Piloting.. is a snug fit better?

cyrex

cyrex

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been playing with piloted 5/16x14 SS OB shafts for quite a few years and I love how they hit. I've been wanting to try a 30" OB shaft on my cue but have a question...

Does it matter much if the brass insert fits snug into the joint? Should I just buy one off the shelf (which will most likely fit extremely loose and be dependent on screwing it down tightly)? Or should I buy a blank shaft and then send out the shaft to be fitted 'properly' to the joint?

Thanks and any advice is appreciated
 
Sure, you can have the partial custom fitted to your cue. I do it everyday.
But it may make more of a difference to you than the cue.
What I mean is that I don't see it altering the way the cue plays.
 
cyrex said:
I've been playing with piloted 5/16x14 SS OB shafts for quite a few years and I love how they hit. I've been wanting to try a 30" OB shaft on my cue but have a question...

Does it matter much if the brass insert fits snug into the joint? Should I just buy one off the shelf (which will most likely fit extremely loose and be dependent on screwing it down tightly)? Or should I buy a blank shaft and then send out the shaft to be fitted 'properly' to the joint?

Thanks and any advice is appreciated
Click to expand...


I agree with KJ, along with that, the real question is: if your piloted joints I.D. is true with the joint screw and the cue, so that if a snug fit is done on your Custom shaft. Will the cue roll straight?
 
I like having a pilot snug. It just seems to make the cue feel more solid to me. Whether or not that sense is anything real or noticeable outside of my own mind is debatable. ;)
I don't do them snug when it's metal to metal though, only when it's metal to wood.

It's important to keep the joint clean if the pilot is nice and tight, any dirt buildup in that area can start to cause problems. Joint protectors are a good idea.
 
piloted

Ok. Seems the general consensus is that I'll be just fine with the off~the~shelfer shaft.

Michael: I can see what you mean about the fit becoming an issue with the ID as opposed to just flat facing to maintain straightness. Good point.

Sheldon: I've seen your crazy ass bike jump pics. You're definitely not sane. :D
(awesome stuff btw! Looks like a blast)

Thanks again for the educated feedback.
 
Here is the problem. The joint screw has to be perfectly centered with the bushing in the shaft. Then the flat of the shaft & butt have to be perfect to make the 2 surfaces flush. Then, if you make the pilot snug there will have to be 3 things perfect in order for the joint to fit. In my opinion all 3 conditions can not be met at the same time. So, my answer is no & that is why the pilot is usually not tight...JER
 
A thread is never a reliable way of keeping things aligned, In order for a thread to function you need to have some tolerance between the male and female. This is why you use a pilot, it is for keeping everything concentric and the thread just holds the two pieces together. If you try and and use both the thread and the pilot to keep things concentric one just ends up fighting the other. Having said all that there are some thread forms wich do a better job at keeping things concentric ex radial threads or the flat bottom south west style of pin. When using those usualy you do not use a pilot.
 
Canadian cue said:
A thread is never a reliable way of keeping things aligned, In order for a thread to function you need to have some tolerance between the male and female. This is why you use a pilot, it is for keeping everything concentric and the thread just holds the two pieces together. If you try and and use both the thread and the pilot to keep things concentric one just ends up fighting the other. Having said all that there are some thread forms wich do a better job at keeping things concentric ex radial threads or the flat bottom south west style of pin. When using those usualy you do not use a pilot.
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Good Post - Right on the money.
 
snug fit

I know some piloting has the brass shaft fittings that extend down pretty far out of the shaft. Where the OD of the brass would hit the ID of the SS joint.

I was thinking more of the style where the brass fitting is surrounded by a wood tenon. With the wood tenon portion fitting snug into the joint. Seems that the wood would give a little which would 'snug' the shaft without throwing off the alignment. But still use the faces of the joint/shaft for it's alignment.
 
cyrex said:
I know some piloting has the brass shaft fittings that extend down pretty far out of the shaft. Where the OD of the brass would hit the ID of the SS joint.

I was thinking more of the style where the brass fitting is surrounded by a wood tenon. With the wood tenon portion fitting snug into the joint. Seems that the wood would give a little which would 'snug' the shaft without throwing off the alignment. But still use the faces of the joint/shaft for it's alignment.
Click to expand...

The wood or phenolic right behind the brass being slightly larger than the brass and giving you the snug fit would be the only way I would want to see a snug fit in a piloted joint. So an off the shelf shaft will most likely not have that on it.
 
I am not a cuemaker, buy I play with a flat faced shaft on a piloted joint. To me it doesn't feel any different than my piloted shafts. I don't know if there is an actual difference, but as far as the feel, they are both fine to me.
 
It all come down to who's selling it as to what people believe.
If you:
Chuck up on the cue and use a dial indicator,
Turn the tenon down and thread it for the stainless joint
Bore the i.d. of the joint so it is concentric with the cue spinning at -0-
drill, bore and tap for your screw, then indicate that.
Then do your steps for the shaft:
Leave the wood pilot over sized
Drill, bore and tap for the brass plug
drill, bore and tap the plug for whatever size you need,
turn the wood tenon to the proper size, a little over so you can work it in.
seal the tenon when finished,
WALA, It's a beautiful thing til it gets nice and dirty,
Then say goodbye to everything that was done in the preparation, dirt don't go on and wear even. Go figure.
 
cyrex said:
I've been playing with piloted 5/16x14 SS OB shafts for quite a few years and I love how they hit. I've been wanting to try a 30" OB shaft on my cue but have a question...

Does it matter much if the brass insert fits snug into the joint? Should I just buy one off the shelf (which will most likely fit extremely loose and be dependent on screwing it down tightly)? Or should I buy a blank shaft and then send out the shaft to be fitted 'properly' to the joint?

Thanks and any advice is appreciated
Click to expand...

More void = Less power :grin-square:
 
Yeah, please explain how hollow shafts, or a bored out handle work, if this is true?
 
Sheldon said:
Yeah, please explain how hollow shafts, or a bored out handle work, if this is true?
Click to expand...

No scientific research done :grin:. But I have played with cues that have hollow handle(allows you to extend the handle) and few cues that have quick release joints (snooker cue). The snooker cue's joint threads are cut away ( like Omen ) on both sides. This cue allow you to quick release a cue with only half turn and also assembling it with half turn.

I can tell you that these cues can't perform a proper draw shot from six feet away from you :grin:.
 
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