Good use for a warped house cue: I turned it into a novel 1-piece double bridge

arnaldo

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I play a lot of 14.1 in my local room and occasionally in other places on vacation. Using a house cue that had become warped (and destined for the trash bin) as well as some scrap ends of quarter-inch acrylic (Plexi) and some polycarbonate (Lexan), I fabricated this 1-piece double bridge (photos below) that’s notably easier to manipulate than the several Russo click-together bridge heads we also have available.

I machined the cue cradling area of the high acrylic base to the same height above the cloth (6 and 3/4 inches) as 14.1 players are long familiar with from a coupled Russo double bridge.

The total transparency of the acrylic base is a very useful plus for a clear view of the CB and all obstructing OBs that are being jockeyed over (very often a nearly full rack).

I used polycarbonate for the approximately 1 and 5/8 by 3/4 thick coupling ring that is super-glue “welded” to the upright base. The polycarbonate ensures shatter-proof holding power for both the “weld” and the sheet metal screw I used to attach the coupling ring to the warped house cue. The coupling ring is easily machined on a drill press with the roughed-out piece riding a makeshift 3/8 bolt mandrel and a sharp toolbit held in a vise. I left the coupling ring’s hole at 3/8 till I “welded” it to the Plexi upright, then drilled the combined assembly to a half-inch to receive the shaft end of the house cue’s diameter (filed to fit after cutting off the ferrule).

I made sure to locate the maximum warp line so it trends downward and perpendicular to the baseline. While laying out the upright’s shape, I decided to craft *two* acrylic uprights at the same time with the acrylic scrap pieces clamped together. I later fitted the second piece with a rubber grommet removed from an older portable bridge head and I now keep that new 1-piece double bridge head in my cue case for attachment to my break cue as needed when I travel for away games of 14.1.

I definitely have to get use-approval of the novel “double bridge” beforehand, from any TD whose 14.1 tournament I might enter.

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Arnaldo
 
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measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
That looks really good for shooting over the stack ,rather then stacking 2 bridges one on top of the other.
 
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