Anyone here core a cue blank as good as John Davis did ?

L I F D 1

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
visited Martin Bick @ superior cue and came away with a very promising JD blank.
right now, i'm looking to have a core installed, is there someone here who's better than usual?
you can message me if you want.
 
Last edited:
let me guess...with purpleheart.... Did you ask Martin if he could/would do it? That would keep it as an original Bick
 
hmm....yes , purpleheart , but i'm looking for someone better than usual , thanks :alien:
Actually, in retrospect, cannot recall reading anything regarding John Davis having cored his Full spliced blanks... did he do this? The only 4 I bought/dealt with were just full splice blanks.
 
Last one I worked on ( ebony bottom ) had flat laminated dowel at the bottom. I don't know how long .
 
Is a true full spliced blank that has been cored still a true full splice? Can a butt have rings(besides a Hoppe)and still be considered a true full splice?
 
IMO to core a spliced blank and have the hole at the far end be exact enough to keep the points even is a gamble at best.

Especially if there isn't a lot of meat to work with.

Anyone can do it until they can't and they won't realize this until the gun drill emerges.

You need someone better than average for sure or with brass balls.

My understanding is full spices are made so coring isn't necessary.
 
IMO to core a spliced blank and have the hole at the far end be exact enough to keep the points even is a gamble at best.

Especially if there isn't a lot of meat to work with.

Anyone can do it until they can't and they won't realize this until the gun drill emerges.

You need someone better than average for sure or with brass balls.

My understanding is full spices are made so coring isn't necessary.

He can't be asking to have it cored the entire length. OP, you mean just a core installed so many inches deep, right?
 
I think If you saw a core running through a Davis blank and John did it that it would not actually be one core but two cores. One through the forearm wood before the points were cut into it and one through the handle before spliced into the forearm.
 
I think If you saw a core running through a Davis blank and John did it that it would not actually be one core but two cores. One through the forearm wood before the points were cut into it and one through the handle before spliced into the forearm.
If you wanted to full core it one way to accomplish it would be a larger core at the butt and a smaller one at the forearm. Gun drill the butt about half way and install the core then when it dries gun drill from the forearm and into the larger core an inch or so and install that core. This way even if it was off by a few thou in the center it will still be dead nuts for center on each end. Don't believe warpage or out of balance would be an issue. You could also use different core woods fore and aft to achieve a weight and balance you're after.
 
John cored a lot of his blanks, mostly for weight. He always cored after the the blank was built, not before the splicing was done. He actually made a walking cane for a friend of his that was a full spliced butt that was cored out so the shaft would fit inside the butt while it was being used as cane but then you could pull the shaft out of the butt and screw it on the butt and use it as a cue as well. Like the old import cue/ canes.
 
John cored a lot of his blanks, mostly for weight. He always cored after the the blank was built, not before the splicing was done. He actually made a walking cane for a friend of his that was a full spliced butt that was cored out so the shaft would fit inside the butt while it was being used as cane but then you could pull the shaft out of the butt and screw it on the butt and use it as a cue as well. Like the old import cue/ canes.
I am surpised as it would have been much stronger done before.
 
If you wanted to full core it one way to accomplish it would be a larger core at the butt and a smaller one at the forearm. Gun drill the butt about half way and install the core then when it dries gun drill from the forearm and into the larger core an inch or so and install that core. This way even if it was off by a few thou in the center it will still be dead nuts for center on each end. Don't believe warpage or out of balance would be an issue. You could also use different core woods fore and aft to achieve a weight and balance you're after.
I'm putting this into my book of Recipes
 
John cored a lot of his blanks, mostly for weight. He always cored after the the blank was built, not before the splicing was done. He actually made a walking cane for a friend of his that was a full spliced butt that was cored out so the shaft would fit inside the butt while it was being used as cane but then you could pull the shaft out of the butt and screw it on the butt and use it as a cue as well. Like the old import cue/ canes.
Hello Tim,
Jim was just asking about you a few days ago. Hope all is well? Here’s the cane in case someone wanted to see it.
F11FA113-A149-4386-B1BF-8CDE41281DEF.jpeg
C8E12978-7588-4A64-BFDB-B110E39F47B9.jpeg
 
John would probably tell you that theirs plenty of competent folks to core the blank. He was pretty much always experimenting and never really settled on a coring process. He mostly cored all of his late model playing cues. (non blanks).

I can tell you from experience that you want to be careful blasting a gun drill through the secondary (short) splice as i've had one come apart inside the spindle. Regardless, i would let someone who understands FS blanks and how to hold concentricity core the blank or else the points will be all over the place.

Additionally, for Historical reference and to protect Johns good name. When Martin runs out of blanks that should be damn close to the end of stock that was built for the consumer.
 
Back
Top