drilling the front end of completed shaft

M

mrinsatiable

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
not sure if this has already been discussed but i was curious.

If I have a shaft that has been completely put together (*ferrule installed and tenon glued on), how difficult is it to drill the top 3-4 inches to hollow out? Shaft diameter is 12.60mm

The ferrule is ivory and Chances are it will have a capped design.
Looking to make the shaft have low deflection qualities.
 
You better be confident that you know the tennon diameter. That shaft is also a little thin to be drilling out. Not impossible, but you better have a backup shaft, just in case . . .
 
mrinsatiable said:
not sure if this has already been discussed but i was curious.

If I have a shaft that has been completely put together (*ferrule installed and tenon glued on), how difficult is it to drill the top 3-4 inches to hollow out? Shaft diameter is 12.60mm

The ferrule is ivory and Chances are it will have a capped design.
Looking to make the shaft have low deflection qualities.
Click to expand...

I think that if you want a low deflection shaft, you should try to find one that fits your cue. You can have the Ivory ferrule replaced with a lighter weight material and that will help some with deflection, but for the cost of doing the job you're describing, and the cost to replace the shaft in case the cored shaft fails, I think you would be better off to buy the brand of LD shaft you prefer. JMO. Good Luck.
 
let me save you the trouble. send it to me. i'll snap it in half and send it back. if you're going to ruin the shaft there's no need to get all fancy doing it.

just buy yourself a LD shaft that fits your cue and don't ruin the perfectly good shaft you've already got
 
Its fairly easy to do but you will probably lose about 1/2" of shaft length. The shaft will have to be cut where the ferrule and shaft meet. The hole can now be drilled. You then have to make a tenon about 1/2" long out of the shaft. Put your ferrule on the new tenon. This is how the predator cue is made.
 
the shaft I'm interested on working is made to fit my cue. It is original to the butt end.
As for buying a ld shaft partial and having it fit to the butt.
That isn't really an option as I really like the taper on this original shaft but the cuemaker is difficult to get in touch with and it would impossible to get him to either retaper a partial shaft or have him make another custom ld shaft.

I have a few of these original shafts but all of them have ivory ferrules and wanted to know if a simple .25" bore could be applied to the front end. Without having to change ferrules or cut down the tip.
 
The ferrule would have to be removed, modified, then replaced.
Very few cues have a tenon larger than .25!
A full sized ivory ferrule will raise the end mass slightly over your typical LD shaft, but you'd still see a substantial reduction in deflection.
 
for those of you that have done this do you fill the shaft with anothing (foam) after you drill it out?? if not how does it hit compared to the way it was before?? is there more of a ping sound.
 
mrinsatiable said:
not sure if this has already been discussed but i was curious.

If I have a shaft that has been completely put together (*ferrule installed and tenon glued on), how difficult is it to drill the top 3-4 inches to hollow out? Shaft diameter is 12.60mm

The ferrule is ivory and Chances are it will have a capped design.
Looking to make the shaft have low deflection qualities.
Click to expand...

The modifications you want to do are best done when the shaft is being made, not after. You will not reap the benefits your are looking for by making these modifications to a completed shaft.I am of the opinion that each shaft should be constructed for a specific purpose, and major changes to the original construction will almost certainly be disappointing.
 
mrinsatiable said:
not sure if this has already been discussed but i was curious.

If I have a shaft that has been completely put together (*ferrule installed and tenon glued on), how difficult is it to drill the top 3-4 inches to hollow out? Shaft diameter is 12.60mm

The ferrule is ivory and Chances are it will have a capped design.
Looking to make the shaft have low deflection qualities.
Click to expand...

You want an Ivory Ferrule AND low deflection? ... :rotflmao: ...
It aint gonna happen.
I know we cue makers sometimes look like magicians ... but the rules of physics just dont bend that far.

Besides ... dont Predator have the patent on drilling out the end of a shaft to get lower mass and lower deflection? (tongue in cheek)
I know they sent Annie O a letter asking her to cease and desist drilling the end of her shafts for that purpose.
 
Hi,

You have the right to drill a hole into any piece of wood you own, period. If you apply Predator's technology to a marketable item that is a different story.

If you broach a square keyway or use some other type of geometry to the end of the shaft to hollow it out that is not the same as a hole either.

It's all academic. Predator makes a fine product and it is revered by many pool players globally. They certainly have a right to protect their brand and technology.

I for one don't use or sell Predator Shafts as I have a specific taper the produces a very stiff hit and I am very inflexible concern my cues.

Rick G.
 
Last edited:
scdiveteam said:
Hi,

You have the right to drill a hole into any piece of wood you own, period. If you apply Predator's technology to a marketable item that is a different story.


Rick G.
Click to expand...

Rick, it is my understanding that people have been drilling holes in wood for quite a long time now.
Certainly long before Preadator shafts were even an idea.

Drilling a hole in wood for ANY purpose is a very common thing and I doubt very seriously if doing that can have a patent.
What you put in that hole could be proprietary ... but the hole itself? ... just dont seem logical to me.
But then there is a lot going on right now that dont make sense to me either ... so who knows.
 
The shaft itself is already completed and this was made *not to my specs*

It just happens that the ferrule is made of ivory. It was not at my request.
I wanted to give out all the facts so all you cuemakers would have a better idea of how to make it low deflection.

I bought this cue on the 2nd market. So far the best two options I have are:

1) change the ferrule material from ivory to a lighter material for example Juma

2) cut off 1/2 inch...take the ferrule material off and bore a small hole into the tenon hoping that the tenon won't fail. repeat option 1.
 
Trent said:
for those of you that have done this do you fill the shaft with anothing (foam) after you drill it out?? if not how does it hit compared to the way it was before?? is there more of a ping sound.
Click to expand...

I apply a coat of super glue to the inside of the hole. This helps in keeping any small pieces of wood from coming loose later and giving a rattle.
 
mrinsatiable said:
The shaft itself is already completed and this was made *not to my specs*

It just happens that the ferrule is made of ivory. It was not at my request.
I wanted to give out all the facts so all you cuemakers would have a better idea of how to make it low deflection.

I bought this cue on the 2nd market. So far the best two options I have are:

1) change the ferrule material from ivory to a lighter material for example Juma

2) cut off 1/2 inch...take the ferrule material off and bore a small hole into the tenon hoping that the tenon won't fail. repeat option 1.
Click to expand...

Dont know id shorting the cue will help with reducing the deflection.
Anything that lowers tip mass will.

What I would really recommend is to buy a Predator or an OB shaft.
 
This is what i have done with great results. I mount a dial indicator either in the chuck jaws or on the chuck face. Chuck a center drill in a chuck. Indicate the center drill so the tailstock is dead center. I do this in case the chuck, shank, etc. isn't perfect. And those lines on the tailstock for centering isn't accurate enough to get dead center.
Drill a 5/16" hole 2" deep with a brad point drill. Tip for the drill...i use a grinder and put a very small radius on the corners of the drill. A sharp corner at the bottom of the hole is a weak point. The little radius helps eliminate that. The dowel pin needs the corner rounded so it fits all the way down to the bottom of the hole.
And i use 2 brad point drills. At the end of the drill its a little concave. I use that for the first 1 15/16"
I have another brad point drill that i ground so its about perfectly flat at the end and i grind off most of the point. I use this one for the final 2" depth. This eliminates a glob of glue at the bottom of the tenon.

Yes, i use bamboo for pins. Light and strong.
Turn down a 3/8" bamboo pin to .003 to .005 under the size of the hole. Cut at least 4 really small grooves along the 2" length of the pin so the extra glue can escape. I use the gorilla expanding glue that uses the glue and water to activate. Total finished pin length 2 1/2"
The tenon can be left a 3/8" for ferrule or turned down. I turn mine down to 5/16"
I allow .003 for glue. Less glue results in a better feeling/hitting cue.
Secure the pin so it can't push out as it dries.

I have been using tomahawk ferrules. Light and strong. For the ferrules i use flex gel superglue.

Waa laa. Hits great. And haven't broken anything yet.
 
mrinsatiable said:
not sure if this has already been discussed but i was curious.

If I have a shaft that has been completely put together (*ferrule installed and tenon glued on), how difficult is it to drill the top 3-4 inches to hollow out? Shaft diameter is 12.60mm

The ferrule is ivory and Chances are it will have a capped design.
Looking to make the shaft have low deflection qualities.
Click to expand...
You will trash the shaft
 
Mr.Machinist said:
This is what i have done with great results. I mount a dial indicator either in the chuck jaws or on the chuck face. Chuck a center drill in a chuck. Indicate the center drill so the tailstock is dead center. I do this in case the chuck, shank, etc. isn't perfect. And those lines on the tailstock for centering isn't accurate enough to get dead center.
Drill a 5/16" hole 2" deep with a brad point drill. Tip for the drill...i use a grinder and put a very small radius on the corners of the drill. A sharp corner at the bottom of the hole is a weak point. The little radius helps eliminate that. The dowel pin needs the corner rounded so it fits all the way down to the bottom of the hole.
And i use 2 brad point drills. At the end of the drill its a little concave. I use that for the first 1 15/16"
I have another brad point drill that i ground so its about perfectly flat at the end and i grind off most of the point. I use this one for the final 2" depth. This eliminates a glob of glue at the bottom of the tenon.

Yes, i use bamboo for pins. Light and strong.
Turn down a 3/8" bamboo pin to .003 to .005 under the size of the hole. Cut at least 4 really small grooves along the 2" length of the pin so the extra glue can escape. I use the gorilla expanding glue that uses the glue and water to activate. Total finished pin length 2 1/2"
The tenon can be left a 3/8" for ferrule or turned down. I turn mine down to 5/16"
I allow .003 for glue. Less glue results in a better feeling/hitting cue.
Secure the pin so it can't push out as it dries.

I have been using tomahawk ferrules. Light and strong. For the ferrules i use flex gel superglue.

Waa laa. Hits great. And haven't broken anything yet.
Click to expand...
Do you think 2 inches loaded with a lighter wood is going to effect deflection noticeably?
 
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