Shaft diameter variance

Knels · Nov 25, 2017

So I got a new pair of calipers. After let's say around 5 tip changes, multiple cleanings and three years of heavy play I decided to measure my shaft. The very tip is 12.75, tip of ferrule is 12.70, where the wood starts is 12.50, about half an inch to an inch below that is 12.39, then it starts to climb back up to 12.50 and up from there goes up ( it is a meucci pro shaft). Is this slight hourglass something cuemakers would tolerate or let out of the shop? Too small of a difference to matter?

ideologist · Nov 25, 2017

Knels said:
So I got a new pair of calipers. After let's say around 5 tip changes, multiple cleanings and three years of heavy play I decided to measure my shaft. The very tip is 12.75, tip of ferrule is 12.70, where the wood starts is 12.50, about half an inch to an inch below that is 12.39, then it starts to climb back up to 12.50 and up from there goes up ( it is a meucci pro shaft). Is this slight hourglass something cuemakers would tolerate or let out of the shop? Too small of a difference to matter?

How hard are you squeezing? I've seen guys really crank the calipers down, and wood is softer than a ferrule. The same applies to cleanings, laying into the shaft wears away more material in the wood than it does at the ferrule.

Knels · Nov 25, 2017

Not squeezing hard enough to cut into the wood and leave marks. When I first got the shaft the hit was entirely different than what it feels now. Should I have the tip, ferrule portion taken down to match? I used isopropyl regularly to clean it, magic eraser once or twice. Haven't used cleaner in a while.

Michael Webb · Nov 25, 2017

On top of what Patrick posted. Your shaft is 3 years old with multiple tip changes and cleanings. How do you compare that to a new shaft from the Cue maker? Though machines can vary. What was it new?

Knels · Nov 25, 2017

Shoot I never bothered measuring when I first got it, meucci says it's supposed to be 12.5 but my ferrule came in at 12.75. Lately my game has gone to the mud and I've climbing the walls trying to find a solution. Was thinking of getting a new shaft, same make.

ideologist · Nov 25, 2017

Knels said:
Lately my game has gone to the mud and I've climbing the walls trying to find a solution. Was thinking of getting a new shaft, same make.

Now we're getting somewhere. PM me the specs of what you use, I'll get you a cheap or free shaft to try, I'm sure you're more in your head than a few abrasive cleanings "changing the hit of a shaft"

Michael Webb · Nov 25, 2017

Knels said:
Shoot I never bothered measuring when I first got it, meucci says it's supposed to be 12.5 but my ferrule came in at 12.75. Lately my game has gone to the mud and I've climbing the walls trying to find a solution. Was thinking of getting a new shaft, same make.

It is possible, that your ferrule has expanded from the impact of playing.

Knels · Nov 25, 2017

ideologist said:
Now we're getting somewhere. PM me the specs of what you use, I'll get you a cheap or free shaft to try, I'm sure you're more in your head than a few abrasive cleanings "changing the hit of a shaft"

Yea this game can drive anyone batshit crazy lol. With the measurements I took this does make a little hourglass shape. Would any maker see this difference of .25 mm as a problem coming out of their shop? thx guys

Knels · Nov 25, 2017

Michael Webb said:
It is possible, that your ferrule has expanded from the impact of playing.

This makes total sense, I'm seeing it on my jump cue now.

Michael Webb · Nov 25, 2017

Knels said:
This makes total sense, I'm seeing it on my jump cue now.

Common occurrence. Turn it down to line it up and off you go.

whammo57 · Nov 26, 2017

Something people seem to forget.............. while the butt can last forever, the shaft wears through tip changes, playing, the use of things to smooth it.............. it will need to be retired and replaced some day........

Kim

JC · Nov 26, 2017

whammo57 said:
Something people seem to forget.............. while the butt can last forever, the shaft wears through tip changes, playing, the use of things to smooth it.............. it will need to be retired and replaced some day........

Kim

Do you suppose if the player wears a glove the shaft will last longer? I know since I started wearing one a few years back I tend to mess with my shaft way less often as the tiny little dings that used to drive me crazy don't get addressed nearly as often. Also is the average glove more or less abrasive than your hand?

JC

Knels · Nov 26, 2017

Could there be something like shot mileage? Like say if someone puts 50,000 shots on a cue as opposed to someone that put 300,000, that's like tapping the tip side of a shaft with very hard ball surface repeatedly, over and over. There must be some wear, like the ferrule expansion mike mentioned

cueman · Nov 26, 2017

If it did not bother you before you got the calipers, then keep playing with it as that is within normal wear standards

daxe · Nov 26, 2017

Send it to me and I will make it like new and send it back to you ready to go.

Renegade_56 · Nov 26, 2017

cueman said:
If it did not bother you before you got the calipers, then keep playing with it as that is within normal wear standards

That's what I was thinking.

The .01" of wear didn't cause anyone to play worse, but taking the ferrule down may possibly affect a small percentage of shots.

Sell the calipers and buy table time to get you back on track.

whammo57 · Nov 27, 2017

JC said:
Do you suppose if the player wears a glove the shaft will last longer? I know since I started wearing one a few years back I tend to mess with my shaft way less often as the tiny little dings that used to drive me crazy don't get addressed nearly as often. Also is the average glove more or less abrasive than your hand?

JC

that's a possibility...........

Kim

WildWing · Dec 1, 2017

Actually, some cuemakers leave the ferrule and tip slightly larger than the downward shaft area, because they know the customer will be coming back several times for a tip replacement. That way, the tips can be installed, with a little finishing, without a very noticeable shrinkage of the ferrule and tip, compared to the shaft. They all have different techniques, but this is one.

All the best,
WW

Renegade_56 · Dec 1, 2017

WildWing said:
Actually, some cuemakers leave the ferrule and tip slightly larger than the downward shaft area, because they know the customer will be coming back several times for a tip replacement. That way, the tips can be installed, with a little finishing, without a very noticeable shrinkage of the ferrule and tip, compared to the shaft. They all have different techniques, but this is one.

All the best,
WW

I don't know of any cuemakers who reduce the ferrule or the shaft size when changing tips. Where did that come from?

WildWing · Dec 1, 2017

Renegade_56 said:
I don't know of any cuemakers who reduce the ferrule or the shaft size when changing tips. Where did that come from?

Perhaps you misunderstood. Some leave the ferrule a few thousands larger than the shaft, so that tips put on after, with a little finishing, would not make the ferrule too small.

As for reducing the ferrule and shaft size when changing tips, not a lot, but they tend to finish a bit to flush the tip with the ferrule and very often the shaft as well to make it look nice. If you've been around the game for 50 years, surely you've seen this.

All the best,
WW

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