Modified cue to accept Predator extensions

[eastcoast_chris]

Just posting in case someone wants to try the same.

I've been shooting with 5" extension full time for a while, but it was a hack job using an old butt and some cheap brass joints.

While in Vegas in March I saw Omega had these knock-off Predator extensions that came with the female threaded bumper. (I bought a 4" and 8" for $60 together, so I would have two bumpers and the longer option... they knocked off $10 because I bought both at the same time).

They are made to fit the new Predator cues, but I have an old Adams cue that I play with. One nice thing about them is that they screw together to give a 12" extension... which I had to use once the other night in a match.

For reference, the thread on the Predator bumper is M16x1.5

I was able to get 2 nuts at a local fastener shop for about a dollar.

I have a big lathe with a steady rest that I can hold my cue in.

First I put a bolt through the nut and used a file to get rid of the 6 sides and made it a perfect circle. I didn't reduce the height of the nut, but I could have to remove a tiny bit of weight.

Next I used a grinder and put vertical cuts into the outer part of the nut. Probably 8 or so. And also put a grove around the centre of the nut. This was so the epoxy would have more surface area to bond to. Worked great!

I then used the lathe to hollow out a hole in the butt to receive the nut perfectly. I also made a little plastic washer the same size as the bumper to let the bumper sit a little proud of the end of the butt when screwed in. Makes the extension thread on easy.

Then just epoxy the nut in place, making sure it is 100% squarely seated.

After drying, just screw in the bumper and then the extensions.

Here are some pics of it all;

 

[Michael Webb]

Just posting in case someone wants to try the same.

I've been shooting with 5" extension full time for a while, but it was a hack job using an old butt and some cheap brass joints.

While in Vegas in March I saw Omega had these knock-off Predator extensions that came with the female threaded bumper. (I bought a 4" and 8" for $60 together, so I would have two bumpers and the longer option... they knocked off $10 because I bought both at the same time).

They are made to fit the new Predator cues, but I have an old Adams cue that I play with. One nice thing about them is that they screw together to give a 12" extension... which I had to use once the other night in a match.

For reference, the thread on the Predator bumper is M16x1.5

I was able to get 2 nuts at a local fastener shop for about a dollar.

I have a big lathe with a steady rest that I can hold my cue in.

First I put a bolt through the nut and used a file to get rid of the 6 sides and made it a perfect circle. I didn't reduce the height of the nut, but I could have to remove a tiny bit of weight.

Next I used a grinder and put vertical cuts into the outer part of the nut. Probably 8 or so. And also put a grove around the centre of the nut. This was so the epoxy would have more surface area to bond to. Worked great!

I then used the lathe to hollow out a hole in the butt to receive the nut perfectly. I also made a little plastic washer the same size as the bumper to let the bumper sit a little proud of the end of the butt when screwed in. Makes the extension thread on easy.

Then just epoxy the nut in place, making sure it is 100% squarely seated.

After drying, just screw in the bumper and then the extensions.

Here are some pics of it all;

Sounds like fun but you could have just made a plug out of phenolic and left a hat on it to take up the recess of the bumper in case there was one so the extension fit flush. Instead of the extra weight of the nut which I'm sure wasn't that much. But it's funny how little of a change effects people.
Jmo

 

[eastcoast_chris]

Sounds like fun but you could have just made a plug out of phenolic and left a hat on it to take up the recess of the bumper in case there was one so the extension fit flush. Instead of the extra weight of the nut which I'm sure wasn't that much. But it's funny how little of a change effects people.
Jmo

Not sure exactly what you mean... by doing it my way, I can still access the weight bolt throw the centre of the nut. The bumper is just screwed in place as it would be on a Predator cue. Any weight the nut added was more than made up for by the lightness of the carbon fibre extension.

Anyways... I like to mess with things and over do things to make them solid. And I'm cheap and don't need a $600+ cue with a $100+ extension as my Adams/OB setup works perfect for me