Break Cue Questions

It would add a lot more weight and deflection.
The taper is the key.
2mm taper to the middle is a good start imo.
14mm tip and 16MM to the middle would be a good maple taper imo.

It`s not like just adding mass will give you a better break cue. As Joey says, the taper is key. A fairly short ferrule and a hard ferrule material helps with the transfer of power.
I make my break cues with the target weight and dimensions, just as a playing cue, but since the shaft is stiffer and I pick dense maple, purpleheart or hornbeam, the balance is usually a little more towards the front of the cue, but not by much. My shafts have a 13.2mm diameter, If you have big hands, you can go bigger.

jimmy91988 said:

Hypothetically let's say I had two shaft that were identical in every aspect. If I installed a phenolic dowel in the tip end, what should I expect in terms of performance other than higher deflection?

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Define "performance" I dont think you should expect anything special other than the shaft being on the heavy side.

jimmy91988 said:

Hypothetically let's say I had two shaft that were identical in every aspect. If I installed a phenolic dowel in the tip end, what should I expect in terms of performance other than higher deflection?

Click to expand...

There's too many variables left out when trying to reinvent the wheel. Here's how I build a break shaft: Purple heart wood, strong taper 13.5 mm, phenolic ferrule, leather break tip.

Mario

Low deflection is a big plus for me, I tend to occasionally get unintended english when trying for really hard breaks. If your cue has a lot of deflection, you'll end up a lot farther off of where you're aiming on the rack. Sometimes with bad consequences. (Cue ball flying across the room)

jimmy91988 said:

So what I've gathered from the responses is that adding the phenolic dowel will:

1. Increase the weight of the shaft
2. Increase deflection

What about the feel of the hit?
Wouldn't the shaft flex less?
Wouldn't the phenolic absorb less energy than wood therefore increasing energy into the hit?

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Your totally overthinking this. The shaft is 29" long, if you want less flex, make a bigger diameter shaft, a true conical taper or both. If you want to run a phenolic plug through the whole shaft, that would be seriously heavy. I dont see why you dont go with a carbon fibre tube?
It sounds to me that you think your reinventing the wheel here, but all of this stuff is done and shafts might be constructed in many different ways, but they are still very similar to each other. When you go into details, you'll get a million different answers.
I have a playing shaft taper, a break shaft taper and a jump shaft taper, I also make special stuff like a Massé shaft, carbon fibre, ash snooker shafts and odd ones like one I'm doing now: purplehart with pro taper and a 11.5mm tip diameter.
I use a 3/8-16 tennon and a capped ferrule. On skinny shafts I have to go down to a 5/16" tennon. Shaft collars are 5/8-18.
You'll get lots of different answers on technical questions like this and while I feel comfortable with my way of doing things, I think most other ways of construction is fine too, as long as tolerances are good. Todays epoxy is super strong, so big brands like Predator and Jacoby uses a press fit for their ferrules and that works fine (for the most part...)
In short: If you want a better break, get a shaft you like the taper and diameter off, put on whatever tip you like and practice your break :wink:

jimmy91988 said:

So what I've gathered from the responses is that adding the phenolic dowel will:

1. Increase the weight of the shaft
2. Increase deflection

What about the feel of the hit?
Wouldn't the shaft flex less?
Wouldn't the phenolic absorb less energy than wood therefore increasing energy into the hit?

Click to expand...

Wouldn’t something so simple to do, be expected to have been tried before? The simple answer is basically an aggressive modified conical taper with a 1/2” or so capped phenolic ferrule with a substantive hardness for a break shaft. Energy goes from tip to joint. How strong a material is overall is eclipsed by how strong it would be in that tip to joint plane. If it’s not substantially stronger, then isn’t it just adding weight inherently?

There are two schools of though, Lite Cue, Heave Cue. Best I personally found was a Tiger Duel Tip that's was Hard on outer Ring, and had soft center to grab the ball. It's all what you personally like.

My old Break Cue was only 16.75 OUNCE, it worked well for me.

Howdy;

I have an old Duffern Dot 21 oz butt that I had a shaft made for to use as a break cue.
The shaft was made from a piece of Oak that had been the floor of a local Community
Center. Had been used as the floor for more then 40 years. Have a micarta ferrule and
a Talsmen Break tip. Worked just fine. Then I found a 17 oz. Old Duff Butt fit with the
shaft like it was made for it. Works even better then the 21 oz. butt for me.

hank