Turning Shafts

crobwin

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
AZers, namely cue makers and experts, what's the significance of turning shafts? What is turning shafts? This makes the diameter smaller? Does it hit better? :confused:

School me.
 

Scott Lee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Might get a more accurate answer in the Ask a Cuemaker forum. Short answer is yes, turning down the shaft makes it thinner. It doesn't necessarily make it "play" better ("play" is a very subjective word).

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
 

crobwin

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks!

Now that brings me to the question if it will remove taper roll. :) Thanks for your replies!
 

Tramp Steamer

One Pocket enthusiast.
Silver Member
Personally, I've found that "turning" shafts is far superior than simply cutting them on the band saw.
For one thing "turning" makes them round, instead of square, which means a much more comfortable feel while playing. In addition, a square shaft is somewhat more difficult to find tips for.
I hope I have been of some help in this matter. :smile:
 

eddie0776

Bishop Cues
Silver Member
Now that brings me to the question if it will remove taper roll. :) Thanks for your replies!

No it will not remove taper roll and will sometimes make it more noticeable. Getting a shaft turned is normally done so that it feels better in your bridge hand (not as fat).
 

poolguy4u

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Now that brings me to the question if it will remove taper roll. :) Thanks for your replies!

Most people think of turning down a shaft would be meant by using a cutting tool.


Actually, lots of people are using sandpaper and if not done right, will cause taper

roll. Got to be careful with the sandpaper and using the lathe.:thumbup:
 

eddie0776

Bishop Cues
Silver Member
Most people think of turning down a shaft would be meant by using a cutting tool.


Actually, lots of people are using sandpaper and if not done right, will cause taper

roll. Got to be careful with the sandpaper and using the lathe.:thumbup:

I don't believe a single cue maker cuts a shaft all the way to size.....I can't speak for them but I can speak for myself. I do sand to the finished product. As far as turning down shafts, most people only want to go down between .25-.50mm which is done with sand paper because of all of the variables that come into play....shaft straightness, which of the thousand different tapers was the shaft made with, not to mention .25 mm is very small.
 

LAlouie

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Shafts are turned in order to change their structure. It could be to make them thinner, it could be to change their taper. That will affect the quality of the hit, but it WON'T necessarily make the hit "better" because "better" could mean many things to many people.

However you are shaving off wood that was originally weighted to create a particular balance in the cue - so that will be changed when you turn the shaft.
 

Ak Guy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Changes dimensions and feel

You change the physical dimensions of a shaft if you change the diameter and taper so it should feel different in your hand. I like a tip diameter of 12.5 on my playing cues and also like the shaft to be the same diameter for the first 18 to 20 inches as it feels best that way to me with the type of stroke I have. So that is how I had Pat Diveny make the 3 shafts I got from him, I had Meucci do the same on a Black Dot shaft I have on their "sneaky pete" cue. It has to make the shaft a bit more flexible when you go down in diameter. Your game will tell you whether or not it worked for you.
 

Blue Hog ridr

World Famous Fisherman.
Silver Member
Basically what Eddie said. My Taper bar is set to be over size at both ends.

Over 13mm or .526, if I remember and over at the joint end. Altho, I prefer my joint ends approx .842, one has to leave them over in case someone else needs a shaft with a larger diameter.

When it comes to the final hand sanding, I follow what most will do. Use a full sheet of paper. That way, holding the paper correctly, obviously more contact between the paper and shaft wood. Sometimes, depending on what you are doing, a half sheet will suffice.
Obviously much less chance of putting a roll in the shaft.

Most of the time, I have pulled a taper back a bit for a person, leaving the original tip diameter the same.

Changing the diameter of the tip for a person is also a fairly straight forward job.

Keep in mind that either job is not, or shouldn't be performed all at once. Just like cutting a dowel from the beginning, you can't take off too much at one time.

Depending on how much is coming off, it should be done over a period of time as to not warp the shaft.

Joey probably knows how to take a roll out, or attempt it. I have a basic idea but not 100% on it so wouldn't tell a customer that I can.

I made a simple Warp taker Outter used with surgical tubing. I have had varying amounts of success with it.

The way I tell it to a customer. I don't charge for it as it is pretty much zero time involved on my behalf, other than setting it up in the first place.

I let them know that I will give it a whirl. The outcome unknown and even if there is some amount or 100% success, there is no guarantee that it will stay that way for any length of time.

So, it pretty much gets me a free beer, the next time I see the person.

There is only one thing better than a paid for beer, and that is a free one. My time is worth at least that much.
 
Last edited:

BigNBeefY

Just Stopping By
Silver Member
I have also been toying with the idea of having a beautifully stiff lake salvage shaft turned down a bit or at least have the taper extended.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk 2
 

Blue Hog ridr

World Famous Fisherman.
Silver Member
Those are most esspensive man. Find a trusted maker or repairman.

Of course he will want to do it in small increments, which is the best test method for yourself anyway.

A little off, test it out until you get the feel that you want.

If you want the diameter changed as well, maybe one the the best ways is to use another shaft with a diameter that you think that you would like.

You can always take wood off, a bit tougher to add some more saw dust later.
 

crobwin

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Changing shaft

The taper roll is about 8 inches from the ferrule and 2 credit cards thick. It's a very old shaft but with 13mm to play with and I wouldn't mind it turned down to 12.75mm with a longer taper IF I wanted to go that route.

My other thought were to just change the shaft entirely by removing the brown phonalic joint from the taper roll shaft and match it to a straiter shaft (currently not in use) and discard the taper roll shaft entirely.



That depends how much the warp and where it is.
 

crobwin

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Warp Shaft

Thanks for saving me from another question. I wondered why it took cue makers over time to turn a shaft every so and so years to not warp the shaft. :cool:

" it should be done over a period of time as to not warp the shaft. " -Blue Hog ridr



Basically what Eddie said. My Taper bar is set to be over size at both ends.

Over 13mm or .526, if I remember and over at the joint end. Altho, I prefer my joint ends approx .842, one has to leave them over in case someone else needs a shaft with a larger diameter.

When it comes to the final hand sanding, I follow what most will do. Use a full sheet of paper. That way, holding the paper correctly, obviously more contact between the paper and shaft wood. Sometimes, depending on what you are doing, a half sheet will suffice.
Obviously much less chance of putting a roll in the shaft.

Most of the time, I have pulled a taper back a bit for a person, leaving the original tip diameter the same.

Changing the diameter of the tip for a person is also a fairly straight forward job.

Keep in mind that either job is not, or shouldn't be performed all at once. Just like cutting a dowel from the beginning, you can't take off too much at one time.

Depending on how much is coming off, it should be done over a period of time as to not warp the shaft.

Joey probably knows how to take a roll out, or attempt it. I have a basic idea but not 100% on it so wouldn't tell a customer that I can.

I made a simple Warp taker Outter used with surgical tubing. I have had varying amounts of success with it.

The way I tell it to a customer. I don't charge for it as it is pretty much zero time involved on my behalf, other than setting it up in the first place.

I let them know that I will give it a whirl. The outcome unknown and even if there is some amount or 100% success, there is no guarantee that it will stay that way for any length of time.

So, it pretty much gets me a free beer, the next time I see the person.

There is only one thing better than a paid for beer, and that is a free one. My time is worth at least that much.
 

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
Gold Member
Silver Member
taper roll or warp?

The taper roll is about 8 inches from the ferrule and 2 credit cards thick. It's a very old shaft but with 13mm to play with and I wouldn't mind it turned down to 12.75mm with a longer taper IF I wanted to go that route.

My other thought were to just change the shaft entirely by removing the brown phonalic joint from the taper roll shaft and match it to a straiter shaft (currently not in use) and discard the taper roll shaft entirely.


At eight inches from the ferrule it sounds more likely to be plain warped then a taper roll. Warpage can be caused by stress on the wood or stress relief. Fairly easy to fix one caused by stress and it will probably stay fixed. Harder to fix one that is caused by stress relief and it will probably always have a tendency to warp again.

Two credit cards worth of warp I'd turn the warp vertical and forget about it.

Hu
 
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