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Quilted Maple Pool Cue Case
I had a piece of quilted maple that had a box in it wanting to get out, so
instead of making one of my usual unnecessary trinket boxes, I decided to
make a box that I could actually use.
I play pool on a league team, and since I can miss my shots with my $100
sticks just as well as with an expensive stick, thank you very much, I can't
justify the megabucks some of the folks in the league spend on pool cues. (I
can't see buying a pool stick that costs thousands of dollars. One of the
guys on my team has several in that price range.) Instead I figured I could
at least have the nicest case in the bar.
![](cases/Cue%20Case%201%20800.jpg)
The case is made of jatoba, quilted maple and a bit of purpleheart. I hadn't
decided on the design before I resawed the maple into 3/8" thickness, so I
glued up the top and bottom panels separately. In hindsight, I should have
glued up a single 3/4" thickness, then resawn the results into two pieces.
Thanks to the help of a number of folks at
Sawmill Creek, I learned all about
applying a hand-rubbed lacquer finish. I was going for the glass look, and
although there are a few hairline swirls visible to the discerning eye, I'm
happy with the way the finish turned out.
Originally, the outer stripe of purpleheart was not planned. When I cut the
top and bottom panels to be inset into the frame, I missed the mark by a
smidgen, so I routed an 1/8" wide channel and inlaid the border to hide my
mistake. The other purpleheart stripes are integral...they go all the way
through the panels. I guess I have a thing with the stripes, huh? (Ref. my
cutting boards.) Pardon the poor lighting and backdrop. I was in a hurry to
get some pics. Here's the top of the case...the bottom looks the same.
Unfortunately, the picture doesn't really capture the depth of the grain in
the maple:
![](cases/Cue%20Case%202%20800.jpg)
The interior top has a maple frame holding 5/8"
of upholstery foam, covered in velvet. (I'm using up my photo backdrop
material.) The bottom has a 1/4" thick high density foam insert covered in
velvet. The dividers are 1/8" birch ply built into a maple frame, with all
the corners eased and surfaces flocked. Both the top and bottom inserts are
removable and replaceable if needed.
![](cases/Cue%20Case%203%20800.jpg)
Here's the case, loaded for shark. (I'm not
really a pool shark -- a 5 on my league's 2 to 7 scale -- but I can usually
hold my own against the better players.) These are a couple of inexpensive
<$100 cues that are my current users. I do have a lower-end Muecchi that
cost more, but these have a nice feel and they look better (even if the
turquoise inlay is really a decal). The case holds two butts and two shafts,
with an extra slot for chalk and tip shapers. Or one butt, one shaft, and a
couple 8-packs of hot dogs.
![](cases/Cue%20Case%204%20800.jpg)
And lastly, a little intentional table lamp
glare to show off the lacquer.
![](cases/Cue%20Case%205%20800.jpg)
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