Allen weightbolt

sonofthunder

sonofthunder

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I need some help indentifing & locating the polished,or chromed, Allen weightbolt in some of the Hoppe style, bumperless screws I have seen in a few threads & on other cues on various websites.
Thanks, Paul
 
Off the subject of where to attain the said bolt I have a comment on it's suitability on a players cue. Although I love the simple, clean look of a bumper-less cue such as the one pictured of Dave's in the previous thread, I could not, in good conscience, build a players cue with no bumper on the bottom to help to keep the phenolic and finish from being chipped and marred during normal usage. A players cue is a tool, not an ornament kept in a secure case. I feel that in a very short time, a cue with this configuration would become damaged. In my opinion, style must submit to technology in a playing cue. A solid gold hammer would certainly look better and cost more than a steel one but what will a gold hammer look like after a few weeks of daily use?

Dick
 
rhncue said:
Off the subject of where to attain the said bolt I have a comment on it's suitability on a players cue. Although I love the simple, clean look of a bumper-less cue such as the one pictured of Dave's in the previous thread, I could not, in good conscience, build a players cue with no bumper on the bottom to help to keep the phenolic and finish from being chipped and marred during normal usage. A players cue is a tool, not an ornament kept in a secure case. I feel that in a very short time, a cue with this configuration would become damaged. In my opinion, style must submit to technology in a playing cue. A solid gold hammer would certainly look better and cost more than a steel one but what will a gold hammer look like after a few weeks of daily use?

Dick
Click to expand...

Cues will get chips or mars in the finish and butt cap material with a bumper as well. Nothing is going to fully protect the cue from damage down there. Two players specifically requested the bumper less style because they felt the playability (read feedback or resonance) was enhanced sans bumper. These players know there game well, and wanted the sensitivity over the cosmetic protection of their cue. I wonder if anyone has knowledge of Willie Hoppe actually using a Brunswick Hoppe cue?
 
rhncue said:
Off the subject of where to attain the said bolt I have a comment on it's suitability on a players cue. Although I love the simple, clean look of a bumper-less cue such as the one pictured of Dave's in the previous thread, I could not, in good conscience, build a players cue with no bumper on the bottom to help to keep the phenolic and finish from being chipped and marred during normal usage. A players cue is a tool, not an ornament kept in a secure case. I feel that in a very short time, a cue with this configuration would become damaged. In my opinion, style must submit to technology in a playing cue. A solid gold hammer would certainly look better and cost more than a steel one but what will a gold hammer look like after a few weeks of daily use?

Dick
Click to expand...
There is a variation of the design with the bottom ring being either solid rubber matching the rest of the butt cap. You can get some pretty hard rubber and you have the classic look.
 
Last edited:
hangemhigh said:
Cues will get chips or mars in the finish and butt cap material with a bumper as well. Nothing is going to fully protect the cue from damage down there. Two players specifically requested the bumper less style because they felt the playability (read feedback or resonance) was enhanced sans bumper. These players know there game well, and wanted the sensitivity over the cosmetic protection of their cue. I wonder if anyone has knowledge of Willie Hoppe actually using a Brunswick Hoppe cue?
Click to expand...

Sort of...

IIRC the pic of Hoppe's personal cue was a Rambow with
the threaded tenon comming out of the shaft - a la Carom cues
like a Helmstetter. Most likely, the joint would have been ivory.

Dale
 
i agree with both sides of the fence. while i loev the took and feel (yes there is a difference) i can see there being a problem with banging the cue on the floor. even if ordered bemperless i include a specially shaped bumber from me.

thanks for the free press tommy
 
The bumper of a cue performs several duties.
Not only does it protect the edge of the butt-cap, it is also a variable in the fine-tuning of the 'hit'.

If enhanced feedback is the desired result, protection of the cue needn't be sacrificed. Start experimenting with the durometer rating of the material being cast for bumpers.
The softer the mtrl., the lower the durometer rating.
The harder matrl. will give a higher rating.

The softer matrl. will absorb vibration like a sponge, thereby lessening the resonance. It acts as a dampener.
The harder mtrl. will absorb less vibration and allow for more feedback without sacrificing protection.

I learned this many years ago when I went in search of a method to protect wooden butt-caps that were splitting from the cue being slammed to the floor, butt first. The softer bumper would compress excessively. The compression forces would cause the bumper to expand outward on it's perimeter and in the process, split the butt-cap. A harder bumper will not compress as readily.
Huebler realized this as well. Their method of containing the expansion was to put a thin aluminum ring around the interior of the bumper recess. Others have left the bumper on the surface of the butt-plate with no recess, allowing the bumper to expand at will without causing damage to the cue.

I believe that the expansion factor led to the development of the now common press-in bumper that is found on many cues today.
Examples are Meucci, Predator, Joss & SouthWest to name but a few.
Coincidently, I currently happen to have a newer Joss West in my shop that I'm mating a Predator shaft to. It has an ivory butt-cap that is sleeved over phenolic to contain the expansion of the bumper, thereby protecting the ivory from the inside out. What happens from the outside in is up to the owner of the cue.

The bolts you seek are readily available from several sources though you could make your own. Prather specializes in them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top