Custom Cue Case For My Son

[lranger]

At Christmas, my son asked me if I could make him a cue case for his birthday. Here are pictures of the case I just finished.

The tubes are pvc tubing lined with soft sueded pigskin. In fact, all the lining is sueded pigskin. The tubes were taped together and then covered with 4 oz. vegtan leather, creating what I call the inner case. Then, the outer case is made of 8 oz. vegtan.

I mixed the dye myself. It is 2:1 Reducer to Tan Fiebings dye, with a little bit of Red mixed in. I used Eco-Flo saddle tan hi-lite on the basketweave tooling, then sprayed the dye with an air brush, and finished up with a couple coats of Super Sheen. Then, it all has several coats of clear Kiwi shoe polish.

It is mostly hand stitched using #346 polyester thread. I used a machine to install the zippers.

It was quite a project.

Edited February 23, 2015 by lranger

[PsychoSmart]

That is really cool. The stamping is done but not overdone, and the clasp was a really great idea on closure. Plus the little metal feets are great.

[tomt]

that looks real nice

[TheCyberwolfe]

How'd you manage that long overlapped seam down the back?

[lranger]

That was a bit of a chore, Cyberwolfe.

I cut a piece of 2x4 to fit just right inside the case to punch the holes. Then, I started stitching in the middle, going toward the end. Obviously, I couldn't see inside the case, but I would insert the needle from the outside first, then lay the needle on the inside up against the inserted needle, by feel. I would then pull the outside needle out and try to find the hole with the inside needle, which was close at that point. Most of the time I didn't have much trouble finding it. After I pulled the inside needle out I'd insert the outside needle, then reach in with a pair of needle nose pliers and pull it on through. Then I'd have to reach back in to pull the threads good and tight. It quickly wore the hide off my knuckles, so I had to put a bandage all the way around my hand.

It took quite a long time to complete, but it was a case of "have to". Takes determination.

[Jon P]

Simply stunning!!

[lranger]

Thank you very much Jon P. It took a lot of figuring, planning, and work, but I really like it my own self. This is the first cue case I've ever made, so I really didn't know how they were made. I just looked at pictures and tried to figure out a way to do it.

I really do appreciate your comment.

Thank you Tom T. You wouldn't be Tom T. Hall by any chance, would you?

Thank you PsychoSmart. You think just like I do. I think tooling gets overdone a lot. I was trying to make this case nice and clean looking, without the clutter of leather handles and strap holders made of leather being sewn to the outside of the case. I used D's with the metal clips to fasten them to the leather. But, the trouble is apparently you can't buy them any more, at least not the ones with the long clips, and the short ones are too short. I had to take the short clips off the 3/4" D's and put longer ones on them that I took off some 1" D's I had.

I always liked Little Feet. Great band, and I really like your specialty. I have trouble with that too.

Thanks again to all.

[Tramps Leatherworking]

Wow, that is the nicest cue case I have ever seen, your son must be quite the pool player...

[MonicaJacobson]

That's a beautiful case. I love the dye job.

[lranger]

What a nice compliment Tramps. Thank you.

I didn't even know he played pool until Christmas when he asked me about making him a case. See, he's in Florida, has been going to college, just graduated, and I have been in Montana for ten years. He's playing in a league down there. I sent him a few pictures of the case just before I finished it and he was really blown away. He's been going around showing everybody the pictures and he says some of the guys in the league want one, too. Sooooooo, maybe I'll get the money back that I spent on this one. Whether or not, it's worth it to make him happy.