Have you ever had an old Dufferin sneaky pete (from Canada) converted?

J

justinb386

Banned
I found an old Ebony (with a really nice BEM forearm) Dufferin (made in Canada) cue, that I love the looks of (other then the brass looking joint, that has a very unique joint on it, that I think were unique to those old Dufferin cues) for sale.

I am curious if you ever had one of those old Dufferin cues, and did not like the joint, so you had it converted from that brass (?) joint to a 3/8x10 pin joint (for example)?

I am curious how much the conversion cost?

Did the cue need to be completely refinished after changing the joint on the cue?

I am guessing a conversion (that I am thinking of, with just wanting the joint replaced) would cost at least a $100 (from the average cue maker).

Thanks for any thoughts, or info on your experience with getting a cue converted (a cue that you just wanted a different joint to be put on it, and what the total cost was).

By the way, in your opinion, how much is one of those old Canadian made Ebony with BEM Dufferin cues worth, and were they nice players (in your opinion) with the original joint that they came with from the factory?

I am also curious when those cues were originally made, and how rare they are.

Are they worth more left alone, or does converting them hurt the value?

Is the cost of getting them converted not worth it?

Thanks.
 
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Connect with a competent cue maker and get fees regarding what you what to do.
I converted 2 Canadian Maple 1 piece Duff's. Hated the first job..paid a different cue maker to have it done right. Anything is worth the cost if you have the bucks to spend or want a custom. Was it worth it? Cue cost $20 in 1998. By the time it was done again it ran close to $400.
I had another done. Somewhere around $200. Butt cap, pin joint, reduce diameter and yes has to be refinished. Worth it? Never used either one but enjoy having them in the collection.
Make your own decision as to is it "Worth It"
 

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GoldCrown said:
Connect with a competent cue maker and get fees regarding what you what to do.
I converted 2 Canadian Maple 1 piece Duff's. Hated the first job..paid a different cue maker to have it done right. Anything is worth the cost if you have the bucks to spend or want a custom. Was it worth it? Cue cost $20 in 1998. But the time it was done again it ran close to $400.
I had another done. Somewhere around $200. Butt cap, pin joint, reduce diameter and yes has to be refinished. Worth it? Never used either one but enjoy having them in the collection.
Make your own decision as to is it "Worth It"
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Thanks for the info, and very nice looking conversion. I would not have that kind of money to pay for a conversion, so do you think it would have been a decent player before it was converted (I am asking about a 2 piece Dufferin sneaky with one of those unique looking joints, that are all metal, including the threads)? Thanks.
 
justinb386 said:
Thanks for the info, and very nice looking conversion. I would not have that kind of money to pay for a conversion, so do you think it would have been a decent player before it was converted (I am asking about a 2 piece Dufferin sneaky with one of those unique looking joints, that are all metal, including the threads)? Thanks.
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My 1 piece were very good players and remained good players after converting.
I like the ebony/BEM and wouldn't hesitate to mod/refinish it.
 
The ebony Dufferin cues have been good sellers recently, with a nice figured forearm they are simply nicer. They make nice conversions.


I think I know the one you found.

You have missed several of them recently on Ebay that were nicer than that one. That one has the least desirable joint and not really nice figure in the forearm.

Having that one converted will add substantially to your investment.

As I understand it you are looking for a bargain for $200 or less. IMHO that won't be it.

If you are looking to flip it, realize there are other cue hunters that already found it. The same seller is offering another cue that will sell for about 20% of what it's worth because the pictures are fuzzy, it is listed incorrectly, and many people just won't know what it is or what it is worth.





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justinb386 said:
Thanks for the info, and very nice looking conversion. I would not have that kind of money to pay for a conversion, so do you think it would have been a decent player before it was converted (I am asking about a 2 piece Dufferin sneaky with one of those unique looking joints, that are all metal, including the threads)? Thanks.
Click to expand...

That Dufferin joint is aluminum with a brass pin.....

image.jpg

...older models are all aluminum, but they had some troubles with it...aluminum into aluminum sometimes feels like it's welded and can't get it apart.
If you find that joint all brass, it's from the middle sixties.
 
pt109 said:
That Dufferin joint is aluminum with a brass pin.....

View attachment 430748

...older models are all aluminum, but they had some troubles with it...aluminum into aluminum sometimes feels like it's welded and can't get it apart.
If you find that joint all brass, it's from the middle sixties.
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Yup.


That's the one.


:thumbup:


.
 
Can a cue repair person even put that type of threaded shaft onto a lathe, in order to install a new ferrule and tip (if I were to want that done)? I imagine not (because the cue repair person would not have the right tool for the lathe and the shaft), but I do not know.
 

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justinb386 said:
Can a cue repair person even put that type of threaded shaft onto a lathe, in order to install a new ferrule and tip (if I were to want that done)? I imagine not (because the cue repair person would not have the right tool for the lathe and the shaft), but I do not know.
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Yes. It is no problem at all. A cue lathe uses a chuck with jaws (typically three) to grip the OD (outside diameter) of the shaft at each end. It does not thread into the joint (though it can if you need/want it to for some reason).


A cue maker can do essentially whatever you want with that.



Finding one of those ebony Dufferins with the figured forearm and an original 5/16x14 piloted shaft...now that's a find, and it was a proprietary 14 pin. I have seen very few. One sold on Ebay recently. There are some with 3/8x10 pins too. And 5/16x18 pins.

There are wood to wood, phenolic, and even a few stainless collared ones, and I mean original from Dufferin. They made a variety of joints, sort of like Viking did.

Any of them is a candidate for conversion, including the joint shown in the pics.


And a competent cue maker can make any repairs you need regardless of what joint it has.

And as GoldCrown said, an experienced cue maker can make it dance. :wink:

.
 
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Maybe...

A good cue maker can definitely take care of you.
 

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Chopdoc said:
Yes. It is no problem at all. A cue lathe uses jaws (typically three) to grip the OD (outside diameter) of the shaft at each end. It does not thread into the joint (though it can if you need/want it to for some reason).


A cue maker can do essentially whatever you want with that.



Finding one of those ebony Dufferins with the figured forearm and an original 5/16x14 piloted shaft...now that's a find, and it was a proprietary 14 pin. I have seen very few. One sold on Ebay recently. There are some with 3/8x10 pins too. And 5/16x18 pins.

There are wood to wood, phenolic, and even a few stainless collared ones, and I mean original from Dufferin. They made a variety of joints, sort of like Viking did.

Any of them is a candidate for conversion, including the joint shown in the pics.


And a competent cue maker can make any repairs you need regardless of what joint it has.

And as GoldCrown said, an experienced cue maker can make it dance. :wink:

.
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Okay, thanks. I asked, because a cue repair person once asked me what type of joint was on my shaft when I handed it to him, and I always assumed he asked because he needed a certain tool for the lathe (so that the shaft would fit onto the lathe, so it would spin, and be sturdy on the lathe). I never knew that 3 jaws are available to hold the shaft in place.
 
This one is my current player. One pc silver label ebony butterfly full conversion. Had it for about a year. I have had many old 60's-70's Duffs that play nice stock Justin. If you are watching your money, just play it.

-Kat,
 

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justinb386 said:
Okay, thanks. I asked, because a cue repair person once asked me what type of joint was on my shaft when I handed it to him, and I always assumed he asked because he needed a certain tool for the lathe (so that the shaft would fit onto the lathe, so it would spin, and be sturdy on the lathe). I never knew that 3 jaws are available to hold the shaft in place.
Click to expand...



A cue repair guy might be using a less expensive cue repair setup that actually does screw into the joint.

So, it is possible that he asked because he needed to know if he had the right arbor:

s-l300.jpg


A cue making lathe generally has three jaw chucks that can be used at both ends:

picture.php


Sometimes a repair lathe will just have a bearing:

fetch


Inexpensive setups can use a hand drill and an arbor to turn the shaft.

arbors2.jpg




From what I have seen, when somebody starts out with one of the inexpensive setups, if they do much work at all, they quickly upgrade their equipment.



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Take the Deal

2twoball said:
Justin,I know you're having trouble with cues now so I'll offer you my Pechauer Pro H cue,(looks like a sneaky pete), for $200.00 paypal as gift,shipping & joint protectors will be included. This cue is wine stained color that I had Pechauer add joint collars as on their PO2-G cue. It is a very good playing cue in very good condition. https://onedrive.live.com/?id=4BF06C518535A29B!165&cid=4BF06C518535A29B
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I love these cues. Always wanted the one in the display case at the pool hall when I was a kid. I was too busy spending my money on table time to afford the cue. I did finally get one when we became a Pechauer dealer and it was just as great as I imagined. Take the deal.
 
2twoball said:
Justin,I know you're having trouble with cues now so I'll offer you my Pechauer Pro H cue,(looks like a sneaky pete), for $200.00 paypal as gift,shipping & joint protectors will be included. This cue is wine stained color that I had Pechauer add joint collars as on their PO2-G cue. It is a very good playing cue in very good condition. https://onedrive.live.com/?id=4BF06C518535A29B!165&cid=4BF06C518535A29B
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Thanks for the nice offer, but I really want something unique. I am really picky about pool cues. I just keep looking until something in my price range really catches my eye. I really like this Dufferin ebony sneaky.
 
Jis, I've had two of these. Both were already converted when I acquired, and it was a fair chance the conversion was done by a great cue maker ( due to my location ). They both were wood 2 wood joints, one big pin, one small pin. I thought they boy played awesome. I payed $40 for the big pin, and I traded something valued at $20 for the small pin. Keep in mind this was a bit ago on both. The small pin one I sold to a cue dealer buddy of mine and he told me he made some money on it too but I didn't ask how much. The big pin one got busted up real good in a bar fight, I threw it in the trash on the way out as there was nothing to save.
 
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