How to Design a Pool Cue

A pool cue my brother designed

Standard pool cue designs can often be boring. Many of the cues are made out of plain wood with a very simplistic design. However, there are ways to design pool cues and make them unique. You can even choose the weight, length and images.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Colored pencils
• Billiards store
• Plastic sheets
• Liquid leading
• Glass paint
• Clear wood varnish
• Paintbrush

Instructions

1. Sketch out a design that you want on your cue stick. Keep in mind that the stick is rounded and the image space is small, so consider this in your image. You can create a cue stick that is animal themed, has geometric shapes or has splashes of color. Let your imagination run wild.

2. Color the images in the colors of your choosing.

3. Take the image to a local billiards shop and talk to a representative. Tell him or her that you would like to create a personalized cue stick. He or she will tell you about the costs associated with the creation of the cue stick.

4. Choose the type of wood and weight that you would like the cue stick to have. The store representative will have a catalog on hand as well as floor samples for you to "test drive" while going through this process. At this stage, be sure to share your image with the representative so he or she can send it in for the personalization process.

5. Wait for the cue stick to created at the manufacturers. This process can take anywhere from one week to a month depending on how detailed your design is.

Self-Designed Pool Cues

1. Purchase some stiff plastic sheets from your local craft store. While there, find some liquid leading and glass paint in the colors you want.

2. Create images and designs on the plastic sheets using the liquid leading as an outline. Let the leading dry for six hours. Once dry, fill the open areas with the glass paint using a small swirling action in order to eliminate air bubbles. Let the paint dry for 24 hours.

3. Use a standard pool cue for this step. Remove the images you created on the plastic sheet. They should be window cling-like. Take the cling-ons and place them on the handle portion of the pool stick (the bottom part). Briskly rub the images on the handle so you remove air pockets and so the images stick in place.

4. Paint the clear wood varnish over the entire stick (excluding the tip), making sure to liberally cover the handle portion. Sit the pool cue in an upright position until the varnish dries over the entire stick.

Tips & Warnings

• Standard pool cues usually have a red wood handle. This space is excellent for a designer space.

• Creating a customized pool cue via a billiards store may cost hundreds of dollars depending on how elaborate the cue design is. If you purchase glass paint and liquid leading, you can create a design for a small amount of money.