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JimBo
 Post subject: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 2:51 am 
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Jake Hulsey is a 33 year old guy from TX who came out of nowhere to win the 2012 AZ Billiards cue of the year award. He won the award based on his fresh take on cue design and his unique style. Last month Jake displayed another stunning and unique cue that gained him entry into the ICCS as a displaying cuemaker. All this for a guy with a young family and a full time job who has only been making cues for 3 short years. I want to thank Jake for taking the time out of what must be an insanely busy schedule to answer a few questions here and help us all to learn a bit more about this new up and coming cuemaker. As always I have the pleasure of asking the first questions so I will start us off.

1) How did you get involved with pool and cues and how long and at what level do you play?

2) What type of cue did you play with before you decided that you could make one better?

3) What made you think that you could build a cue, do you have a background in machining or any knowledge of woods?

4) Your take on cue design is very refreshing, do you have any training in art or design and is there any other aspect in your life where this artistic side comes through? DO you attribute it to anything in your past?

5) I’ve heard rumors that you bought Bill Strouds shop out, and use his old machines, can you clear that up and if Bill helped you in your career at all?

6) Can you tell us people or Cuemakers who have helped you along the way with your cue making career.

7) Many people out there believe that there is nothing new when it comes to pool cue designs, to those people what would you say?

8) I have mostly focused on cue designs can you give us some background about your thoughts on the way a cue should hit/play and what about your construction techniques go into that aspect of building the cue.

9) I believe you claim that you are too busy right now to take cue orders, what do you hope for your future with regards to making more cues in the future, and taking orders?

10) How do you come up with your designs, who has influenced you in that department as far as cuemakers go?

Jim <----Enough from me for now.

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tattoo
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 4:21 am 
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Posts: 248
well jimbo asked most of the question i could think of....
1. how do you think that your out of box designs will be viewed by new cuemakers 25 years from know?
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ScottR
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 12:44 pm 
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Jake,

It was great to meet you at the ICCS.

1. What part(s) of the cue building process do you like most and least? i.e. designing, experimenting, building new fixtures, machining, finishing, the finished product, etc.

2. What were the highlights and lowlights of the ICCS for you?

3. What do you want to be remembered for within the cue world in 30 years?

4. What is your wing-spanned? (inside joke related to Eddie Wheat) :mrgreen:

Thanks for taking time to answer our questions.

Scott

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chris byrne
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 1:48 pm 
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Posts: 1079
When did you first discover you liked boys?
How does your wife cope with it?

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CMD
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 2:15 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:52 am
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Location: CT
Hello Jake,


Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.


I'm usually skeptical when I hear of cuemakers being hyped up. However, every cue I have seen pics of your designs are amazingly fresh. Your excution is only exceeded by your imagination.

I have what I think is a very hard question for you:

Please explain why other cuemakers do not take risks in cuemaking such as you have? What I mean by that is not refining existing techniques but for example your interweaving veneers.


Thanks again,
Chris

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pharaoh68
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 3:37 pm 
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Hey Jake-

1) Who is your favorite cuemaker out there today?

2) Are there any cuemakers whose work you just don't get? (It's cool
if you don't want to answer that one)

3) Are there certain woods and materials you like to work with and those that you can't or refuse to work with?

4) You're from Texas, right? If a short guy who looks like Gary Ridgeway shows up at your door and says "Hi! I'm Ross! I'd like a cue", what would you say?

5) Is there a form of bribery that might just convince you to take orders? ;-)

6) Are you a machinist or wood worker by trade or are you just a really, REALLY creative/artistic guy who's a fast learner?

B <-------- Kidding about #4 (but seriously. That sh*t may happen)

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Lenoxmjs
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 8:34 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:55 pm
Posts: 331
What is your favorite wood ?

Do you core all your cues?

What do you feel is the ideal weight for a playing cue and what would the weight split be between the butt and the shaft? Does it matter ?

What is the standard tip you use on your cues.

How much wood do you have and what is your storing and ageing process for shaft wood ?

Thank You .
Matt
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ScottR
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 12:43 pm 
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pharaoh68 wrote:
Hey Jake-

1) Who is your favorite cuemaker out there today?

2) Are there any cuemakers whose work you just don't get? (It's cool
if you don't want to answer that one)

3) Are there certain woods and materials you like to work with and those that you can't or refuse to work with?

4) You're from Texas, right? If a short guy who looks like Gary Ridgeway shows up at your door and says "Hi! I'm Ross! I'd like a cue", what would you say?

5) Is there a form of bribery that might just convince you to take orders? ;-)

6) Are you a machinist or wood worker by trade or are you just a really, REALLY creative/artistic guy who's a fast learner?

B <-------- Kidding about #4 (but seriously. That sh*t may happen)

Too late. Already happened.

Scott

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ScottR
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 12:44 pm 
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Oh yeah......

Can I have one of your unused lathes if I come to pick it up?

Scott :mrgreen:

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rbc
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 7:38 pm 
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Posts: 554
Location: Plano Texas
ScottR wrote:
Oh yeah......

Can I have one of your unused lathes if I come to pick it up?

Scott :mrgreen:



Careful, You may need a big truck!

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ELBeau
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:37 pm 
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Posts: 143
Jake,

When we met at the 2011 Windy City Cue Show you talked about your visits with John Davis and the fun of building your own jigs. I thought it was pretty cool to see a younger cuemaker focusing on traditional full-spliced cues. Around that same time Bob Manzino asked me if there were any cuemakers under the radar who were pushing the design envelope. Looks like we now have an answer to his question. At what point did you change direction?

Many cuemakers have a gradual progression from converting cues to building wrapless then pointed cues, slowly moving into inlays, etc. Most never get into unique designs or axis substitution. What'd we miss?

What's your CAD program of choice and how long have you been using it?

What's your opinion of "Cue Design Theft?"

If cuemaking is currently #10 on your priority list- what're we going to see from you if it breaks the top 5?
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johnbo
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 11:15 am 
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Posts: 350
Just wanted to say it was great meeting you two in hotlanta.

Opps I guess I'm supposed to ask a question..... What was yet first cue?

Keep up the good work.



.
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ThomasWayne
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 12:45 pm 
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Posts: 1565
When I began exploring the use of CNC machinery for inlay work virtually no one else was doing it, so just about everyone at that time was using pantographs and photo-etched templates. As I started really pushing my own design envelope there were a lot of "panto" guys who wanted to promote the idea that CNC was somehow "cheating", and that the only pure form of inlay work was the old-fashioned way. They really tried to convince the cue-buying public that those of us using CNC could just shove raw lumber into one end of a big machine and pull finished cues out the other end.

That was in the 80's and 90's, but I would have figured by the year 2010+ we'd have gotten past such nonsense. Turns out I was wrong, and there are still many of cuemakers - using precision pantographs, mind you - who make big noise about their cues being "hand made".

I know you've embraced CNC pretty much from the beginning, and I'd be very interested in hearing your experiences and thoughts on why you personally have chosen that direction and what you see to be the difference between CNC versus non-CNC cuemaking.

TW
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PBat51
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 1:15 pm 
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With Jimmy asking all the questions how does that leave any for the rest of us?


What precautions do you take when applying your finish?

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Cornerman
 Post subject: Re: ATCM 11 Jake Hulsey
PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 2:17 pm 
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Location: Carlsbad, CA
1. Can you describe the growth of your shop (size and equipment)
2. Do you work alone?
3. What's your lead-time?
4. Do you make Sneaky Petes?
5. What's your feeling on SPC as pertains to building your cues?
6. Why aren't there more female cue builders?

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