Introduction: Billiards Cone Chalk Block
Have you ever been playing pool at a pool hall and notice how the always have chalk for your hands, well thats made to go on your que, it helps it slide, this is my first instrubtible so feel free to critisize, just not to harshly. I'm 16 and I've been doing wood working all my life with my dad so this is just a simple lil' project.
Step 1: Study Why Others Fail
this one just got slammed, but it wasnt verry strong to begin with.
Step 2: Find Your Wood
this is a piece of mahogany that i reclaimmed from a massive conference table, but its not the right width
Step 3: Rip It!
You will need a table saw for this part and a guide, so you set the guide to about 3/8" or 1/2" then you slide the peice along the guide about 4 time raising the saw a little bit each time, otherwise you would burn it and it is far to dangerous. you will also have to flip the board around and cut from the other side to make it all the way through, and just repeat the same process, i made this one 6 1/2 x 13"
After you rip it you need to sand down where the saw blades met, and other imperfections then you will get your new stock.
Step 4: Do It Again
then make the same width piece but smaller, about 6 1/2" x 7
Step 5: Dove Tailing!!
alright, Draw a line 1 1/2" above the bottom, then clamp a board on the end of your work bench, this will just be a straight guide for the router to slide along, my router is 3" from bit, to edge of guide, so i made a small strip of wood 1 1/2" to put between the guide board and our piece.
then you clamp everything down tight and make sure you're good to go.
now you use a dove tail bit and put it at a depth of about 40% the width of the board then you run the router along the guide board and try to go fast to keep from burning.
Step 6: Dove Tailling!!!
now you do the counter part of the dove tail slot, so usually you would do this step on the table saw buuuuutttttttt, we can't, we need the guide and if we use tilt the blade to the 15° that we need we will bite the guide.
so i drew a line the depth of the dove tail groove and then started by scoring a cut there with a hand saw about 1/16" deep then planed it with a box cutter, or you could use a chisel, which ever you perfer, then you just repeat the process for the other side.
Step 7: Dry Fit
keep trimming your dove tail until it fits just right then make sure it slides in the way you want it to
Step 8: The Dowel/ Post
now from corner to corner based on the dry fit draw lines to find the center, and do it in pencil so you can sand it off lightly, then use a spade bit about the width of your dowel and go in about 3/16" just enough to hold the post solid, now with a spade bit you willget a hole on the other side, this is good, now you get a drill bit that is about 3/8" to counter sink the screw holding it from the other side but just lightly do this, go down as shallow as will cover the screw when you do this, other wise the screw will slip right through and not hold in the dowel. then of course dry fit and you will begin to see our product emerge.
Step 9: Sanding and Gluing
Now, the part everyone loves!!!! sanding sand it with 100 grit to start, smooth up the faces, round the corners, and start with a rougher grit like 80 or 100 then go down to 200 for a smooth as glass finish.
now, when you clamp it you will need some kind of block or anything with a solid 90° angle and then you clamp that to the inside of the piece and then clamp it in every way imaginable so that it cannot slip at all when the glue it drying, then you let it sit
Step 10: Staining
this is the fun part when you get the chance to give it eye popping color, and grain intensity, when i did this, i used minwax red mahogany wood stain, so all you do now is unclamp the piece then set it down make sure you like it and then start staining, dip a rag in the stain and just slap it on, then wipe it down with a clean rag to remove excess stain, then let it sit and dry for about an hour.
Step 11: Varnishing!
this is the last step in building, you pop open the can of polyurethane protection and brush it on ever so gently so that you get a beautiful finish, then when it dries do it again, then when it dries completely, clompletely completely, you sand super lightly with 400 grit sand paper to remove the high spots and bumps left by the varnishing from dust in the air or specs in the varnish, and then apply a final layer of varnish, then when it completely, completely completely dries look at it and see if you will need to sand it with the 400 grit again, and if you do then wipe it off with a damp paper towel and marvel at your work
Step 12: Prepare for Use
so you made the chalk block now you need chalk, so go to a local game shop or talk to a pool hall and get yourself some cone chalk,the you're good to go, hope you like it, and remember this is my first instructible so leave a comment and let me know how you like it (: