How to make a billiard cue. What and how are billiard cues made of? Characteristics of wood species for billiard cues

It started a long time ago and continues to this day. This game was released today new level fame and the number of its adherents. Therefore, more and more clubs and communities are appearing that practice billiards, train beginners, and also organize tournaments different levels, including international ones. All players, without exception, want success in the game and high achievements, but skill alone is not enough. Very often a cue is made to order that will help you achieve your goal.

How and from what is a cue made?

The pleasure of playing billiards, as well as our success, largely depend on the correctly selected cue. Therefore, in order to choose a cue that will show your professionalism, you should take this process very seriously. The cue is very important in billiards because if it is correct, an experienced player can easily win. Therefore, this necessary attribute for playing billiards must have excellent qualities.

It is no secret that how a cue is made, as well as from what material, determine its properties and final quality, and therefore its purpose. It must be hard enough to make strong and sharp shots, and also flexible, this is very important in billiards. Hard and soft types of natural wood, as well as various alloys, allow you to combine these qualities. Materials for making this important attribute for playing billiards are easy to find, but their price is quite high.

How they do it billiard cue? First of all, the valuable wood species from which it is made are carefully selected and processed. They should not have cracks or knots, and must be well dried. For production, wood species with high density and elasticity are used. Cue cues are mainly made from valuable species tree. These are rosewood, buckout, colobolo, wenge, snakewood, black and white tree. The most expensive material is ebony. All these types of wood have very high hardness. In order to add the necessary flexibility to the product, pine or mahogany is usually used.

Quite often, the tip of the cue, which must be dense and resistant to impacts, is made from hornbeam. When making a cue, pay attention special attention for even distribution of its weight. This is what helps you hit the balls accurately. During manufacturing, the shape, design, size, as well as the ability to fold (very convenient for frequent moves) are taken into account. For a long time, cues have been made from two or more types of wood. The wood is assembled into them using cuts, which at the final stage are folded into a certain pattern. Therefore, the following models are classified according to the type of cuts and their number:

crown- the most expensive and difficult to produce. A cue is made with this type of cut using special, expensive equipment and special equipment. The construction and design of the crown cut are of several types: four-feather long crowns, four-feather regular crowns, as well as a rare and complex crown cut on the crown. These are the main types, but there are other varieties. Such products have a very high density. Gaming characteristics at a high level;
Viennese or classic washed down, has the widest distribution. All workshops make cues with this type of cut. Most often, it is the Viennese cut that becomes the first work of a novice master. U different masters feathers differ in the angle of the cut, and this is the most important characteristic. Most players and craftsmen agree that this simple type of cut is the best for a billiard cue;
tulip. It is one of the variations of the classic feather pen. How to make a tulip cue? When gluing, the classic Viennese gash is combined in a special way, and the result is a washed down tulip. This product is characterized by high density. Due to the labor-intensive process, as well as the high consumption of wood, the price of such models is quite high.

A good cue is the key to a successful game

You don't have to use the most expensive cue to enjoy playing billiards. We already know how a cue is made, so it is always possible to choose a model good quality"by hand", from good stuff without spending a lot of money. To maintain its characteristics and ensure its durability, you should definitely purchase care products.

The accuracy of a shot in billiards takes years to perfect. In order to comprehend the fascinating science of playing billiards, professional players systematically train in friendly tournaments and fights. Billiards in Melitopol is a great way to take a break from the worries and bustle of the city, have a great time, chat with friends and enjoy the atmosphere of this interesting game.

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 Kyiv self made . 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 view 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 real 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 long process of natural drying (for some species 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 workpiece of the required size is made from a block. In this case, a high-precision planer-thicknesser machine is used. Because of high density processed wood, the knives of the machine 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 able to make a cut of the desired shape - there will always be a right angle (step) at the end of the cut. 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 on band saw similar elements are cut from other species or of a different size, 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 the next stage - processing on a lathe.

workpiece before turning

the workpiece is installed in lathe

One of the key stages is selecting the right amount of 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 required weight 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 present.

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 an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the process of making cues, the workshop itself and 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

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.

The playing qualities of a 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 quality billiard cues are made from several valuable high-density wood species. For the manufacture of turnyak and type-setting (filling) parts of the cue, wood of hard and very hard rocks, for example, sapelli, amaranth, laywood, padauk, black hornbeam, wenge, lemongrass, rosewood, bacote, 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. Handmade cue shafts are 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 the billiard cue will transmit the 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, the lathe operates under control 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