Coring!

Kim Bye

Kim Bye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So I have plans for a few cue builds and I want to make cored cues, but reading about the subject, reveals alot of different techniques and preferences.
I`m wondering if it`s possible to suss out something close to a standard?

First. What diameter gun drill and core diameter is best? I see .750" - .775" seems to be the sweetspot.
What is the benefits/disadvantages of going bigger or smaller?

Core pattern. I see some put grooves at 1" increments, some run a horizontal groove along the whole core and some make a spiral groove along the core.
Same - same or any differences of importance?

Core material. Maple, purpleheart and jatoba seems to be most common, should I laminate the core or is a well sesoned piece of wood good enough?

Any other tips and tricks are welcome :thumbup:
 
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JoeyInCali

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
Do you thread your joint collars?
What size is your tenon to/from the handle?
 
Brickcues

Brickcues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I step core all my forearms. Start with .625 all the way through and then go back for 9 inches with ,750. I do not like having the finished size of the cue being .850 and the cored wood at the end being only .050 a side thick or less if joint size is smaller than .850. The .625 gives me a better piece of mind and is also the size of all my collars.
 
cueman

cueman

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I core forearms with a .650" and the handles with a .775". The reason for the odd numbers is it allows me to turn the core dowel end down to proper ring size without any problems. If cored .625" the dowel going through it would be about .620" and too small for .625" ID (inside diameter) rings. If cored .750 you have the same issue with .750" ID rings.

To remove more weight out of a forearm, I like the advice Alex gave to core all the way through with the .650". and then core the back half of the forearm with the .775".

I have had success with laminated core dowels and regular wood like purple heart and maple. You just need really stable wood for the inside dowel.

I like to cut the grooves to hold more glue and with the Gorilla expanding type of glue it assures some will be there to expand out into any dry places created when sticking the dowel through the cored hole.
 
whammo57

whammo57

Kim Walker
Silver Member
I core the entire cue butt with a 1 piece maple dowel. My core drill is .750 and I turn my cores to about .740 and then hand sand for a nice slip fit. I spin the core in the lathe and put a groove about every inch with the corner of a big file..... I glue it up with gorilla glue.

Kim
 
Kim Bye

Kim Bye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for the replies, lots of great tips.
For Joey: I`m planning on threading the joint collar and butt cap.
I`m gonna start by making myself a new break cue.
Just for simplicity I think I`ll start with a .750" diameter full length purpleheart core.
I`m gonna try the 1" glue relief grooves and a couple of grooves along the whole length of the core.
Simple rings, redheart handle and blackwood forarm/butt. LBM joint and butt plate.
I see there is very mixed opinions about Gorilla glue for cuebuilding, so I`m a bit unsure what glue/epoxy to use.
 
cueman

cueman

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Kim Bye said:
Thanks for the replies, lots of great tips.
For Joey: I`m planning on threading the joint collar and butt cap.
I`m gonna start by making myself a new break cue.
Just for simplicity I think I`ll start with a .750" diameter full length purpleheart core.
I`m gonna try the 1" glue relief grooves and a couple of grooves along the whole length of the core.
Simple rings, redheart handle and blackwood forarm/butt. LBM joint and butt plate.
I see there is very mixed opinions about Gorilla glue for cuebuilding, so I`m a bit unsure what glue/epoxy to use.
Click to expand...

I am also negative about Gorilla glue for any place in a cue except coring. I fear dry spots causing buzzes in the cue if using a long core with epoxy.
 
JoeyInCali

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
Kim Bye said:
Thanks for the replies, lots of great tips.
For Joey: I`m planning on threading the joint collar and butt cap.
I`m gonna start by making myself a new break cue.
Just for simplicity I think I`ll start with a .750" diameter full length purpleheart core.
I`m gonna try the 1" glue relief grooves and a couple of grooves along the whole length of the core.
Simple rings, redheart handle and blackwood forarm/butt. LBM joint and butt plate.
I see there is very mixed opinions about Gorilla glue for cuebuilding, so I`m a bit unsure what glue/epoxy to use.
Click to expand...

If you're going to thread the butt plate, you will need at least .795 at the bottom.
Imo, one piece core are better stepped up to .875" for the handle down to .750 or less for the forearm.
 
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Joe Barringer

Joe Barringer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
We've been using Gorilla glue for well over 10 years (actually 15 or thereabouts) in coring and have never had any issues. We've sell more cored fronts in one year than all of you will make in ten years so we know a thing or two about coring.

Anyone who says anything to the contrary about Gorilla glue in this application is a pinhead. That's not to say I'd use it for joint pin use, the "A" joint or for tips. It's made to do a specific job and the task of coring falls well within it's guideline. Great glue for coring.

As far as using epoxy for coring, West or otherwise - you will have dry spots and it's just not the glue to use in this type of application. Period.
 
Kim Bye

Kim Bye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Joe Barringer said:
We've been using Gorilla glue for well over 10 years (actually 15 or thereabouts) in coring and have never had any issues. We've sell more cored fronts in one year than all of you will make in ten years so we know a thing or two about coring.

Anyone who says anything to the contrary about Gorilla glue in this application is a pinhead. That's not to say I'd use it for joint pin use, the "A" joint or for tips. It's made to do a specific job and the task of coring falls well within it's guideline. Great glue for coring.

As far as using epoxy for coring, West or otherwise - you will have dry spots and it's just not the glue to use in this type of application. Period.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input Joe.
Can I ask you about your prefered core material (laminated or not?) and what diameter(s) you use?
 
scdiveteam

scdiveteam

Rick Geschrey
Silver Member
Kim Bye said:
So I guess you use West Systems? If so, what produc t? they make so many different ones.
Click to expand...

Kim.

I don't use epoxy for coring and I agree with Chris.:thumbup: I use GG because of it's expansion coefficient with used with water catalyst.:clapping:

Rick
 
Murray Tucker

Murray Tucker

Just a Padawan
Silver Member
I have posted a link to a coring article I did a while back. Too lazy to look it up but a simple search should find it.
 
cueman

cueman

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Murray Tucker said:
I have posted a link to a coring article I did a while back. Too lazy to look it up but a simple search should find it.
Click to expand...
I found it, but it was a link to Jimbos Army so I did not post the link.
You might want to copy the post and paste it here.
 
scdiveteam

scdiveteam

Rick Geschrey
Silver Member
[B said:
JoeyInCali;5275627]Are you sure you're not forgetting something?[/B]
Click to expand...

No that about does it PJ.

Thanks for sticking your nose in though!:thumbup:



Ricky
 
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Kim Bye

Kim Bye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Murray Tucker said:
I have posted a link to a coring article I did a while back. Too lazy to look it up but a simple search should find it.
Click to expand...

Thank you Murray, I have studied your coring article on jimbo in detail. Great writeup and nice pictures too :thumbup:
 
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