Cue Dimensions

ScottR

ScottR

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am curious if you cue makers are consistent with the dimensions you use to build your cues; lengths of forearm,handle, sleeve, diameters of the same, butt taper, etc.?

I assume you all have a preferred shaft taper that you've worked out over the years. But, do you have the same "proprietary" formula for your butts?

Would you consider your construction to be unique or fairly standard?

Do you have a "signature" component or process in your building?

I'm not trying to pry into your trade secrets, just get general information about your style of construction.

As always, thanks!
 
R

rhncue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
ScottR said:
I am curious if you cue makers are consistent with the dimensions you use to build your cues; lengths of forearm,handle, sleeve, diameters of the same, butt taper, etc.?

I assume you all have a preferred shaft taper that you've worked out over the years. But, do you have the same "proprietary" formula for your butts?

Would you consider your construction to be unique or fairly standard?

Do you have a "signature" component or process in your building?

I'm not trying to pry into your trade secrets, just get general information about your style of construction.

As always, thanks!
Click to expand...

I have found that over the years cues have evolved to much smaller diameters in the handle area of the butt. Years ago, most cues felt like baseball bats. Old Willie Hoppe cues have a joint size diameter of between .815 and .830 ths. and the very back of the butt up to 1.420ths. Modern cues usually have a joint of between .825 and .860ths. with most between .840 and .845ths. At the very back of the butt modern cues run between 1.200 and 1.300ths. Some cues have a straight taper from the front of the joint to the back of the butt plate while others have a compound taper meaning that the angle changes one or more times between the joint and the butt cap.
I build my cues more slender than most with the joint at .842ths. and the butt cap at 1.215 to 1.220ths. At present I use a straight taper on my butts but am about to change to a compound taper as I want my A joint, where the handle meets the prong, to be larger. At present, it is 1." here and I would rather it be about 1.015 to 1.020ths. in this area for a slightly stiffer butt.
My overall dimentions very seldom change on a standard cue being: front of joint to front of wrap = 12", wrap area = 12", back of wrap to bumper = 5" with the butt collar = 3 1/2" and the deco rings and butt plate = 1.5" for a total length of 29". Of coarse none of this is set in stone as I am predominatly a custom cue maker so I build what the customer dictates.
Dick
 
J

JerseyBill

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
cue design

rhncue said:
I have found that over the years cues have evolved to much smaller diameters in the handle area of the butt. Years ago, most cues felt like baseball bats. Old Willie Hoppe cues have a joint size diameter of between .815 and .830 ths. and the very back of the butt up to 1.420ths. Modern cues usually have a joint of between .825 and .860ths. with most between .840 and .845ths. At the very back of the butt modern cues run between 1.200 and 1.300ths. Some cues have a straight taper from the front of the joint to the back of the butt plate while others have a compound taper meaning that the angle changes one or more times between the joint and the butt cap.
I build my cues more slender than most with the joint at .842ths. and the butt cap at 1.215 to 1.220ths. At present I use a straight taper on my butts but am about to change to a compound taper as I want my A joint, where the handle meets the prong, to be larger. At present, it is 1." here and I would rather it be about 1.015 to 1.020ths. in this area for a slightly stiffer butt.
My overall dimentions very seldom change on a standard cue being: front of joint to front of wrap = 12", wrap area = 12", back of wrap to bumper = 5" with the butt collar = 3 1/2" and the deco rings and butt plate = 1.5" for a total length of 29". Of coarse none of this is set in stone as I am predominatly a custom cue maker so I build what the customer dictates.
Dick
Click to expand...

Dick,
In searching the forum I came up with this one authored by you.
I'm surprised at the lack of response from such a fact filled piece.
I'm presently designing/ re -designing my cues and I've compared
the various sizes ;joint,butt , shaft, etc. of several of the more well known to me cuemakers. It's interesting how they try to engineer the structure of a cue vs. the beauty or eye appeal. Often they contradict eachother.
Anyhow thanks for the great post, even though nobody read it but me and I think one or two others.
JerseyBill
 
DoubleDCues

DoubleDCues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thank you Dick for sharing something that only time can can bring. Actual experience!! I have been building for about 3 years. Obsession of course for the first year, and now figuring out what I like to build. My numbers that I have kind of settled in on are 1.234, for the butt .842. on the joint. I like the progression-regression for now.
 
desi2960

desi2960

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
wood pin

i guess most associate my name with the wood pin in the butt. i am 84 to 86 at the joint and around 1.25 at the butt. butt has a straight taper and the shaft has a constant taper. with a little sanding for a fine tune-up. i will also try to make a cue a bit fatter or thinner if the customer wants, but i have learned the hard way, no more weird sizes. i have ruined a few too many great shafts cutting to the customers spects only to have them back out of the deal.
i make most cues the standard 58 inch, but a few 57. i have made many 60, 62 and one 64 inch cue.
chuck
 
scdiveteam

scdiveteam

Rick Geschrey
Silver Member
Dimensions

Hi,

58" Long

.850 Joint

Butt is .850 to 1.264 with compound taper

Shafts are .850 to 13mm or 12.75 mm with 16" parabolic taper descending to a pro type taper end.

.375 joint collars without ringwork

.750 butt cap

12" Forearm

12" Handle including ring work

Butts sleeves sizes vary depending on the decor ring dimensions

Cue is built and turned on a solid 30" 3/4" maple core.

Rick G
 
JoeyInCali

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
scdiveteam said:
Hi,

58" Long

.850 Joint

Butt is .850 to 1.264 with compound taper

Shafts are .850 to 13mm or 12.75 mm with 16" parabolic taper descending to a pro type taper end.

.375 joint collars without ringwork

.750 butt cap

12" Forearm

12" Handle including ring work

Butts sleeves sizes vary depending on the decor ring dimensions

Cue is built and turned on a solid 30" 3/4" maple core.

Rick G
Click to expand...
I'm guessing bottom of the forearm is 1.038 ".
 
J

JerseyBill

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
resurrection

ScottR said:
Yeah, I was surprised that it died so quickly..... 6 years ago.

Thanks for resurrecting it!

Scott
Click to expand...

Well, with the info not coming to me I figured...........
anyhow, I needed the info....lol
Bill
 
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Lexicologist71

Lexicologist71

Rabid Schuler fanatic
Silver Member
Nice to know I'm not in left field with my target dimensions.
0.860 joint, 1.200 butt plate, 1.05 A joint. Straight tapered butt, compound tapered shaft (0.040" growth in first 10" from tip).
 
JoeyInCali

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
Lexicologist71 said:
Nice to know I'm not in left field with my target dimensions.
0.860 joint, 1.200 butt plate, 1.05 A joint. Straight tapered butt, compound tapered shaft (0.040" growth in first 10" from tip).
Click to expand...
Straight taper would make that A-joint more like 1.005".
Straight taper .860" to 1.05" A-joint would have a 1.300"+ bottom.
 
B

bccues

Registered
My 2 cents

The only thing I would like to add in the dimensions area are teh sanding Mandrels that most of us are using. I have a set for finishing the cue and a set for non finish. This way every cue that goes out the door is the same at the joint. I also like the idea of having the same ring work in all of my cue (something that I have not done yet) like Dan Dishaw has in all of his high end cues. This way, a shaft can be shipped or made for a customer at anytime without the butt of the cue being present. The key in the sanding standard / Mandrel's
Bryan Covey
Cue maker
Washington State
 
Lexicologist71

Lexicologist71

Rabid Schuler fanatic
Silver Member
I guess I'm more amateur than I thought. I've been stressing more about getting my shaft taper the way I want it and making joint inserts from scratch. I've learned quite a bit, but still a ways to go. I made my first 'real' forearm a couple of weeks ago after brutalizing firewood for months. I'm actually pretty happy with it. 4 bocote points into curly maple. The points are really close to even, long, and fat at the bottom. I just about fell over when I had it turned down to where the inlays were flush with the base wood. I'm quite proud of it, but now I'm afraid to do anything else to it for fear of ruining it. Go figure.
 
Lexicologist71

Lexicologist71

Rabid Schuler fanatic
Silver Member
JoeyInCali said:
Straight taper would make that A-joint more like 1.005".
Straight taper .860" to 1.05" A-joint would have a 1.300"+ bottom.
Click to expand...

I have been toying with the idea of using my tailstock offset to cut my handles at a different taper in order to keep the butt sleeve around 1.2". The length of handle and forearm isn't set in stone.

Thank you for the guidance.

Paul
 
the kidd

the kidd

VOTE ONE TIME
Silver Member
Drawing of dimension of cue

Can someone post the drawing of a cue. Saw it on wall in cue makers shop
 
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