How does damage on this shaft happen?

L

luv1pocket

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I bought this cue probably 7+ years ago had a phenolic ferrule installed with a Samsara break tip from Mueller and loved the hit for breaking.
After several years of using it I noticed a small crack from the top starting at the ferrule then it got bigger and just split in half.
How does this happen? Was it just poor wood or the pressure from breaking?

Thanks
 

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I'm not saying that the shaft has been abused but that damage didn't happen while sitting in the case.
There's nothing about the tip-ferrule install that would account for that either.
Something that is very revealing from your pic is that the break is 90* off to the to the orientation of the growth rings.
Let's just say, that is not the path of least resistance when wood breaks.
 
one of 2 things that would cause this. either whacking it on the table. or after breaking the balls a lot of players tend to pull up on back of cue whhile the ferulle is on the table. This is not the makers fault from my experience.
 
i've seen cues broke at the butt end of the joint,from what i call laying on the cue after stroke.
 
My vote is side pressure. Most times it is inadvertent and unintentional but it still happens.
 
ratcues said:
My vote is side pressure. Most times it is inadvertent and unintentional but it still happens.
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Doesn't it look re-tenoned to you ?
It looks re-tenoned to me.
The shaft broke but you can see the tenon within the crack.

I say it was whacked for the same reason KJ pointed out.
 
It doesn't necessarily look re-tenoned. Most breaks I see, there is a little tenon left opposite the pressure. If the OP could turn the shaft 90*, separate the two pieces, and take another pic, we could see if it was re-tenoned or not. Not that it really matters. That wasn't the cause.

When I say "side pressure" it encompasses many scenarios. It may have been whacked or it may have happened during a dropping of the follow through on the break.
 
Don't know if it was re-tenoned maybe. The shaft is probably around 10 years old if not older and I bought it used. I know the cue maker who did the ferrule and tip didn't do anything wrong it lasted me for years.
It probably was side pressure after breaking as I follow through and put pressure on the ferrule. It was just odd to me because I've never seen shafts crack like that. The split in the wood wasn't as severe as in the picture I tried to fill it with glue just so I could use it for another week or so then it came off completely. Oh well it wasn't the most expensive cue and I got my moneys worth.
Thanks for the replies.
 
patrickcues said:
one of 2 things that would cause this. either whacking it on the table. or after breaking the balls a lot of players tend to pull up on back of cue whhile the ferulle is on the table. This is not the makers fault from my experience.
Click to expand...

I totally agree.
 
I 've seen them crack like that . I replaced a guy's shaft for free, once , when I was installing a new ferrule it came apart almost identical . I knew it was from a side impact but I was not going to argue with the customer . Not going to bring me any bad luck !!! People dog a ball and bang the cue or the grain lets go and wallah ... Definitely a side impact ...:cool:;)
 
luv1pocket said:
I bought this cue probably 7+ years ago had a phenolic ferrule installed with a Samsara break tip from Mueller and loved the hit for breaking.
After several years of using it I noticed a small crack from the top starting at the ferrule then it got bigger and just split in half.
How does this happen? Was it just poor wood or the pressure from breaking?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Nothing lasts forever and small cracks become bigger cracks. Get a new shaft it is just an ongoing cost like table time.
To answer your question, the ferrule was put on an existing tenon. Ideal would have been to when the ferrule was installed to drill out about 1/8 of an inch of the ferrule at 3/8 and cut a matching shoulder on the shaft. This would have probably more the doubled the strength of the over all tenon. Either way it sounds like you got your moneys worth from the shaft.
 
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patrickcues said:
one of 2 things that would cause this. either whacking it on the table. or after breaking the balls a lot of players tend to pull up on back of cue whhile the ferulle is on the table. This is not the makers fault from my experience.
Click to expand...

My best guess as well. The break that Sigel made famous puts a lot of stress in the tip, and joint area. I have seen this in two cues.
 
Palmetto cue said:
My best guess as well. The break that Sigel made famous puts a lot of stress in the tip, and joint area. I have seen this in two cues.
Click to expand...

The weakest link in that would be the joint collars.
Not the ferrule and the tenon.
This ferrule was whacked imo.
 
JoeyInCali said:
The weakest link in that would be the joint collars.
Not the ferrule and the tenon.
This ferrule was whacked imo.
Click to expand...

I agree completely Joey!

Back when Sigel became famous for his cue bending break shots, he was breaking with the same cues he played with, meaning not a break cue.

Today's Break Cues are much more stiff to give better breaking performance, but that also puts even more stress on the joint when the player try's to bend the cue against the table.

Ironically, one of the best break tips I have ever heard was to follow through and NEVER let your tip touch the table. It keeps you flat and through, and amazingly, your cueball just doesn't go flying around as much. What happens is you don't hit down on the ball, so it doesn't jump as much before it gets tot the rack.
 
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