About pool cue straightness?

scassidy77 · Jan 20, 2017

Hey guys, I would like your thoughts here as this has been puzzling me the last few days. How many of you truly have a straight cue? I mean perfectly straight upon close inspection? I have owned several production cues as well as custom cues in my lifetime. They all seem straight when playing with them, but when I've taken the time to roll them on a flat surface and put a flashlight on the back side as I rolled them, 90% of them showed some sort of slight wobble. Never the forearm, just near the back of the grip area usually towards the butt of the cue or somewhere near the tip area of shaft. I always take great care of my cues and always store them indoors and in a case in temperate climate. Rarely have I seen a perfectly straight cue that someone else owned either. Therefore, I'm led to believe that most people don't really check their cues for straightness the proper way if at all, and they believe them to be perfectly straight. The reason I'm asking this is because I have a cue I want to sell, but I know from doing The proper testing it has a very slight roll. You would never know it without doing the light test though. So when I list it, I have to list it as having a slight roll. Problem is most people don't want to buy a cue if they are told it has a slight roll to it. Based on my experience my lifetime of owning cues, I would venture to say at least 75% or better of used pool cues that people are listing for sale on here as " rolls straight together and apart" are in fact not actually straight and do have a roll if actually inspected closely and correctly. So how do you be honest and still sell you cue? Even though most of the other used cues for sale have some slight roll/wobble someplace even though they are listed as straight? These people aren't trying to be decietful, they just don't know better I assume. So do I just list mine as straight also then? It's a wired situation.. Thanks for the feedback on advance guys.

qbilder · Jan 20, 2017

You are correct that probably no wood cue is perfectly straight. Even the though the wood is stable and doesn't warp, it still contracts & expands with climatic change, and it does so unevenly along the cue. Points or inlay materials will not move at the same rate as the host material. Plastics & metals move even less, or not at all. Couple that with the fact that we sand the cues by hand before applying finish, then we sand & polish the finish by sand. Even production cues require a whole lot of hand work. We do the best we possibly can, but we never achieve perfection. Most folks understand this, especially people who have deep interest in cues.

IMO, a good test for straightness is to hang the joint end of the butt over the rail, with the butt on the playing surface. Roll the cue and watch for variance at the tip. If it doesn't wobble, or even wobbles just slightly, the cue is just fine and straight. Shining a flashlight under it as you roll the cue will show not only imperfections in the cue, but also imperfections in the surface you're rolling on. It's a pool cue, not a hydraulic cylinder used to lift a nuclear launch pad. Precision should appropriately be kept in perspective.

billiardthought · Jan 20, 2017

You mention the light test as the proper way to test straightness but that can't be true. I would think the only proper way could be on a lathe. In any case, the best way you can test for straightness on a pool table is to have the cue assembled, with the butt end of the cue on the table, and it laying across the rail, so that the joint is floating in the air and the tip is pointing away from the table. now roll it back and forth and watch the tip.

For the record, when I do the roll across the rail trick, my tip doesn't do donuts in the air. Diveney butt with lakewood shaft.

Superiorduper · Jan 20, 2017

Taper wobble is normal, I have yet to see a perfectly straight cue

Chopdoc · Jan 20, 2017

scassidy77 said:
Hey guys, I would like your thoughts here as this has been puzzling me the last few days. How many of you truly have a straight cue?

All my cues are straight. That's my story and I am sticking to it. :wink:

.

Bavafongoul · Jan 20, 2017

Four of my cues arrived straight when they came from the cue maker and they remain that way.
Two of my cues are from the resale market and I double checked for straightness before buying
If you take care of your pool cues and store them properly, the cues will remain straight and if
anyone were to acquire one of my cues, you won;t see any wobble, wiggle or taper movement.
I've invested a lot of time and money in my cue collecting efforts & I am very careful with my cues.

scassidy77 · Jan 20, 2017

Wow! Thanks for all the great advice guys. I think I was being to technical about it, and from the sounds of it, and also I was not using a great way to test for straightness either, by using a light. So I will try the technique of rolling it on the rail as a couple of you have mentioned.

scassidy77 · Jan 20, 2017

qbilder said:
You are correct that probably no wood cue is perfectly straight. Even the though the wood is stable and doesn't warp, it still contracts & expands with climatic change, and it does so unevenly along the cue. Points or inlay materials will not move at the same rate as the host material. Plastics & metals move even less, or not at all. Couple that with the fact that we sand the cues by hand before applying finish, then we sand & polish the finish by sand. Even production cues require a whole lot of hand work. We do the best we possibly can, but we never achieve perfection. Most folks understand this, especially people who have deep interest in cues.

IMO, a good test for straightness is to hang the joint end of the butt over the rail, with the butt on the playing surface. Roll the cue and watch for variance at the tip. If it doesn't wobble, or even wobbles just slightly, the cue is just fine and straight. Shining a flashlight under it as you roll the cue will show not only imperfections in the cue, but also imperfections in the surface you're rolling on. It's a pool cue, not a hydraulic cylinder used to lift a nuclear launch pad. Precision should appropriately be kept in perspective.

Thank you! Very informative. And ya, don't think NASA will be using my cue for shuttle launch any time soon. Lol. But anything's possible.

Tramp Steamer · Jan 20, 2017

I use Steamer Cue Sport Ltd. cues, exclusively. Their reputation as being straight speaks for itself.
Right now I'm playing with a Miracle. That damn thing can shoot around corners.

poolguy4u · Jan 20, 2017

.

Just roll the butt and shaft separately on a pool table and bend over and check them.

Put the cue together and bend over and look at it. It it looks good it's straight.

.

Renegade_56 · Jan 20, 2017

qbilder said:
You are correct that probably no wood cue is perfectly straight. Even the though the wood is stable and doesn't warp, it still contracts & expands with climatic change, and it does so unevenly along the cue. Points or inlay materials will not move at the same rate as the host material. Plastics & metals move even less, or not at all. Couple that with the fact that we sand the cues by hand before applying finish, then we sand & polish the finish by sand. Even production cues require a whole lot of hand work. We do the best we possibly can, but we never achieve perfection. Most folks understand this, especially people who have deep interest in cues.

IMO, a good test for straightness is to hang the joint end of the butt over the rail, with the butt on the playing surface. Roll the cue and watch for variance at the tip. If it doesn't wobble, or even wobbles just slightly, the cue is just fine and straight. Shining a flashlight under it as you roll the cue will show not only imperfections in the cue, but also imperfections in the surface you're rolling on. It's a pool cue, not a hydraulic cylinder used to lift a nuclear launch pad. Precision should appropriately be kept in perspective.

All of which is why I stated that most cues would not consistently contact 3 static pegs on a horizontal cue rack,,,,,,,,,,,,,,regardless of how accurately the pegs are installed.

Ipmtim · Jan 20, 2017

Bavafongoul said:
Four of my cues arrived straight when they came from the cue maker and they remain that way.
Two of my cues are from the resale market and I double checked for straightness before buying
If you take care of your pool cues and store them properly, the cues will remain straight and if
anyone were to acquire one of my cues, you won;t see any wobble, wiggle or taper movement.
I've invested a lot of time and money in my cue collecting efforts & I am very careful with my cues.

What is the proper way to store them?
TIA

skins · Jan 20, 2017

Bavafongoul said:
Four of my cues arrived straight when they came from the cue maker and they remain that way.
Two of my cues are from the resale market and I double checked for straightness before buying
If you take care of your pool cues and store them properly, the cues will remain straight and if
anyone were to acquire one of my cues, you won;t see any wobble, wiggle or taper movement.
I've invested a lot of time and money in my cue collecting efforts & I am very careful with my cues.

Test your cues like Eric stated was, in his opinion, the best way for the player to test straightness. If you do that, testing each shaft with it's resective butt, You may find your cues aren't as straight as you think.

Also, wood moves in its own time and in it's own manner. Just because it's straight today doesnt mean it will stay that way. I might add storing them "correctly" doesn't guarantee them staying straight either.

Incidentally I had a cue that had been WELL PLAYED (25+ years) and even abused to many's standards and was as straight as any cue I've ever seen. Explain that.

WildWing · Jan 20, 2017

The subject of cue straightness comes up quite often. I have about 25 or so cues, with multiple shafts, probably over 50 shafts. The cues range from low and mid priced Mali's and McDermotts, to Richard Black, early Joss, Scruggs and Jerry R, over the past 45 years.

Whether a cue with shaft attached, stays completely straight or not, is a lot of luck. They tend to arrive straight, then a few things can happen. Miraculously, the entire cue can stay straight when together over years. Or, as most do, there can be a little wobble when rolled on a table, shaft attached. And, a few days later, the same cue can look more straight when you roll it.

As some of the members have said, wood "moves" a bit, actually tends to oscillate some, makes you think your cue is either a bit off, or straight, depending on which day you test it.

Also, I hate to get into this, but thoroughly clean your joint pin and joint insert before you think you know. You'll likely pull out a lot of gunk in the insert, which is binding the fit a bit. I would also say store the cues upright, but even so, I have had some stay straight, some correct themselves, and some go a bit warped, simply because that's where the wood was going.

My straightest cues, after years and years? A Richard Black, and a McDermott D series cue, both many years ago. Price does not equate to straightness.

By the way, butt straightness? Rolling it on the table doesn't show you much; your eyes aren't that good, and you want to like to think it rolls straight. Better to do the plumb line method, stretched piece of string or thread from joint pin to middle of bumper. Be prepared for some surprises.

Anyhow, just a few suggestions.

All the best,
WW

qbilder · Jan 21, 2017

Renegade_56 said:
All of which is why I stated that most cues would not consistently contact 3 static pegs on a horizontal cue rack,,,,,,,,,,,,,,regardless of how accurately the pegs are installed.

I'm not going to argue with you. This is a different thread and different topic. You obviously refuse to budge on your point of view, and i'm solid in mine, so let it be.

Bavafongoul · Jan 21, 2017

My Runde Schon was completed in 1985 which is well over 30 years ago
The cue is a custom 1 of 1 that Bob did after the Inaugural BCA Trade Show.

Needless to say, it is still straight and plays great. It just has the play weight
of a friggin' boat anchor at 20.4 ozs. Pool cues were heavier back in the day.

Ergo, the cue remains stored away and only occasionally comes out mostly
for the pure nostalgia of seeing a beautiful early custom Schon by Bob Runde.

Ipmtim · Jan 23, 2017

I may not have the experience or multi thousand dollar cues like the rest of you, and I get the feeling that it is beneath most of you guys to answer a lot of the newbies questions around here. I am also confused at the multitude of threads on this forum about "the sad state of pool".
But how do you think newcomers to the sport are going to learn this stuff if the so called experts don't pass on what they've learned over the years?
I want to make sure I am storing my cues properly.
So once again I ask.
What is the correct way to store my cues?
Also, what is the plumb line method of checking straightness?
With all due respect,
Tim

PoppaSaun · Jan 23, 2017

If your intention is to buy a very straight piece of wood, then this question matters.

If your intention is to buy a pool cue that won't impede your game, it doesn't matter. If a cue looks straight from ten feet or so, it is straight enough.

slide13 · Jan 23, 2017

Ipmtim said:
What is the correct way to store my cues?
Also, what is the plumb line method of checking straightness?

Just put it in a good case...I like JB or Instroke. I prefer to store upright, but not sure it really matters. I keep it inside leaned up against an interior wall where the temp/humidity remains pretty consistent. Don't keep it in your car or expose to big temp/humidity swings and you're good.

Sorry, don't know the other question, never heard of it. I think the best method is what qbilder described...butt on the bed of the table, joint on the rail, check the tip to see if it tracks straight or makes little circles.

Ipmtim · Jan 23, 2017

Slide, thanks for the reply.
I do store my cues that way, just wanted to make sure I'm doing it right.

About pool cue straightness?

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