How to straighten a cue
Let's take a strong board, the cue is attached to it first with the thick end using a strong rope. At the place of the curvature (we determined it in advance by rolling the cue on a flat surface), place a spacer (for example, a simple pencil) between the board and the cue. Let's pull the second end of the cue to the board. We do not pay attention to the fact that the bend is decent. It should be 2-3 times larger (and, naturally, directed in the opposite direction) than the curvature itself. Let's adjust this by the thickness of the spacer.
The second method of straightening the cue.
We use a professional hair dryer for these purposes. We set the temperature to the maximum (>400 degrees), but heat the wood to 50-60 degrees (possibly more, but you have to be careful, the wood may burn), so as not to burn the wood, you need to “move” the nozzle and maintain a distance. The heating distance is up to 10 cm, the frequency of scanning the cue surface increases as the distance decreases. As a rule, only the convex side is subject to heating, but with significant coverage of the areas adjacent to the convexity.
We focus heating on the convexity. In this case, the convexity is mechanically pressed between two support points and warms up for 1.5-2 minutes. If the cue is dismountable, then you need to edit each part separately. Mark the convex side with a pencil. We take an old shoe, rest one end on it, and the other on the floor (preferably not a pile carpet, so as not to burn it), press it next to the bulge and warm it up. Next, place it on the surface and rotate again. When everything comes together, it is necessary to perform an important operation - to relieve the tension in the tree. To do this, take a “cloth” or a flap of flannel and vigorously rub the entire shaft (or cue) until it is evenly heated; this cannot be done with a hairdryer. We check on the plane. If there is curvature, we need to repeat everything until we achieve the desired result.
How to make a sticker
Let's take leather (thick from old boots, for example), sand it with sandpaper to make it thinner, then chop it or cut it with scissors, degrease it with Acetone and coat it with instant glue, glue it again and fold it into layers, and into your device, and tighten it with nuts even more tightly.
According to the experiences of some craftsmen, after several months of playing with a 4-layer sticker, no fundamental differences from a cheap store sticker, but the 6-layer one turned out to be softer. Factory stickers have a rounded shape, but homemade ones turned out to be flat and therefore the ball vented a little worse, you can make a small rounded depression in the lower part so that the sticker takes the desired shape under pressure, as for glue, it turns out you only need a little bit of it, layers between each other and without glue they stick together well under pressure.
Playing qualities billiard cue directly depend on how and from what it was made. Let's talk a little about how cues are made in modern workshops.
What are cues made from?
What are cues made from?
All materials must be of high quality; the dried wood used is carefully selected and processed; there should be no knots or cracks in it. As a rule, the material is prepared in advance, then it is given time to “rest”, and only after that they begin processing and the actual production of a billiard cue - a gaming instrument. All bars that have led or exhibited any other defect are eliminated.
What kind of wood are cues made from?
Almost all high-quality billiard cues are made from several valuable types of wood high density. For the manufacture of the turnak and inlaid (cut) parts of the cue, hard and very hard wood is used, for example, sapelli, amaranth, laywood, paduk, black hornbeam, wenge, lemongrass, rosewood, bakote, cocobolo, makassar, ebony and a number of other materials. In this case, “cuts” of different types of wood can be connected, which has a positive effect on the playing properties of the cue. There may be cuts different shapes: classic - Viennese, cobweb, crown, flower, tulip and others. Shafts Kyiv self made made only from hornbeam. Factory cues are usually made from maple.
Making a handmade cue
The first stage after selecting materials is filing (or preparing glued parts). The cue parts prepared at this stage are glued together. At the same time, when making a handmade cue, the composition of the glue can also be changed so that its hardness after drying is equal to the hardness of wood. Then billiard cue will transmit impact energy without distortion. The pieces are glued together under pressure. After gluing, the cue blanks are sent to drying, where they rest for some time. And only after this the processing of the cue itself begins: all its parameters, dimensions are set, and its shape is given. If we are talking about a two-piece cue, then a twist is inserted. At the same stage, a weight is added and the cue is balanced. What is important is that at this stage all actions are usually performed manually, using sandpaper, a blade, a plane, without using a lathe. Why? Because, according to the craftsmen, during turning, a huge amount of internal stresses in the wood arise in the blank of the future cue, even small ones - but they can greatly influence the playing qualities of the cue. Good workshops try to avoid this. After this, the cue is cleaned. A logo, inlay or almost any image of the customer’s choice is applied to it - even rhinestones. In the case of factory cues, a logo is usually applied. After this, the cue is covered with wax or varnish and polished. Each cue is tested: when you buy a handmade cue, you can be sure of its high playing qualities.
Making a cue in a factory is faster and easier. In the industrial production of cues, gluing is not performed; the turnstile and shaft are made of maple on a lathe. At the next stage it works lathe governed by computer program. The cue is given the desired shape. The drawing is applied - also on a machine. After this, the twist is installed and the turnstile can be attached to the shaft. Next, the cue is varnished - again automatically.
Characteristics of wood species for billiard cues:
Ramin: density - 670 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 3.0
Maple: density - 650 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 4.0
Hornbeam
Beech: density - 650 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 3.8
Oak: density - 700 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 3.8
Ash
Lemon: density - 700 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 3.6
Amarilla: density - 800 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 4.5
Karelian Bareza: density - 700 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 3.5
Sapelli
Lacewood: density - 650 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 3.5
Paduc: density - 750 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 3.8
Fernambuc: density - 800 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 7.2
Amaranth: density - 870 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 5.0
Sucupira: density - 900 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 4.9
Redheart: density - 900 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 5.8
Black hornbeam: density - 750 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 3.5
Bog oak: density - 950 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 5.7
Wenge: density - 850 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 4.2
Palmyra: density - 700 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 4.0
Tulipwood: density - 860 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 4.5
Zebrano: density - 770 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 3.3
Rosewood: density - 900 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 5.5
Bakote: density - 940 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 5.5
Cocobolo: density - 850 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 4.3
Zirikot: density - 950 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 6.0
Kingwood: density - 990 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 4.4
Grenadil: density - 1080 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 7.0
Macassar: density - 1100 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 6.5
Eben: density - 1150 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 8.0
Flaming Ebony: density - 1200 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 8.0
Moon Ebony: density - 1250 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 8.0
Koutout: density - 1300 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 8.1
snake tree: density - 1350 kg/m 3, Brinell hardness - 8.3
Samples of wood for making handmade cues (coating - varnish and coating - wax):
Hold the cue at hip level with your dominant hand. Grasp the mark on the cue with one hand, closer to the far part of it. There's usually symbol. Grab your hand approximately 10.2 to 12.7 cm from the end of the cue. Ideally, the hand further away should form a 90-degree angle with the cue.
- Most beginners grip the cue too tightly. Keep the cue relaxed, but control the process.
- Your body should be in line with the cue ball. This will help you aim correctly for your shot.
- Keep the cue big and index fingers, you can connect the middle one if you want to give the blow more force.
Lean lower towards the table. When you take the cue in your dominant hand and choose right place To hit, you should lean lower on the table so that you can look straight down the cue line at the billiard ball. You won't get a good shot if you stand up straight and are tense.
- Relax your legs and spread them a little, at least ten centimeters.
Make an open position with your other hand. Place your other hand on the table 15-20 cm from the cue ball. The closer you are to the ball, the more accurate your shot will be. When your hand is on the table, you should place a cradle on it so that this allows you to balance the cue on your hand and make shots. Certainly, certain types stops are more or less suitable for various situations. It’s best to start by familiarizing yourself with the most common type of stop – the open stop:
- To begin, place your hand on the table and spread your fingers.
- Place the cue between the phalanges of the index and middle fingers in the V-shaped space created.
- You can adjust the height of the cue tip by raising or lowering your hand.
- This will allow the cue to slide as you aim to hit the ball.
Hold the cue steady while you aim. Lean forward and mentally place the tip of the cue on the spot on the cue ball that you will hit. Hitting techniques Right place You will improve the ball for more accurate scoring later. Ideally, you want to hit the cue ball in the center or the sweet spot to get the ball to roll where you want it to.
- You should see a straight line between the cue ball and the object ball (the ball you want to pocket).
Hold the cue with the longitudinal center of gravity in mind and make the shot. Carefully slide the cue forward while keeping your aim clear. If you're not entirely sure of your shot, gently move the cue back and forth across your open fence to get a feeling of confidence and balance before making your shot. Remember that you need to hit the ball, not push it. Follow through with the punch, continuing the movement a little after you've completed the kick.
- Let your body remain low to the table until the end of the stroke.
- Keep your cue relaxed and free. Don't squeeze it too hard during impact. If the compression is too tight, the cue may break and change the direction of your shot.
- Hold the cue with your hand on the outside and support it with your thumb. This will provide better control. Use the thumb, index and middle fingers of your other hand to hold the cue in the desired position.
Good afternoon, dear readers!
Examples of cues made in Shatov’s workshop
Thanks to a happy coincidence, the other day I was able to visit an amazing place - unique carpentry workshop, which exclusively produces billiard cues. And not just billiards, but Russian. And not just Kiev, but exclusive handmade kiev. And in general, this is not an ordinary workshop, but a workshop of one of the best masters for the production of handmade cues in our country - workshop of Ivan Shatov.
workshop manager Ivan Shatov at work
The workshop team received me very warmly and shared with me all the intricacies of the cue making process with great pleasure. Alexey Shatov gave me a fascinating tour of the workshop. Today I will share this most valuable knowledge with you.
general form workshop 
master Alexey Shatov
The most important thing about a cue is the material from which it is made. The tree must meet many criteria: first of all, it must be both super strong and very flexible. In addition, handmade cues are true works of art, which is largely achieved through the use of several types of wood with different grain structures and colors. Due to such stringent requirements, the range of wood species used is quite limited and is represented mainly by exotic species. For example, the striking part of the cue (shaft) is in most cases made of hornbeam (density 750 kg/m3). The rest of the cue can be made from species such as rosewood, merbau, wenge, padouk, coco-bolo, ebony and even the heaviest wood in the world - snakewood (1400 kg/m3). The quality of workmanship, the combination of species and, ultimately, the beauty of the product depends entirely on the imagination and skills of the craftsman.
material for cues - bars of valuable species
The wood is delivered to the workshop in the form of blanks, which have previously undergone a lengthy process natural drying(for some breeds this period can reach a year or even more). Raw materials arrive in the workshop long before they are used: already dried bars must be aged for at least three months directly in the workshop before they are put into use - to establish the required humidity.
planer-thicknesser machine
First of all, a blank is made from a block the right size. In this case, a high-precision planer-thicknesser machine is used. Due to the high density of the processed wood, the machine knives wear out several times faster than when processing soft wood. At the end of this stage, perfectly smooth workpieces measuring 30x30mm are obtained.
cutting the desired angle on a band saw
Next, the workpiece falls on band saw with the thinnest blades (0.35mm) - to ensure the cleanest possible cut. The photo shows that with the help of tsulagi ( special device), the cut occurs at a special, strictly specified angle. This angle itself is distinctive feature masters and each master has his own.
knives for finishing parts after band sawing
Despite the thin blade, the band saw is not capable of making cuts the desired shape— at the end of the cut there will always be a right angle (step). To bring the cut to perfection, custom-made knives are used that have exactly the blade angle that is required.
final finishing hand tools
perfectly precise connection
Then, in the same way, similar elements from other species or of a different size are cut on a band saw, depending on the master’s plan. After which the entire workpiece is placed in clamps for gluing. To merge elements into a single whole, it is used epoxy resin. Resin is better suited than glue for this type of work, as it has more long time setting (about 30 minutes) - it is possible to take your time and accurately assemble the workpiece. In addition, PVA glue has some elasticity even after hardening, which is unacceptable for a cue, as it can give additional play. The resin after curing is completely monolithic.
the workpiece is clamped into the clamps during gluing
After the resin has completely hardened (after a week), the workpiece is prepared for next stage- processing on a lathe.
workpiece before turning 
the workpiece is installed in the lathe
One of the key stages is selection required quantity lead for the cue handle. The cue is balanced in a special way. Often, when making a cue to order, the customer has wishes, including the required weight of the cue.
lead rod
Final grinding is done exclusively by hand on a special homemade abrasive stand. Painting is carried out at the request of the customer: it can be varnished or natural oil, which is the most popular at the moment.
finishing equipment manual grinding cue
There was also room in the workshop for a machine with CNC program control. It has a cutter for carving and a laser for burning. It is mainly used to apply the master's mark to an almost finished cue.
CNC machine 
examples of works from Shatov's workshop
I express my gratitude to the workshop team for great opportunity get acquainted with the process of making cues, with the workshop itself and with the finished products!
Dear readers, tomorrow you will find the most exciting part of the report - photographs finished works Shatov's workshop. Who can't wait for tomorrow, look now at