Joint protectors - what exactly do they protect?
- Thread starter fish2
- Start date
They look fancy.
What else would you want them to do?
Curious if it has any other purpose, in my 35 years of playing, there has not been an instance where i have dropped a butt or a shaft. Come to think about it, it is most likely that I would drop a butt or a shaft when removing or installing the joint protectors, then again if you dropped it during this time, it would hit the floor butt end or tip end
Never heard that before/warping w/o end cap.
I thinks it's decorative.
Possibly a great way to make a few extra dollars on nice/expensive left over pieces of wood, which is SMART.
Most wood that high end cues are made of Very dry/cured/aged whatever you wanna call it Wood.
Never ever head during the 60's 70's 80's any pro say this.
Many young players nowadays, prefer a cue that looks like a Mercedes, than one with less inlays and a better hit.
I know allot of earlier cases might of not allowed the end cap on, when you closed your Fellini?
And when you drop one, on dark carpet, in a dark room and it rolls, finding it is a pain.
I'd prefer a new Decorative cue wrap than 2-3 or more end caps.
I thinks it's decorative.
Possibly a great way to make a few extra dollars on nice/expensive left over pieces of wood, which is SMART.
Most wood that high end cues are made of Very dry/cured/aged whatever you wanna call it Wood.
Never ever head during the 60's 70's 80's any pro say this.
Many young players nowadays, prefer a cue that looks like a Mercedes, than one with less inlays and a better hit.
I know allot of earlier cases might of not allowed the end cap on, when you closed your Fellini?
And when you drop one, on dark carpet, in a dark room and it rolls, finding it is a pain.
I'd prefer a new Decorative cue wrap than 2-3 or more end caps.
european carom players never heard of or NEEDED them either, they cant believe its a thing
ive never needed them i dont drop my stuff like that either
but they sure look pretty
extra money for the cue maker sure, but no one thats ever made them likes to make them lol
but the the rest of the shaft is not sealed....
Does not matter as most moisture exchange happens through end grain.
You honestly believe that protecting that very small area of exposed end grain would prevent a cue from warping? Some cues don't even have exposed wood on the joint end...
I like the ritual of doing the caps and screwing together or vice versa. Feel like a playuh...
Yes, I think it could help slow down the moisture transfer, which could help prevent warpage. But, I listed a couple of benefits. In the case of a cue that is totally sealed on the end, it would still protect the edge of the finish. It could also protect some cases from damage from the joint screw.
Just my .02. Cueman says jump I’d say how high.
Back to JP’s. Get em don’t get em. They saved my cues as the case was open and it emptied out. They protect. They can be fashionable. Not really needed so its owners choice. Also protect the case interior from the pin or stainless collar rubbing into the liner.
Last edited:
Biggest benefit would be protecting the butt and shaft from being dropped when going in or out of your case.
Secondary benefits are protection of end grain (arguably minimal, but worth mentioning), and keeping the joint clean.
I have seen many Uni-Loc cues develop problems when the extremely close tolerance pins and inserts get dirty and jam up.
Some just like them, and they become part of their pool ritual. Sometimes they can make cues easier to grab out of cases, too.
I don't use them, never have. Don't particularly like making them either, but they can definitely be beneficial.
Secondary benefits are protection of end grain (arguably minimal, but worth mentioning), and keeping the joint clean.
I have seen many Uni-Loc cues develop problems when the extremely close tolerance pins and inserts get dirty and jam up.
Some just like them, and they become part of their pool ritual. Sometimes they can make cues easier to grab out of cases, too.
I don't use them, never have. Don't particularly like making them either, but they can definitely be beneficial.
Same here. Joints up. But they snag sometimes. Especially in one of my butterfly cases.
DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
There is more end grain exposed in the taper than the end.
Good question. I’ll share my thoughts on the topic, as I think it’s relevant. I think of joint protectors as long term preventative maintenance. Cleanliness of the joint area was mentioned earlier. I think that’s a big reason for using joint protectors long term. I have fixed many cues that did not roll straight because of dirty joints. The shafts and butts were both relatively straight, but when you screw them together, the cue appears warped when sighting down the length of the cue. If put on a table they would flop all over the place. A cleaning and refacing of the joint corrects the issue and straightens these dirty jointed cues. The conclusion I came to after seeing this several times is that it’s best to keep the joint faces clean for the life of the cue. The two main reasons I saw for the dirty joints were: chalk or dirt inside the cases…… or wax or other products applied to the joints in an attempt to make the threads turn smoother. Both of these should be avoided by the user. The dirt and chalk from cases makes it’s way onto the joint area and then it’s squashed into the joint face while connecting the cue together. This happens over an over until one day, the joint is filthy and doesn’t allow the cue to connect together properly, creating the illusion of a warp. The wax or other goop users put on there actually attracts the dust and debris from the case, making the joint dirty faster.
I’m my opinion, that’s the most important reason that I see for using them, long term joint cleanliness, other than they look cool if they match the cue.
Keith
I’m my opinion, that’s the most important reason that I see for using them, long term joint cleanliness, other than they look cool if they match the cue.
Keith
I thought most put a finish on the butt of their cues and sealed the shafts with sealer or wax or both. Maybe I am behind times on how things are done now. But I am getting older and know less and less about the way modern cuemakers do things.