Re-Tipping
How to re-tip your cue the professional way, in 5 easy steps by Mike Woolridge of www.HandMadeCues.com
Preparing the cue
1. Remove the old tip (or bits of glue and leather left if the old tip has fallen off) with a sharp blade.
2. Gently scrape across the surface taking care not to dig into the ferrule or wood.
3. Providing the cue has been correctly tipped in the past, you should now have a perfectly flat surface.
4. Sometimes the surface will be uneven, and maybe the ferrule has been worn away on one side, due to somebody messing up the surface in the past (probably by trying to file it flat by hand).
5. This will need to be made perfectly flat first. There are various tipping devices available, which you can use to help get it flat. Once flat and perfectly clean, it is ready to take a tip.
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REMEMBER - You are not trying to make the surface flat with the blade because it should already be flat. You are just trying to remove anything still stuck to the surface. |
NOTE: If you do not ensure that the surface is perfectly flat, you will probably have problems getting the tip to stick. If it does stick, the chances are that it will fly off shortly afterwards - DO THE JOB PROPERLY.
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Preparing the tip
1. Put some sandpaper on a flat surface, take a tip and lightly rub it across the sandpaper until you have removed any uneven bits.
2. Make sure that you keep the tip flat as you do this or you will make it slightly convex and it won't fit perfectly flat when you try to stick it.
3. Gently blow the tip to remove any dust. It is now ready for glueing.
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Try to keep the tip flat as you sand it
If you ‘rock’ it you will make the surface convex and cause problems when glueing. |
Mushroom tips - If you want a 'mushroom' tip, i.e. one that overhangs the ferrule, then select a tip slightly bigger than your ferrule and position the tip as accurately as possible when glueing so that the overhang is equal all the way round.
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Glueing the tip
Superglue - I have heard many people say that superglue should not be used, but I have used superglue on my own cue for many years and have never had a problem. But because it sets so quickly you must be very careful to position it correctly. So, if you are confident.....
1. Put a drop of superglue on the cue and immediately fix the tip.
2. Be careful not to use too much or it will run down the side of the cue as you press the tip down.
3. Hold it for a few seconds, then check that it has stuck firm.
4. The tip is ready to be shaped and used immediately.
You may find it helps to put superglue on the tip first, let it dry, then lightly sand it again, thereby forming a kind of barrier. Otherwise when you stick it on the cue, you may find the glue soaks into the bottom of the tip quickly and not stick so well.
Use superglue gel if you find normal superglue too difficult or messy. It give you more time to position the tip and does not give the same problem of soaking into the tip.
Contact adhesive - this is probably easier to use, and you may feel more confident using it.
1. Put a little glue on the cue, push the tip down onto it, then remove and leave for a few minutes until it is tacky.
2. Now carefully position the tip and press it down firmly. Use a tip clamp if you have one.
3. Leave as long as possible, preferably overnight before using.
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Shaping the tip
1. Once the tip is stuck, turn the cue upside down and hold the tip down on a flat surface.
2. Take a sharp blade and gently cut away any part of the tip that is overhanging. Take care to keep the blade vertical so you don’t dig into the tip, but just remove the overhanging part.
3. Make sure you maintain downward pressure so that there is no danger of the tip being 'pulled' away from the top of the cue.
4. Turn the cue back up the right way and, using some sandpaper, carefully stroke 'down' the tip to create a nice gentle dome shape.
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Carefully cut away the overhanging tip making sure you keep the blade as vertical as possible thereby 'sliding' down the ferrule, using it as a guide, and cutting the tip flush and level. |
Be careful to angle the sandpaper away from the cue so that on your downward strokes you don’t scratch the ferrule and, more importantly, you don't scratch the shaft of the cue. |
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DO NOT sand 'up' the tip because you may pull the leather fibres apart, and completely ruin the tip. And remember to be very careful not to extend your downward strokes and 'come in' to the cue so that you scratch your ferrule and shaft.
Mushroom tips - If you fitted a 'mushroom' tip, disregard steps 1-3 above and just follow step 4.
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Ready for play
Your tip should now be fitted correctly and the correct shape. But it usually takes a little time to get used to a new tip, and can take a while for the new tip to 'bed in'. To help give the tip a 'played in' feel, try tapping it lightly with a cueball for a while.
Remember that although tips are supposed to be consistent, they do vary a great deal from box to box. Some are soft and some are hard. This can have an enormous effect on your game, and how the shot 'feels'.
Personally, I prefer a firm tip, and there have been many occasions when I have re-tipped my cue, and within a few shots I have removed it and started again! This is because the tip was just too soft for me and no amount of 'bedding in' would make it firm enough. In time, you will be able to tell straight away if you have a 'good' tip, but at first, give the tip a chance to settle.
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This is the sort of shape your new tip should have.
Not too rounded and not too flat, just a nice gentle dome. |
NOTE: There are new 'laminated' tips now available which are more consistent in feel, give better 'grip' on the cueball, and last much longer than standard tips. They are dearer than standard tips but well worth a try - they can be purchased from my website at www.HandMadeCues.com
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Tip maintenance
DO always keep your tip well chalked. Mis-cues happen mainly due to a lack of chalk (although often it’s just your bad cue action!).
In time your tip may become hard and shiny, so gently rough it up with some sandpaper or a file. This will help the chalk stay on the tip. Always remember to work in a downward and outward motion. If you sand 'up' the tip you may pull the leather fibres apart, and completely ruin it.
DO NOT 'spin' the cue with sandpaper around the tip, or sand sideways round the cue. This will probably scratch the ferrule and the wood just below, damaging both in the process.
Final Word
If your tip starts to wear down close to the ferrule – change it!
I have seen many tips left on too long so that the ferrule is showing. This will cause damage to the cue ball every time you play a shot, as well as causing you to mis-cue.
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