Snooker cue making jig

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tibi

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Hello,

My friend who is a snooker player asked me to help him make his own snooker cue from hard maple and ebony. I do not have a lathe and I need to make it from a square stock by hand.

There is a jig that pro makers use. it is just a board with some kind of groove in it. Can you help me figure out the profile of the groove so that I can rotate the square stock easily (without use of vices or clamps) and also that I can create the required taper from heel to toe. Is it a square groove, or square groove rotated 45 degrees or something else? Does it have an equal depth or is it tapered in some way?

Here is the jig in this video

It can be seen at 1:00,1:40,2:18, etc.

Thank you very much.
 
You want to look for pool cue planing jig or snooker cue planing jigs.
Here is a video of a guy using one That should give you a better idea of what you need. You could fancy it up some by putting sides on it to control the depth and taper. Bamboo fly rod makers use similar jigs.

Disclaimer. I ain't gonna endorse the planing techniques of the guy in the video.
Pete
 
I have made this simple jig that can be scaled according to the holes on my workbench. I will try it tomorrow

IMG_1118.JPG
IMG_1115.JPG
 
Thanks for the video, interesting wee taste of the craft.
Your jig looks puzzling to me why there is a gap between them?
Have you found any other videos like the first?
 
It is made. From softwood offcuts to save material, as I will probably never use it again , the front is just a planing stop secured with a bench dog and the rear one can be placed to any hole on the workbench. So I can be scaled. I want to make a smaller test piece from spruce to learn how to taper it, then full scale test piece and finally the finished product from maple and ebony. Material was purchased by my friend and I do not want to ruin it
 
Are you using a plank inbetween with some shims to support the work and not have it deflecting?
 
Am I right in thinking you're a left handed plane user? Stop at right end?
I was wondering what angle the V grove was at Parris.
Interested in your results (groove and reduction technique).
I bet Parris would just say 'experience' :)
 
Am I right in thinking you're a left handed plane user? Stop at right end?
I was wondering what angle the V grove was at Parris.
Interested in your results (groove and reduction technique).
I bet Parris would just say 'experience' :)
Yes, I am a leftie. I think that it is a square rotated 45 degrees, but I might be wrong. I will try this technique
http://www.jefflefkowitzchairmaker....chair-build-21-hand-shaping-part-2-front-legsbut I will use plane instead of drawknife or spokeshave. And then I will sand facets to get a round shape.
 
+1 on #4 plane. Perhaps sharp spokeshave for later cuts?
Mark taper on 'tip' end as a target?
Then how to get the ... cut for the ferrule (tip holder), if no lathe?
Due care and a sharp chisel?
 
It's not the jig so much it's more the basic woodwork procedure of working to marks; circle at one end, smaller circle at the other, join them up with a long plane whilst supporting the workpiece to avoid deflection.
Never made a cue but I've done similar and tended to use a 5 - relatively long for the light weight.
Not essential but easier if you start with a nice planed square blank - take down to the marks, take off the corners to make it octagonal, take off the corners to make 16 sided, then finish with finely set block plane -spokeshave -sandpaper etc.
P.S. just remembered - it can help if you circle marks are deep e.g. knocked in with a wad punch or scratched with dividers. Then you can see when you've reached it without having to look at the end itself.
 
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+1 on #4 plane. Perhaps sharp spokeshave for later cuts?
Mark taper on 'tip' end as a target?
Then how to get the ... cut for the ferrule (tip holder), if no lathe?
Due care and a sharp chisel?
Yes I can also use a spokeshave and my drawknife is already ordered and should come next week.

I will create two octagons, one big on the heel and one small on the tip. I will join their vertexes with lines along the length of the stock. On the tip the octagon will not connect with the edge of the stock, as it will be smaller, so I will project lines to the edges of the stock. Then I will try to create a polygonal shape from the octagon with 16,32 facets ... then I will round with a fine sandpaper.
 
It's not the jig so much it's more the basic woodwork procedure of working to marks; circle at one end, smaller circle at the other, join them up with a long plane whilst supporting the workpiece to avoid deflection.
Never made a cue but I've done similar and tended to use a 5 - relatively long for the light weight.
Not essential but easier if you start with a nice planed square blank - take down to the marks, take off the corners to make it octagonal, take off the corners to make 16 sided, then finish with finely set block plane -spokeshave -sandpaper etc.
P.S. just remembered - it can help if you circle marks are deep e.g. knocked in with a wad punch or scratched with dividers. Then you can see when you've reached it without having to look at the end itself.
Hi Jacob,

yes I am going to use the same or similar procedure as you have just described.
 
Hi Jacob,

yes I am going to use the same or similar procedure as you have just described.
Right!
I'd pass on the draw knife though - they are more for rough shaping, not working to marks.
 
This is an interesting video that might help me create a tapered octagon

He makes it look difficult!
Much easier to draw the circle at each end and then strike four 45º and four 90º lines with a bevel and/or combi square, as a tangents to the circle
 
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