1-piece to 2-piece conversion.

Sloppy Pockets

Sloppy Pockets

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a favorite 1-piece cue I use all the time at home. Someone mentioned it might be able to be converted into a 2-piece. Is this true?

I have a decent metal lathe and know how to do basic metalwork with it. Is this something I could tackle myself? If so, how do I get the parts? If not, about how much would this job usually cost if done by a professional?

Also, would this serious affect the way the cue plays? That's the only reason I want to do this, because I really like the way it plays. I just want to be able to transport it without looking/feeling like a jerk.
 
If your lather is big enough and you know how to use it. Yes it can be done. Practice on your not so favorite cues first.

Google is your friend on finding stuff to do the job with.

Larry
 
Warning! Cue repair and building is addictive. Do not attempt this unless you have allot of spare time and a spare ten grand laying around. It will also hurt your pool game.

You have been warned!!

Larry
 
63Kcode said:
Warning! Cue repair and building is addictive. Do not attempt this unless you have allot of spare time and a spare ten grand laying around. It will also hurt your pool game.

You have been warned!!

Larry
Click to expand...

Ha, ha! If you knew me better you'd realize just how close that hits to home. I'm well known for jumping into obscure crafts with both feet, and I've suddenly become very tempted to get involved in cue making. After almost 40 years repairing stringed musical instruments, I've finally had enough of it. I have a pretty extensive selection of exotic wood and have a lot of skill with hand tools. Unfortunately, I see most makers are now using CNC equipment. I suppose I could afford the machinery, but the divorce would break me! lol

BTW not much could hurt my pool game, it's about as bad as it's ever been. Just getting back into it after many years, and I was never good to begin with. But the new table is in the basement with the rest of the workshop. Staying busy in the shop will force me to practice more, with my $3000+ investment staring me in the face all the time.;)
 
Should be very simple if you have at least a 1.3" spindle bore. Buy a joint pin & cut the cue exactly in half, then install the pin. If you are proficiently skilled with your lathe then it should be a cinch. As Larry mentioned, you should practice on a junker or two first so you can gauge your skill level & make appropriate adjustments before ruining the good one.
 
qbilder said:
Should be very simple if you have at least a 1.3" spindle bore.
Click to expand...

My current lathe only has a 7/8" spindle bore. I was wondering if I could get a precision bearing for my steady rest and work on the right side of the bed. Bed is about 42" long (old Logan toolroom lathe), so there should be plenty of room between the chuck and the tailstock.

I have plenty of cheap cues to practice on, and I can get more for about $20 apiece. Nothing special about the cue I want to convert, just that I like the way it plays and it has an exceptionally nice looking shaft end with very tight, straight grain and a nice pro taper. Maybe it's folly to some, but it could be fun... and hopefully, addicting.

Anyway, thanks for the advice (and the warning).
 
Sloppy Pockets said:
My current lathe only has a 7/8" spindle bore. I was wondering if I could get a precision bearing for my steady rest and work on the right side of the bed. Bed is about 42" long (old Logan toolroom lathe), so there should be plenty of room between the chuck and the tailstock.

I have plenty of cheap cues to practice on, and I can get more for about $20 apiece. Nothing special about the cue I want to convert, just that I like the way it plays and it has an exceptionally nice looking shaft end with very tight, straight grain and a nice pro taper. Maybe it's folly to some, but it could be fun... and hopefully, addicting.

Anyway, thanks for the advice (and the warning).
Click to expand...

Yes you can put a bearing in your steady. So long as it's nuts on centered it'll be as good or even better maybe than a normal 3-jaw chuck.
 
Sloppy Pockets said:
I have a favorite 1-piece cue I use all the time at home. Someone mentioned it might be able to be converted into a 2-piece. Is this true?

I have a decent metal lathe and know how to do basic metalwork with it. Is this something I could tackle myself? If so, how do I get the parts? If not, about how much would this job usually cost if done by a professional?

Also, would this serious affect the way the cue plays? That's the only reason I want to do this, because I really like the way it plays. I just want to be able to transport it without looking/feeling like a jerk.
Click to expand...
The two-piece conversion might not even come close to the one-piece one after it's finished.
 
JoeyInCali said:
The two-piece conversion might not even come close to the one-piece one after it's finished.
Click to expand...

I think it should be very close, unless it gets retapered & a new finish, etc. A simple cut in half, screw installed, shouldn't make enough difference to notice. The thing with these old house cues is that the joint area is HUGE compared to what we use in 2-piece cues. There's more meat throughout the cue. If that's not messed with, it should be fine. Only one way to find out :thumbup:
 
Go for it!

JoeyInCali said:
The two-piece conversion might not even come close to the one-piece one after it's finished.
Click to expand...

Or it might play even better! The weight of the joint screw will move the balance point forward which, on a house cue, is usually a good thing.
It won't play quite the same, but you'll probably like what you end up with.
If you're handy with a lathe, it's an easy job.
You could even slim down the butt end a bit while you're at it if you want... Wow! a real pool cue!!
Cost of the project, a few bucks.
The sense of accomplishment ....priceless.

Robin
 
carguy said:
Or it might play even better! The weight of the joint screw will move the balance point forward which, on a house cue, is usually a good thing.
It won't play quite the same, but you'll probably like what you end up with.
If you're handy with a lathe, it's an easy job.
You could even slim down the butt end a bit while you're at it if you want... Wow! a real pool cue!!
Cost of the project, a few bucks.
The sense of accomplishment ....priceless.

Robin
Click to expand...

Yes, the pin or pin and insert will add around an ounce and a half to the cue.
Also, depending on the brand of H/C the butt can be much larger but the half way split is usually smaller and sometimes much smaller than modern joints. Dufferrins are usually around .820 and old titlist butts are usually down in the .770 to .780's.

Dick
 
cut it!

All the recent Dufferins I've done had HUGE joints.

With Radial pins, one can select a 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.4 or 1.5oz joint screw, so it can weigh and balance a lot of different ways.

With the G-10 pin, it feels remarkably 1 piece and retains the original weight.

With a heavier screw it becomes nicely forward balanced.

Something for everyone.

Also, a Radial is an easy install for a novice with no insert to fool with.

Robin
 
carguy said:
All the recent Dufferins I've done had HUGE joints.

With Radial pins, one can select a 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.4 or 1.5oz joint screw, so it can weigh and balance a lot of different ways.

With the G-10 pin, it feels remarkably 1 piece and retains the original weight.

With a heavier screw it becomes nicely forward balanced.

Something for everyone.

Also, a Radial is an easy install for a novice with no insert to fool with.

Robin
Click to expand...

My memory was bad as I just checked some old Dufferins and valleys and they were larger than .870. I also checked a couple of Titelist's and I was right about those at .772 and .775.

Only bad thing about using the radial is you have to spend about more than 50.00 for a tap that will be used one time and then the cost of the pin between 12.00 and 30.00. It costs less than half of that price to have it done.

By the way, what radial only weighs .2 oz?

Dick
 
hi-tech stuff

Hi Dick-I believe that's what the G-10 weighs, just 0.2 oz (I'm out of town so i can't weigh one). Amazing, isn't it? Then aluminum, titanium, stainless, and brass.

You're right about the cost for Radial taps and screws.

5/16-18 comes from the hardware store and is cheap.

Perhaps the cheapest way would be to farm it out, but then he couldn't say "Look at the cool thing I did!"

And then, there are the social aspects: do we really need another cue making addict in our midst? An emphatic YES.

I say full speed ahead!

Edit: I mean , look. The man has a lathe and some skills already. That's probable cause right there!

Robin
 
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Go

Use a thin parting tool and get with it. Even if you mess it up maybe you can salvage the butt and get another shaft from an old house cue.
 
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