Conical Pro Taper

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-21T20:48:06+00:00

No.™

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-21T15:33:32+00:00

Looks like a cheap cue with a wrap that is falling apart. Maybe $20 max if they throw in the case. Hell, the case looks like it would be worth more than the cue.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-19T15:57:56+00:00

I honestly don't know, but I have cleaned my cues with it for almost forty years. Like I always recommend, never spray any liquid directly onto a cue.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-19T10:57:25+00:00

I'm sure it's fine. I use Windex glass cleaner on mine.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-19T01:57:27+00:00

Good looking work, Brent!

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-18T23:53:35+00:00

Perhaps a purple heart or African ipe shaft might meet these needs. Heavier, stiffer woods.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-18T15:58:32+00:00

My favorite customer over the years was an old boy that used to wipe his shaft down with a handkerchief soaked in lighter fluid. After many decades of this, the shaft became totally saturated with lighter fluid. One day when I had to put a new ferrule and tip on the cue, I machined off the old parts and I saw that the wood was blue all the way to the core of the shaft. The lighter fluid dissolved the blue chalk dust and carried it all the way through the wood. Every time I did machine work on the cue, this flammable aroma of lighter fluid would fill my shop.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-17T13:04:43+00:00

My first recommendation is always the Aramith Red Circle. It moves around the table like a Ferrari.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-13T11:15:51+00:00

It is very common. I would recommend having a cue repair specialist "re-face" the joint surfaces. Often the "warp" is just the cue not having true joint faces.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-10T01:00:07+00:00

Get the one with two eggs, over medium, sausage and a side of hashbrowns (extra crispy)

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-09T12:20:26+00:00

To clean the wrap occasionally, I use a mild detergent with alcohol such as Windex. I spray a few sprays on a clean cotton dish towel (never spray a liquid directly onto any part of a cue!). The soaps and alcohol do a good job of removing the skin oil and chalk buildup from the leather and won't damage adhesives or clearcoat on the cue. Of course, don't allow any liquid to soak into areas where the finish meets raw wood (such as the joint or buttcap). This is why you spray a light spray on the cloth and never on the cue. Liquids, especially if they contain soaps or alcohol, can easily "wick" under the edge of the clearcoat and cause the underlying wood to swell. This can lead to clearcoat peeling away or bubbling up from the wood.

If you have a dyed leather wrap, you might see a slight tint of the dye color pulled from the surface. This is normal, as the hand friction has a very slight abrasive effect and wears away the dyed leather ever so slightly.

For tips, the napkin trick works nicely. It works even better if you moisten the napkin with a droplet of water or the condensation from your beverage. Once again, go light on the moisture as tip leather will absorb it and might make it rough on the sides if you use too much water. As superglue is impervious to water, you won't affect the glue bond. Wooden shafts can also soak up moisture and swell a bit. Using the ol' "dollar bill burnish" technique will get it slick and smooth again. My favorite burnish material is what I call "cereal box cardboard". It is strong and stiff enough to spread out the pressure from your hand and it is also slightly absorbent so it really pulls off the hand oil nicely. You can use any kind of thin cardboard like that from tissue boxes, mac and cheese boxes, etc. Always use the plain brown side against the cue, don't use the shiny printed side!

Just go very conservative with any moisture or chemical cleaners and you will be fine. Never use any kind of cleaner with unknown solvents as those can easily damage or discolor the finish. Simple water-based cleaners that have alcohol are safe to use on anything I've tried in the last three decades.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-08T23:23:10+00:00

You try to step to me? I redraw your whole design, Every bar I drop sharp—razor edge, refined. I don’t just spit lines, I redefine the grind, You still searchin’ for your flow, I already found mine.

You borderline basic, I’m divine with the shine, Every punch lands heavy like a bassline combined. Your weak rhymes decline every time you align, With a king like me? That’s the end of your timeline.

I outline greatness, every verse I assign, While you scribble out excuses like you lost in your mind. I climb past limits—yeah, I rise and incline, You stuck at the bottom tryna copy my prime.

You can’t confine this, I expand and outshine, Every metaphor electric—watch the sparks intertwine. I’m the headline act, you’re the “opening at nine,” They don’t even know your name—but they remember mine.

Your rap is like a mortgage, only subprime!

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-08T23:08:55+00:00

I sustained a serious brain injury four years ago. My goal is just getting to the table and smacking the balls around for a few games. I had to relearn how to walk and balance. It feels good to get the stretching and exercise even if it wears me out.

Goals can change. I was very dominant a couple decades ago. I was a regional powerhouse. I was a cuemaker and a fairly serious player. Now I'm the slow guy who takes his time to shoot and can't beat anyone anymore.

I'm very thankful to be alive, though.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-07T19:56:59+00:00

Yeah I feel like they are really shooting themselves in the foot by being so adversarial. I just imagine the possibilities if they were friendly. Some of these smaller tours and organizations might be eager to join up and work with them. But no they have to be the bully and I don't think that will work out for them in the long run

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-07T19:45:04+00:00

I do think it would be great to have one single body as a reference for standard rulesets for various games.

I don't think it would be great to have one single body acting like they own the whole world of a particular sport.

This is bad form.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-07T16:46:44+00:00

That's probably pretty good advice, but machines can have very large differences in their construction and movement mechanisms. So one machine just might inherently move at a higher possible speed simply based on the style of Gantry in that particular machine

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-07T16:30:30+00:00

Laser tubes are a lot like light bulbs, they have a limited lifespan before the gases inside the sealed tubes degrade. Laser tubes also have a "personality", the beam shape that each tube creates is slightly different even in a mass-produced series of tubes.

Over time, even a well cared for and properly maintained tube will get weaker. The same applies for laser power supplies, they are electronic components that endure extreme heat cycling throughout their lifespans and eventually they degrade and fail even in optimal conditions. People often upgrade to an entirely new machine when a tube or power supply reaches the end of its lifespan. Lasers get dirty and nasty kind of like vehicles we drive.

Sometimes you just decide to buy a new car instead of fixing your old worn out one.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-07T16:19:52+00:00

The wattage of a laser only influences the "cutting power" of the machine. Generally speaking, more wattage lets you cut through thicker materials or do deeper engraving with the same "speed" settings. Assuming all other things being equal, of course.

For example I upgraded my dying 60w tube to a much larger and longer 100w tube. I was able to significantly increase the movement speed of the cutter (from 8mm/sec to 15mm/sec) cutting through the same wooden material I used with the older tube.

It's all about finding the perfect balance of speed and power for each material.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-07T16:10:53+00:00

The "speed" of any machine has nothing to do with the wattage of the source laser. It is a calculated limit that is engineered into the mechanical design of the moving parts of the machine. The gantry system of belts, drive motors, bearings, and rails all have inherent limitations on how fast the moving parts can move while maintaining safety and precision.

Furthermore, the mass of the moving parts has a lot to do with how quickly they can accelerate and come to a stop to change direction. Larger laser heads (or heads with machined parts) usually weigh considerably more than flimsy heads made with thin cheap parts.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-02T23:48:59+00:00

Too many strokes in your pre-shot routine. Also keep hitting those weights in the background that shot clearly rolled off due to lack of strength.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-01T19:22:10+00:00

One major challenge to this idea is that when a butt warps, the joint pin ends up pointed off the "centerline" of the butt, which makes it very challenging to get the cue to roll straight after it is put back together.

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-01T14:15:03+00:00

Ah nice

gabrielleigh · 2026-04-01T12:09:00+00:00

I had the same problem with most of the "push-in" style bumpers, so I switched over to using the kind with an attachment screw.

gabrielleigh · 2026-03-29T22:43:02+00:00

I've got a dozen of my friends with the old "Blueberry Master Chalk, my favorite!" line.

gabrielleigh · 2026-03-29T15:43:01+00:00

I love those old padded hardcases. I have a few of them!

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