How to loosen tight joint ????

NINEBALLART

NINEBALLART
Silver Member
I have a cue with a Radial pin, wood to wood...The shaft is soooo tight the last 5 turns I can hardly get it down flush with all my strength....What can I do to loosen up the joint so it is not so tight it takes everything I have to get it flush...????
Thanks for suggestions......
 

cuesmith

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!
Silver Member
I have a cue with a Radial pin, wood to wood...The shaft is soooo tight the last 5 turns I can hardly get it down flush with all my strength....What can I do to loosen up the joint so it is not so tight it takes everything I have to get it flush...????
Thanks for suggestions......

You might try a little beeswax on the pin. That usually makes them better without losing the tight fit.
 

rackem

SUPPORT CLUB MEMBERSHIP
Silver Member
Is it an aftermarket shaft??
Was it always tight? Is it effected by the weather?
In a pinch an old chapstick will help. It has the bees wax you need.
Just put a smear in the shaft hole and work the pin in and out.:grin-square:
 
Last edited:

Idaho

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Use a little beeswax like he said. You should feel fortunate that you have a tight joint to start with. It will loosen up with time.
 

softshot

Simplify
Silver Member
not really a solution for your specific problem... but I sometimes have the opposite problem.. they screw together just fine but breaking them apart again got to be a chore .. especially with slick hands.. you don't want to use full strength.. don't want to bend the pin...

I solved it by grabbing a $.50 piece of rubberized cupboard liner from wal-mart ... all the grip you need without "forcing it"
 

RBC

Deceased
We sell our cue shafts at most of the larger cue shows and tournaments around the country. We often run into some cues, almost always the Radials, that are too tight for the customer to be comfortable. I keep a tube of chapstick in my pocket for this very thing. You would be amazed at the difference a little bees wax will make. A cue can go from "I'm afraid it will break!" to "That's perfect! Snug but still easy to screw on and off". I used to try to carry some wax with me in a little plastic bag, but it was messy. I have also been known to go to Joe Blackburn's booth and "borrow" some of his wax for this very problem. Ihave even had some 5/16-14 joints that were tight enough to start to bind or gaul and the wax fixed them right up.
 

Gerry

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
yup!.....bees wax is the triple nuts for tight joints. You can get a wax ring for setting toilets at any hardware or wallyworld.......or ask your friendly neighborhood plumber....like me :)

they cost about a buck, and one will last you a life time.

G.
 

GADawg

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i had a smilar situation on a cue 2-3 years ago. Wax/chapstick did not solve the problem.

Finally in desperation, I used some 800 grit sandaper and LIGHTLy sanded the outer sdges of the threads on the metal pin. I would sand a very little, then try the joint again.

After several passes, I got to the point where the joint is usable, but still tight.. If you decide to try this approach, do it slowly and carefully.
 

pooldawg8

My Pride and Joy
Gold Member
Silver Member
As others have said try some bees wax or you can also try some carnuba wax on the pin.
That should work, but if its still tight you may need to seek professional help from a qualified cue repairman. GL & hope this helps you out.
Jeff
 

RBC

Deceased
I guess I should add to my earlier post.

If you have a cue that has fit fine, but has gradually gotten tighter over time, then the wax should fix it for you.

If you have a cue that has fit fine, but all of a sudden it is real tight, you need to seek qualified help. If the problem has come on abruptly, it means that something significant has changed all at once. You could have thread damage on either the pin or the shaft. You could have contamination in the shaft side. You could have a bent pin. The list goes on and on.

So, Wax, or a cuesmith is the solution. You have to decide which.
 

TATE

AzB Gold Mensch
Silver Member
I have a cue with a Radial pin, wood to wood...The shaft is soooo tight the last 5 turns I can hardly get it down flush with all my strength....What can I do to loosen up the joint so it is not so tight it takes everything I have to get it flush...????
Thanks for suggestions......

Radial pins have very tight tolerances. Typically this problem occurs when aftermarket shafts are pre-made, so they haven't been fitted to a particular cue. The best thing is to have the shaft properly fitted by a cuemaker in the first place. When I buy an aftermarket shaft, it's usually a "partial" and I have it fitted to my cue to ensure proper fit and alignment.

However, I have had this situation a number of times testing pre-made shafts. I just use a small amount of Vaseline on the joint screw. After a while, the joint will loosen up as the wood compresses. The Vaseline also helps when you have to unscrew a tight joint. It's worked well for me (I don't have bee's wax, so I've never tried it).


Chris
 
Last edited:

hangemhigh

Known Sinner
Silver Member
i had a smilar situation on a cue 2-3 years ago. Wax/chapstick did not solve the problem.

Finally in desperation, I used some 800 grit sandaper and LIGHTLy sanded the outer sdges of the threads on the metal pin. I would sand a very little, then try the joint again.

After several passes, I got to the point where the joint is usable, but still tight.. If you decide to try this approach, do it slowly and carefully.

Although this solution worked for you, I would not recommend it to anybody else. It is akin to treating the symptom instead of the disease. No cue maker will ever sand the joint pin to fit, it is a bad idea. Sharing your experience is fine, giving advice like this is just wrong.
 

peteypooldude

I see Edges
Silver Member
When you start to roll it be careful not to press to hard or it will be tight and not burn correctly ...:groucho:
 

NINEBALLART

NINEBALLART
Silver Member
I knew I could depend on AZ'er's for help......I had chap stick so I tried that and it worked....My hands and forearms are still sore from that tight shaft so I am really glad about this.....
Thank's everyone for your help....:wink:
 
Top