Re-Tipping your Own Pool Cues

The Importance of the Pool Cue Tip?

In recent years the billiard cue world has reaped the price benefits of having pool cues mass-produced in China & even though the quality of these cues is good & getting better, there will always be a small percentage of any mass-produced item that will have manufacturing faults. Most manufacturing faults are covered under a sellers warranty; however, the one thing that’s never covered under any warranty is the adhering & quality of the tip used. And yet, just like the tires on a car, the tip of a cue (being the point of contact between the cue & the ball) is one of the most important aspects of cue quality.

When do I replace my Pool Cue Tip?

Basically, your tip either gets worn down by sanding/re-shaping or it has become compressed. Because, it’s essential to keep the surface of your cue tip rough, so as it grips the ball, the eventual replacement of a tip is inevitable. Some players have a different cue, just for breaking, so as to avoid the latter .

There are no hard rules as to when you change your tip. I’d say to change it when the control between the cue & the ball has gone past the point of no return.

Instructional Video

I like this particular instructional video because, except for the type of glue used, which is explained below, the method is exactly how we re-tip our cues. The video is also easy to follow & doesn’t rely on fancy clamps.

 

The Glue

cuegoo
We use Cue Goo, which is available in the tip & glue section of our online store.

Even though a lot of people use Super glue or Araldite to adhere cue tips, we tend to steer clear of any glue that dries rigid. This is because it is not designed to take the constant impact & therefore the tip can fall off after as little as a month when the glue dries brittle. We use Cue Goo, which is available in the tip & glue section of our online store, click here to visit.

Cue Goo is similar to Loctite 480 which is a flexible impact glue, regularly used to adhere rubbers on the inside of car doors & take the impact of a slamming car door. Both types of glue have the same active ingredients. The only difference is that Loctite 480 is black & Cue Goo is clear, keeping the appearance of your cue clean.

What tip is better, an Elkmaster or a Blue Diamond?

Blue Diamond Tips

Even though there are many other tips on the market to try, there’s no denying that Elkmaster & Blue Diamond tips are the most commonly used, professionally. Both are made in the U.S from specially treated leather & have their own distinct advantages & disadvantages. Therefore the decision simply becomes a personal preference.

Blue Diamonds are of medium hardness so have the better control when playing power shots. They are infused with chalk so that they grip new chalk when applied. Blue Diamond tips last longer than Elkmasters because they are not only a little harder but also thicker.

ElkmasterElkmaster tips are also infused with chalk but are made from a softer grade of leather. Because of this softness, they generally, over a whole game, offer better control & spin on the ball than Blue Diamonds. The disadvantage is that because they are thinner, softer & become compacted more easily they need to be changed more regularly.

Either a Blue Diamond or Elkmaster tip will be a vast improvement on a generic cue tip. The reason we use Blue Diamonds is to give you a fresh tip that gives you a cushioned feel to your new cue & won’t need to be replaced for quite a while.

Where can I purchase Cue Goo plus Blue Diamond & Elk tips?

Feel free to visit our contact page & you can order by phone, email or visit our online store by clicking here.

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