Cored vs Non-Cored

The only reasons we will core anything is:

#1 To stabilize an unstable wood.

#2 To alter the weight of the cue.

#3 The customer insists on it.

Other wise, I guess someone would core all there cues for consistant hit/feel, and just as an insurance policy.

I like the way most solid wood cues feel: Ebony, cocobolo, ect.....I'd rather not core, unless I absolutly have to.

I'm going to be coring some BEM, and Flaming maple with woods Like pau ferro, ebony, cocobolo, purpleheart, and bacote, to give them a great hit, and help with the forward weighting we try to achieve. Just some experimenting we are going to do, may be good, may be bad?

Coring can be used for several purposes. Best of all, it adds stability. I use it as a tool to combine different woods to achieve a particular hit & feel, as well as control the weight & balance of the cue. Some things need coring, some shouldn't be cored. It can be good or it can be bad. Just like anything else in cues, it's not what is done but how it was done & by whom.

Great Thread.

hitwise, I think its pretty up to the individual to like either.
My experience tells me some cuemakers like the idea of coring, some don't.
The woods used definitely play a part.

Hope you get what you like Bigtruck, let us know how it plays.

it's all been said already,but coring is good for stability and weighting/balance.

the benefit of not coring for me is that i like the hit of certain woods over Maple for the forearm.i am a big fan on Rosewoods and other dense strong woods for fronts.it is my opinion only but i just think certain woods hit better than woods cored with Maple or laminated Maple.

masonh said:

it's all been said already,but coring is good for stability and weighting/balance.

the benefit of not coring for me is that i like the hit of certain woods over Maple for the forearm.i am a big fan on Rosewoods and other dense strong woods for fronts.it is my opinion only but i just think certain woods hit better than woods cored with Maple or laminated Maple.

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You gotta think outside the box. Not only maple can be used as a core. Take heavy figured birdseye maple forearm. It'll be dead, much like a burl. Now core it with .625" bocote & you get a very stable, strong & straight forearm that typically would have been tough to use. Best of all it's got the ping of bocote with the dampening factor of the heavy figure birdseye. What you get is something very cool. It'll be lively with great feedback, not too hard & stiff but not dull or dead, either. Just right. It'll look just like birdseye maple but will play like birdseye maple on roids. You can tune it this wayu & that by using cocobolo, or purpleheart. Nobody really does this kind of thing because it's expensive. Coring is not a new technique but has been nearly exclusive to maple cores. But nothing is written that coring is limited to maple or laminated maple.

you are exactly right and when i do core forearms i usually use Ipe or Rsoewood.when i mentioned maple or laminated maple i was really generalizing since that is what seems to be most commonly used.

To Core Or Not To Core

I core every cue I make with a full length core unless it is a full splice. The reasons why have been mostly answered by others but a few points that have not been mentioned are:
1: The stop block places the handle and butt sleeve in compression when combined with a threaded butt cap. The more wood that is in "compression" the better the hit will be.
2: The "A" joint is eliminated.
3: The forearm, handle and butt sleeve wood which is pre-bored 3/4" and
left to hang for several months seasons not only from the outside in but also from the inside out. If still straight is 3 months it will always be straight.
4. I usually use PH but have used PH with bocote and bocote w/laminated maple to influence the hit, weight and balance.
4. Your palette of woods can be vast. I have over 100 species and all can be used in a full length cored cue, although some can only be used as handle or sleeves because of weight distribution.

For more info visit my website where there is a lot of info on coring practices and procedure.

qbilder said:

.......... it's not what is done but how it was done & by whom.

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AMEN.............................

qbilder said:

It'll look just like birdseye maple but will play like birdseye maple on roids. You can tune it this wayu & that by using cocobolo, or purpleheart. Nobody really does this kind of thing because it's expensive. Coring is not a new technique but has been nearly exclusive to maple cores. But nothing is written that coring is limited to maple or laminated maple.

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I bought about 100 pieces of cocobolo from a supplier. I asked/paid for dark, heavy, swirly/knotted high figure, what I got was dark straight grain, Good hitting but ugly and not what people want, thanks to coring I now have a use for it all besides handles. Not to mention, ugly low figured pieces of bacote, and not so great looking pieces of ebony. I'm also doing some with pau ferro.

qbilder said:

Coring can be used for several purposes. Best of all, it adds stability. I use it as a tool to combine different woods to achieve a particular hit & feel, as well as control the weight & balance of the cue. Some things need coring, some shouldn't be cored. It can be good or it can be bad. Just like anything else in cues, it's not what is done but how it was done & by whom.

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this is well said, you can get the best of both worlds by combinding some woods. Cosmetic in some cases and playability in others. i have had more than one cue maker elaborate on this subjuct and i paid careful attention, there can be a synergistic relationship happen and you get a better cue than with just one wood sometimes. Some cue makers use conical shaped cores so the core is real fat at one end and thin on the other which can do nice things for cues too. lots to discuss here.

I haven't tried the conical cores yet. I might if I get the time. I have done cores thread into the ends about an inch, thereby locking the core in place, but quality of play was no different. The one thing a tapered core immediately has over a straight core is that it can be press fit to very close tollerances. Tollerances are something I have found to be crucial with coring. The only adhesive I have found to work with my preferred tight tollerances is very thin laminating epoxy. I can make the core fit tight on the dry fit, then once the epoxy is applied it lubricates the fit so it goes together very smooth. Very little glue is needed as it's a tight fit, so it's actually wood touching wood 360 degrees, no extra clearance for glue is needed. This eliminates the possibility of air pockets or "dry" spots inside. But hey, i'm still new to this coring stuff. Heck, i'm still new to cuemaking. Lots to learn.