Ebony break cue shaft

omaharich

New member
Have been thinking about this for awhile and want to know if anyone has tried it..I have access to a local builder and he allows me to work on my items and teaches me at the same time..(truly blessed)...I am thinking about a heavy, stiff break cue for a controlled break...so i do have some macassar ebony that is dry enough to turn---has anyone made a shaft with such heavy, stiff wood? my questions are....is it too stiff, or does a break cue need some flexibility? will it be prone to deflecting or damaging the shaft ? was thinking about using a 100#pressed milk dud tip....
 

ideologist

I don't never exaggerate
Silver Member
Have been thinking about this for awhile and want to know if anyone has tried it..I have access to a local builder and he allows me to work on my items and teaches me at the same time..(truly blessed)...I am thinking about a heavy, stiff break cue for a controlled break...so i do have some macassar ebony that is dry enough to turn---has anyone made a shaft with such heavy, stiff wood? my questions are....is it too stiff, or does a break cue need some flexibility? will it be prone to deflecting or damaging the shaft ? was thinking about using a 100#pressed milk dud tip....



Yes it deflects. Yes ebony is brittle. Yes I tried it, and the ebony started checking after a couple of months of use
 

omaharich

New member
Much less brittle, it works well but is very stiff.

thanks...yeah looking for a very stiff hitting wood with some weight--will have to weigh some hard maple vs the purpleheart not sure which is denser...was thinking about trying a piece of a hardwood and then stabilizing it to gain some rigidity...have a friend making a break cue out of the Dymondwood that jumping jax cues uses...interested in seeing how that performs...
 

Mcues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Purple heart is heavier than Maple and stiffer. I think you will be happy using it for a break shaft. I've made many and users seem to be always happy.

Mario
 

Michael Webb

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ebony finishes around 6 ounces. I've done both. A friend has had his about 10 years now. Purple heart works well. If I ever did another purple heart, I might slice it and laminate it.
 

QMAKER

LIVE FREE OR DIE
Silver Member
Ph

From Mario

Purple heart is heavier than Maple and stiffer. I think you will be happy using it for a break shaft. I've made many and users seem to be always happy.
 

Ssonerai

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Be sure to use a good collar at the joint.
I did not on the first few, (straight sneaky style wood-wood) and really dense straight grain PH shafts are prone to splitting at the joint on a solid breaker. Love the wood, though, it's stable & performs well.

smt

PS - if i were to consider the experiment - African Blackwood (a true rosewood) is denser and has a higher Janka hardness by a significant amount compared to Macassar. To the point of cue making, it is also somewhat more stable than most of the other wood up in that range: specific gravity >1 (don't float) ; Janka hardness >2,900. FWIW, rock maple Janka is 1/2 that, at 1,450 lbs. AB clocks in at 1.27 & 3,670 Janka.

However, not sure any of the really dense materials would be considered stable in long slenderness ratios. Some pieces are, but tends to be a large luck factor. Even after you discount a $1,000 or 2 worth as being obviously bad candidates due to grain structure.

Densified wood should soon be a commercial proposition, or at least it seems so every year.... :)
 
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Stellar1024

Registered
I think african blackwood would make an incredible shaft, but good luck getting pieces that long without paying a fortune...

Katalox might make a nice shaft as well. Very hard and dense.
 

slim123

Active member
Have been thinking about this for awhile and want to know if anyone has tried it..I have access to a local builder and he allows me to work on my items and teaches me at the same time..(truly blessed)...I am thinking about a heavy, stiff break cue for a controlled break...so i do have some macassar ebony that is dry enough to turn---has anyone made a shaft with such heavy, stiff wood? my questions are....is it too stiff, or does a break cue need some flexibility? will it be prone to deflecting or damaging the shaft ? was thinking about using a 100#pressed milk dud tip....
The heavy break cue is old school, most of the pros are using lighter cues to break with 16-17 oz, they say they learned that they get mor momentum from a light cue. Now the lower end amateurs are still going for the heavy break cue, and there are more of them, so more money, Provide for the masses and you will prosper just a marketing strategy i thought i'd share
 
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TheBasics

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
omaharich, Howdy;

Have had extremely good results with the below;
Break:
Dufferin Dot 17 oz. with Oak floorboard (from the local community center when they re-did the floor
after 40 some years), shaft with a Talisman Break tip (4years and going strong). Weights 17oz. and perhaps
a smidge more.

hank
 

Dave38

theemperorhasnoclotheson
Silver Member
Ipe for the shaft is about the best break shaft. A bit heavy, but VERY strong/dense with VERY little flex to it. You can make it a normal taper and dia, like 12.9mm, etc. and will hit hard with little flex. A lot less expensive than some of the above mentioned woods
 
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