Mariani Custom Cues

youngstown

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Today a new cue maker was born. I just drove across Ohio and back to purchase all the equipment, wood, inlay material, and other accessories that would fit in my car.

I've imagined my name on a cue for years. The countdown begins...
 
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youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

I've been "away" forum-wise. I know it. All my free time has been putting a shop together and learning how to do all the various things you need to do to build a cue. Which is a lot. I now have a very deep appreciation for all cuemakers out there, and I'm sure that feeling will grow with my own experience.

So far all I'm doing is spending money. And then realize that I need that too. Pins. I'm going to spend almost $250 on pins. Sanding Mandrels? I didn't know what they were a month ago. Another $500.

So far I'm just "repairing" old junk cues, replacing ferrules and tips on my kids cues, practicing the different wraps. I'm anxious to start building more inlays but trying to start where I'm "supposed" to, in repairs. I've also been reading and re-reading how-to's and watching the DVDs that Dustin Miller let me borrow. (Thanks again! I'll get them back to you, hopefully soon...enough, lol)

I've become a little closer with my usual one pocket opponent, who is also a cuemaker who learned from one of the current best, who had learned from one of the legends. He's been really great, very patient with my many questions, full of advice and strong opinions, which have both been noted with the best of my ability. I had a great respect for his playing abilities, and now have a greater respect for the individual because of his willingness to give advice and help. We probably chat every other day at least, and it's actually got him to come out of a sabbatical and setting up his shop again. I feel good about that. I think it will be really great for him to start up again.
 
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youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

I spent the whole day cleaning out the garage, so I could extend my workbench enough to make room for a more equipment.

 
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youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

Somebody said pictures are worth 1000 words, so happy speed reading...





Lot of work to do to these...going to start with some conversions...


Can't wait to fill that rack up.
 
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youngstown

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I bought a bunch of house cues to do conversions, but there are metal rods that were epoxied 3-5 inches from the bottom of the butt.





I will be visiting my dad tomorrow to get a bunch of old bits. My dad's garage is, FYI, where drill bits go to die.
 
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youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

It's important to have emotional support just in case the going gets tough.
 
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youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

Removing post containing pics of early work.
 
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youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

This month, I reconfigured my taper bar, which was a 4 day process. Nothing against the previous owner’s settings, which were well studied, judging by his notes passed on to me - but I felt I could make some improvements with the help of Microsoft Excel and some hyperbolic geekiness. You can see the difference between his and mine measured in thousandths of an inch.


Aside from that, I haven’t done a lot of cue building work in the last month, mostly because I can’t make decisions. I think about this stuff all day long. I’ve been buying some wood just about every chance I get. I’ve developed some favorites already.

This piece need to cure still, but I plan to make a few full length butts from it, hopefully next year. I think it’ll be a wild look.



I have some ideas and designs half baked in my head, but just need to get my shop in order first... What do I do first? So many things need done. I need a dust collection system. (I’ve had a minor reaction to some dust, skin irritations and some mild congestion.) I need a heater in the garage, because it’s **** cold here in Ohio. So what do I need in the garage so I can run said future equipment? ...More power? (“You’re darn right more power!”) ...So I will begin to install a 100 amp sub panel, with the help of a TBD electrician friend. I’m going to buy and run the #2 aluminum SER wire tomorrow...unless my buddy want to play some pool.

This weekend, I started a couple new billets. The one shown is Ebony, which I will fill with 12 micarta rows. It’s definitely not original but I like black and white, so I gots’da do it at least until I get it out of my system.


MM
 
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youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

I made a nice score early in the year and used it toward a dust collection system. I did some research and feel that I got the most out of it, since I made the large chip collector easily thanks to a kit I bought, essentially turning it into a two phase system . I also ended up making a custom hood for the lathe, but I’m still working on a way to mount it onto the cross slide. For now, I mostly have to hold it in place. I haven’t done any serious turning in the last couple weeks because of some free time setbacks, but so far it seems to work just fine.




MM
 
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youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

Removing post containing pics of early work.
 
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youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

When everyone else is sleeping, sometimes I lay out pieces of wood, then just stare at them. Now and then, I may rearrange some. This often goes on for a while.




MM
 

youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

Finished the custom joint extension for Robert Newkirk. Yes, I took a lot of pictures! My little guy is going to go off to Texas, so I’ll only have these to remember him by...









MM
 

youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

It was last year at the Expo that I was ready to pull the trigger on my first high end custom cue. After walking around for days, I went to the ATM and for some reason my card wasn’t working. I thought at the time that problem would save me some money, but as we all know now that was far from the case, since this new hobby is far from a cheap one.

I came home with ideas on what I liked in a cue, all which would be forgotten. Those ideas have been replaced with doing the more simple tasks correctly. Now I’m back and will soon be dreaming big again. But this time I’m not in the market for a cue.
 
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youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

Apparently I was in the market for some wood though!





MM
 

youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

A friend brought me this victim of domestic abuse and asked if I could do anything to make her whole again.







As you can see, during the process, I added my own version of a Hoppe ring, which matches really well with my ringwork, so I will eventually put it on one of my next sneakies.





MM
 
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youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

This is the look I get when I tell ppl I’ll be finishing some cues soon.



Cocobolo ringwork


Preparing another


Turned my drill press into a thickness sanding station
 

youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

Just came home to this. I sure am glad I got this leather cover. Everything was dry underneath it!
 

youngstown

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Mariani Custom Cues

I can’t sell this one until I do a few things yet...so in the meantime it’s my new toy.
 
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