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Once the tip is off, you need to remove the entire leftover tip and glue from
the face of the ferrule. This may well be the most important part of the
entire operation. It is very important that this surface is clean and
flat. If you try to sand the ferrule surface with a piece of sandpaper or
a file, I can guarantee you will end up with a slightly rounded surface, and
your tip won’t stick to it properly. Your tip will develop a click, or may
come off entirely within just a few days. You need to get a tool such as
the one shown in Figure 2. This one I bought many years ago and
is made by Tweeten. This exact model might not be available today, but
there are similar models available from a billiard supply company. There
are several alternative versions of this tool available; some can become quite
expensive (around $400.00). This may sound like a lot, but with tip
replacement running over $10.00, you only need to do it 40 times to pay for
the machine. You can even do tips for your friends, which will pay the
money back quickly. Tweeten also makes a very inexpensive plastic version
that is only a few dollars. I have not tried this version, but it
looks like it will work for low volume work. Notice the red thing in
Figure 2. This is a match book that I placed between the sander and the
shaft. This is necessary to protect the shaft from nicks.
Once you have your ferrule prepared, you need to put the tip
on. Pick out the tip you want to use. Look at the back of the
tip. You will notice that it has an irregular surface. You need to
make the surface flat so that glue will stick to it, and you do this by sanding
the gluing surface with a piece of sandpaper, preferably 180 to 220 grit.
Place the sandpaper on a flat surface and rub the tip over it. Try to
keep the tip and the sandpaper flat to eliminate rounding the bottom of the
tip. You may want to tape the sandpaper down if that’s easier for you.
In the next issue, we will actually get the tip glued to the ferrule
(finally). Remember, if you have any questions about cues or suggestions
for future articles, please contact me at jimbuss@insidepool.com
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