C.F. Shaft Fabrication...
- Thread starter EL Picos
- Start date
A lot of it's action has to do with how the CF is laid up. Different directions of the layers, thickness of the fibers, etc.. If you go to a Bass Pro or Cabela's and look at the high end graphite rods, you'll see identical looking rods with completely different actions: fast to slow which would translate to stiff to whippy. It's how the fibers are laid up. This is an exaggeration compared to the construction of CF shafts. Some of the cheap shafts might just be a layer of CF that was formed around a mandrel while others may have had gone through dozens of different experimental designs before they found the combination that was to their liking.
Thank You for your answer, I ask it because I spoke with a Chinese fabricant and he said me that they can take any type, tickness and layers number of cf fabric to make cf shafts and the price would not be too much higher than their usual shafts, just need to order a minimum quantity, may be that would be decent shafts stifness and finition...
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Golf clubs have a pretty good standing of showing/explaining what they’re doing layer-wise. If doesn’t vary much for shafts, but it’s the final layers that are the difference for clubs/cues. Cue shafts need a finish done so it can be smooth in your hand unlike golf clubs. It’s also the cuts, orientation, materials added that affect how the carbon layers perform.
The same difference between a cheap maple shaft and a high quality Maple shaft. Most carbon fiber blanks are coming from China but they're not all of equal quality as you will find out.
Mario
The same difference between a cheap maple shaft and a high quality Maple shaft. Most carbon fiber blanks are coming from China but they're not all of equal quality as you will find out.
Mario
Yes, different quality level existe in everythings around us and it's easy to understand.... But concerning CF shafts can you recognize their quality by manufacturing process or their specifications, the question is there!
Theonly way to find out, is to buy one of the different one's that you want to compare against. Hit some with them with different tips and grades of tips. Then when you have done testing them, the one you like best, burn it carefully. You can burn out the resin and then discover the lay up technique and materials that were used. Sometimes you can still get a good estimate of the modulas of the carbon used as well.
Yes I can and is called experience. Wall thickness, taper, uniformity of color density and general feel of smoothness.
Mario
What is your experience with Chinese shaft and have you found some good quality, I'm interested!
Took a look at some cf shafts a friend purchased.. 4 for $80. On first look...seemed pretty nice. Felt good, looked good, weight, tip and joint OD good. Taper seemed ok. Not bad for $20. Wall thickness seemed ok. Then I whacked it against my hand to see how it flexed. Hmmmm....didnt seem to flex at all. Then I layed it on the table to check the flex..holding down the joint end and lifting up the tip end. Essentially NO flex. The wall thickness was making the shaft like a steel pipe! Useless in my opinion as a shooter. Maybe ok as a breaker or jumper? Buyer beware!
Without knowing the exact wall thickness I cannot comment, although, flex is not one of the prerequisites of a carbon fiber shaft; stiffness without increasing mass.
Mario
The wall thickness was .050 with a tip OD of 12.5mm. I would not think this shaft would be low deflection.
I don't know what the inside dia. of say a revo, but at .050 wall thickness, of an overall dia. of .49213" that is a .39213" hole. The normal predator wood shafts hole is smaller than that. Low deflection is very low end mass combined with stiffness, not flex.
Dvae
I'm pretty sure that Chinese Cie who manufacture low price shafts can make for less than 100$ very high quality shaft blanks like Revo and others but this is not their market. They don't stock the highest quality material for it, Revo shafts have 4 unidirectional high modulus thin underlayers, it give a starting point.
scott52058
scott52058
Does any one build a cf shaft bigger than 13mm ?
Without trying to be rude, you are completely out of your element here when dealing with carbon shafts. Let’s just put things in perspective first. No ones looking for a Meucci level whippy carbon shaft. True carbon filament cue shafts are constructed just like golf club shafts. You do not understand layering of composites to increase strength.