[TheBasics]

Howdy All;

I just got hold of an older McDermott C-series cue and the Butt weighs in at 18.08 oz's.
That's about what I like for the entire thing to weigh. Figured I'd get some information,
really about as much as I can about putting this Baby Huey on a diet. Need to know
such things as; How to get the old weight bolt out, how to tell, by measuring the length
of the bolt that comes out what it weighs, What to use to secure the new bolt in place.
Tools, other then a LOOOOng hex-head anything else??? How much adjustment for
nose-heavy/tail-heavy do I have to play with? Almost TO much fun ahead... Plus any
other good to know stuff would be appreciated.

Thanks for the knowledge.

hank

[garczar]

Originally Posted by TheBasics

Howdy All;

I just got hold of an older McDermott C-series cue and the Butt weighs in at 18.08 oz's.
That's about what I like for the entire thing to weigh. Figured I'd get some information,
really about as much as I can about putting this Baby Huey on a diet. Need to know
such things as; How to get the old weight bolt out, how to tell, by measuring the length
of the bolt that comes out what it weighs, What to use to secure the new bolt in place.
Tools, other then a LOOOOng hex-head anything else??? How much adjustment for
nose-heavy/tail-heavy do I have to play with? Almost TO much fun ahead... Plus any
other good to know stuff would be appreciated.

Thanks for the knowledge.

hank

One tip: if you're going to jack with cues you need to buy some decent electronic scales. I bought mine on ebay cheap and they come in handy.

[Chopdoc]

Originally Posted by garczar

One tip: if you're going to jack with cues you need to buy some decent electronic scales. I bought mine on ebay cheap and they come in handy.

Gotta have good tools and equipment before you screw something up properly.


OP: Take the bolt out and weigh/measure it. I am not a cue maker but how can anybody know until they know what bolt is in that cue?

[TheBasics]

Chopdoc, Howdy;

Originally Posted by Chopdoc

Gotta have good tools and equipment before you screw something up properly.


OP: Take the bolt out and weigh/measure it. I am not a cue maker but how can anybody know until they know what bolt is in that cue?

Agree it takes quality tools to bust up stuff gooderer.

According to a young lady at McD's there may not even be one in there
That would throw a spanner in the works eh?

hank

[Dave38]

At 18+ oz just for the butt, there is a bolt.....that also holds on the butt cap. You are looking to drop about 3 oz but you will need to have a bolt in there to hold the butt cap securely. I HIGHLY recommend you bring it to a repair guy so if it goes sideways, he/she is on the hook, not you. Those bolts were not that heavy, and to take it where you want may require boring the hole deeper to remove some weight, then installing either nylon, aluminum, or titanium bolts to replace the bolt that was removed without adding weight but maintaining the required holding of the butt cap.
JMHO,
Dave

[TheBasics]

Dave38, Howdy;

Thanks for the info. and heads up. Know a repair guy in Las Cruces and was
recommended another in Alamogordo. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow so I'll be
able to at least give it a look see then.

hank

[Chopdoc]

Always best to get the cue to a proper repair man.

But with that said, they don't always know all cues or old cues.

McDermott has not stocked weight bolts for those cues for some years, so they would not be much help.

As far as I remember, the weight bolt does not hold on the butt cap on these cues. I have A, B, C, and D series cues and have had the weight bolts out on all of them. Never had a butt cap come loose on one with the bolt out.

As I remember, those weight bolts ranged up to 3 ounces. So there is a chance you can lose a lot of weight in that cue.

The bolt is threaded for the bumper screw, so you need one to hold the bumper on. Either a quarter ounce bolt could be used, or you can have a nylon one made without too much difficulty.

These cues did tend to be heavy, so it may not have much of a weight bolt. But it could have up to a three ounce bolt as far as I know.

McDermott did not glue their bolts in. They advertised that the weight was easily changed.

I don't often sell cues, but when I sold a D series I was asked by a potential buyer to pull and weigh the bolt. I did, and he bought the cue. Took a few minutes.

I am not saying not to take it to a repair man. I am just relating my experience with these cues.

Here is somebody selling bolts for these cues. Looks like they machined the heads to fit.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1975-1996-M...ss!32137!US!-1

[TheBasics]

Chopdoc, Howdy;

Originally Posted by Chopdoc

Always best to get the cue to a proper repair man.

But with that said, they don't always know all cues or old cues.

McDermott has not stocked weight bolts for those cues for some years, so they would not be much help.

As far as I remember, the weight bolt does not hold on the butt cap on these cues. I have A, B, C, and D series cues and have had the weight bolts out on all of them. Never had a butt cap come loose on one with the bolt out.

As I remember, those weight bolts ranged up to 3 ounces. So there is a chance you can lose a lot of weight in that cue.

The bolt is threaded for the bumper screw, so you need one to hold the bumper on. Either a quarter ounce bolt could be used, or you can have a nylon one made without too much difficulty.

These cues did tend to be heavy, so it may not have much of a weight bolt. But it could have up to a three ounce bolt as far as I know.

McDermott did not glue their bolts in. They advertised that the weight was easily changed.

I don't often sell cues, but when I sold a D series I was asked by a potential buyer to pull and weigh the bolt. I did, and he bought the cue. Took a few minutes.

I am not saying not to take it to a repair man. I am just relating my experience with these cues.

Here is somebody selling bolts for these cues. Looks like they machined the heads to fit.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1975-1996-M...ss!32137!US!-1

Been emailing McD and your right, no bolts to be had there. Have already been in touch with the link
you were kind enough to share. A young Lady at McD's told me that the older ones were heavier as
the Butts were fatter (more wood).

The cue arrived today 1 or 2 days early (FedEx, ... go figure ), I was able to un-screw both
Bumper and Weight bolt easily enough, the one that was in this one was 3" long from the threaded tip
to just under the bolt head. Now I gotta find a scale.

Thanks for all the info. it's valued.

hank

[Ssonerai]

Here is somebody selling bolts for these cues. Looks like they machined the heads to fit.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1975-1996-M...ss!32137!US!-1

[IMG]javascript:;[/IMG]

Just out of curiosity - are the ebay items the same as originals?
It looks like if you used a long one, the threads would be wiped out to ever use anything shorter if you change your mind?
The few originals I've seen have the threads up near the neck, and any extended length below is unthreaded, These (ebay link) seem backwards?

I do realize that a long set screw could be fit down in the remaining threads, but then the top part would need threaded a larger size to hold a nylon or aluminum plug to catch the bumper screw. Or change to a push in bumper. But that seems unnecessary messing with a decent cue.

Not that i have a dog in the race; but as a point of education, what am i missing?

smt

[Chopdoc]

Originally Posted by Ssonerai

[IMG]javascript:;[/IMG]

Just out of curiosity - are the ebay items the same as originals?
It looks like if you used a long one, the threads would be wiped out to ever use anything shorter if you change your mind?
The few originals I've seen have the threads up near the neck, and any extended length below is unthreaded, These (ebay link) seem backwards?

I do realize that a long set screw could be fit down in the remaining threads, but then the top part would need threaded a larger size to hold a nylon or aluminum plug to catch the bumper screw. Or change to a push in bumper. But that seems unnecessary messing with a decent cue.

Not that i have a dog in the race; but as a point of education, what am i missing?

smt

I would think the neck of the bolt should be machined down to the minor diameter.

Something to maybe ask the seller?

Incidentally, any competent machinist can make these for you from off the shelf bolts. Not that big a deal.

No need in my mind to change to another bumper. If you need to lose as much weight as possible just have a nylon bolt made.

I do agree about "messing" with these cues. I tend to want to leave them alone. But if it is to be your player, nothing wrong with changing the weight bolt. They were designed with weight change in mind, unlike for instance Huebler who glued in the weight bolt, or the old Joss cues with a Delrin butt cap held on by the bolt..

.

[TheBasics]

Ssonerai, Howdy;

Originally Posted by Ssonerai

[IMG]javascript:;[/IMG]

Just out of curiosity - are the ebay items the same as originals?
It looks like if you used a long one, the threads would be wiped out to ever use anything shorter if you change your mind?
The few originals I've seen have the threads up near the neck, and any extended length below is unthreaded, These (ebay link) seem backwards?

I do realize that a long set screw could be fit down in the remaining threads, but then the top part would need threaded a larger size to hold a nylon or aluminum plug to catch the bumper screw. Or change to a push in bumper. But that seems unnecessary messing with a decent cue.

Not that i have a dog in the race; but as a point of education, what am i missing?

smt

Apparently, McD changed styles of weight bolts in the early 90's to the style you
describe. The one that came with my cue is like the ones shown in the Link's photos,
bottom threaded with a section of un-threaded then the bolt's head. Inside of the butt
the drilled hole is un threaded for the first few inches as when I dropped the bolt back
in it stopped just before the bolt head went into the hole allowing one to start the
threading with one's fingers to avoid screwed up threads.

So, I ordered the 1/4 oz.nylon bolt last night. supposed to be here Monday (?). Will let
ya know how this ends up. More weight reduction will come from the shafts, yup, came
with 2 orig. shafts. Both have almost 14 mm tips and a mostly conical taper. Thinking
about having them turned down to a 14" taper ending with 12.75 mm tips. One shaft
weighed in at 3.7 oz.and the other at 3.9 oz. Realize I won't be losing much from them
but it's still some.

Thanks again for the thoughts and suggestions.

hank

[Chopdoc]

Those are some fat shafts. Nice. Very original.

Narrowing them and lengthening the taper will shed a little weight. It will also help a little to return the balance point that shifts forward from using the lighter weight bolt.

Honestly, it sounds like you are on track to achieve what you want.

Sounds like a nice find and a reasonable strategy to make it a player.

[Ssonerai]

Incidentally, any competent machinist can make these for you from off the shelf bolts. Not that big a deal.

Yeah, I kind of resemble that remark.
Reason my mind won't let me stop thinking of "better solutions" or "why did they do it that way - is it original - there's got to be an easy better way, why didn't they do it."

Sad.
It's a disease, and if you know any machinists, there does not seem to be cure.

Thanks for the insights to both of you Chopdoc and Thebasics.

[Chopdoc]

Originally Posted by Ssonerai

Yeah, I kind of resemble that remark.
Reason my mind won't let me stop thinking of "better solutions" or "why did they do it that way - is it original - there's got to be an easy better way, why didn't they do it."

Sad.
It's a disease, and if you know any machinists, there does not seem to be cure.

Thanks for the insights to both of you Chopdoc and Thebasics.

There is no cure but I hear there is a treatment.

Make lots of shavings.


.

[TheBasics]

Ssonerai, Howdy;

Originally Posted by Ssonerai

Yeah, I kind of resemble that remark.
Reason my mind won't let me stop thinking of "better solutions" or "why did they do it that way - is it original - there's got to be an easy better way, why didn't they do it."

Sad.
It's a disease, and if you know any machinists, there does not seem to be cure.

Thanks for the insights to both of you Chopdoc and Thebasics.

I have several friends that are or have been machinists. Also several that are engineers.
Two very close mental gymnastics teams that have a lot in common. To tell if one is an
engineer the test is simple, ask if the glass is half full or empty... the engineers
answer will 90%+ of the time be ... "you just have the wrong sized glass."

hank