what glue is used for making cues?

[vmax]

I use Titebond III for wood to wood and Zpoxy 30 minute formula for weights, ferrules, joints and tips.