Balabushka and Rambow A-Joint?

spliced

spliced

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Helloooo!

Does anyone have pics or can explain the methods that Balabushka and Rambow used for their A-Joints?

Bushka's use of the buzz ring?

Also, could someone offer a link or explaination of Rambow's patents for joining the handle to forearm?
Thanks!!
 
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spliced said:
Helloooo!

Does anyone have pics or can explain the methods that Balabushka and Rambow used for their A-Joints?

Bushka's use of the buzz ring?

Also, could someone offer a link or explaination of Rambow's patents for joining the handle to forearm?
Thanks!!
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Rambo used full spliced butts. There is no A-joint or joining of handle to forearm. I believe his patent concerned the technique he used to attach the joint and pin in the forearm using unreliable glues.

Dick
 
rhncue said:
Rambo used full spliced butts. There is no A-joint or joining of handle to forearm. I believe his patent concerned the technique he used to attach the joint and pin in the forearm using unreliable glues.

Dick
Click to expand...

I've read here a few times that Rambow and Balabushka both sometimes added a maple handle behind the splice, under the wrap for weight and balancing purposes.
 
My understanding is Rambow patented his style of piloted joint. It had nothing to do with the A-Joint. He almost exclusively used full splice butts. Now Balabushka did joint his forearm and handle together pretty much like most of us do it today. He used a screw and tenon for the A-Joint. About the only major difference was that he used a screw that was regular machine threads on one end and was a lag screw for going into wood on the other end. I still don't understand why he did it that way. Maybe he found a bunch of those screws cheap and just used them, or maybe he had some construction theory as to why he used them. I have considered the possibility that he glued the machine thread side in, but just ran the lag screw side in and only glued the ring area in order to eliminate buzzes in the cue.
 
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interesting. my understanding is they used pretty much anything they could get their hands on. hardware store stuff. they didnt have parts suppliers like we do.
 
rhncue said:
Rambo used full spliced butts. There is no A-joint or joining of handle to forearm. I believe his patent concerned the technique he used to attach the joint and pin in the forearm using unreliable glues.

Dick
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Dick, Herman's patent did concern what we now call a cue A-joint. The patent was based upon a system in which Herman balanced his cues by adding a metal threaded dowel at the A-joint. This technique was patented in 1925 by Herman, and the technique is still used by cue makers today. Herman used both Brass and steel threaded dowels some were short and some were long depending upon where he wanted the balance point. The A-joint techqure used today has changed, but very sinice Herman Patented his system for balance. The cues which were built using this design were the Rambo / Brunswick Hub cues.


Here are some photo's of a Hub Cue that I have that show the above system.

1.jpg

r1.jpg

r2.jpg
 
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Good post Craig. I forgot about the Hub cues. I think those were made before he got the patent for the piloted joint. I did not know he had other patents besides the piloted joint with the screw in the butt and insert in the shaft.
 
cueman said:
Good post Craig. I forgot about the Hub cues. I think those were made before he got the patent for the piloted joint. I did not know he had other patents besides the piloted joint with the screw in the butt and insert in the shaft.
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This patent is US Patent #1,527,748 was issued to herman Rambo in 1925, this information and more can be found in the Billiards Encyclopedia on page 288 and 289.

To my knowledge this balancing system is the first time anything similar was used in this country, and it also is the father of what we call the A-joint, which still serves that purpose.

I believe that this was the only patent that Herman was issued.

Take care
 
manwon said:
This patent is US Patent #1,527,748 was issued to herman Rambo in 1925, this information and more can be found in the Billiards Encyclopedia on page 288 and 289.

To my knowledge this balancing system is the first time anything similar was used in this country, and it also is the father of what we call the A-joint, which still serves that purpose.

I believe that this was the only patent that Herman was issued.

Take care
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Hello Manwon. Not having worked on many myself I'm sure you are more knowledgeable than myself on the Rambo's. I was under the assumption that this particular method was for balancing the cue and that it wasn't glued up but just screwed together so that the end user could change the balance point if desired. I've got no first hand knowledge on this, just what little I've read. I thought he also had a patent on the way he put a small pin through the pin and covered by the joint so that the pin couldn't come out with the shaft if the glue failed. I could be wrong as this is all from memory which is nothing like it used to be and gets worse daily.

Dick
 
rhncue said:
I thought he also had a patent on the way he put a small pin through the pin and covered by the joint so that the pin couldn't come out with the shaft if the glue failed.
Dick
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This is the same method used in some of the old Hoppes.

hop-joint2.JPG
 
rhncue said:
Hello Manwon. Not having worked on many myself I'm sure you are more knowledgeable than myself on the Rambo's. I was under the assumption that this particular method was for balancing the cue and that it wasn't glued up but just screwed together so that the end user could change the balance point if desired. I've got no first hand knowledge on this, just what little I've read. I thought he also had a patent on the way he put a small pin through the pin and covered by the joint so that the pin couldn't come out with the shaft if the glue failed. I could be wrong as this is all from memory which is nothing like it used to be and gets worse daily.

Dick
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Hello Dick, you are correct the connection was not glued together and there was no Tenon that is used on an A-joint today. The Hub cue was kinda like a Jump Break, however, the threaded dowel of Brass or Steel on all Hub Cues I have seen were glued in on the end going into the lower section of the cue. While there are differences with the current A-joint and the way Rambo was doing it, the principles of why it was done and the purpose it served are the same.

Dick, I am unsure if Herman had any others Patents or not, but no one can say he was not an innovator, and I doubt he has received the credit deserved for all that he did.

Take Care Dick.
 
Craig's posts are quite accurate on Rambow's patent and the hub cue. The only thing that I can add here is that RAMBO = Silvester Stalone. Rambow = an under-appreciated master cue maker.
Mr H
 
Thanks for all the responses! So did Rambow or Balabushka ever make a cue like this?

Anyone have a picture of either of their cues without the wrap?

Short_Splice_1.jpg
 
spliced said:
Thanks for all the responses! So did Rambow or Balabushka ever make a cue like this?

Anyone have a picture of either of their cues without the wrap?

Short_Splice_1.jpg
Click to expand...

That Blank is unlike any Titlist Blank I have ever seen, the Veneer colors are all wrong. The blank pictured actually looks like a Adam or Helmstetter Blank to me.

What I see in that Blank is a repair job, where it appears that the grip / handle area warped and some one cut out the bad area and sleeved in a new section.

Just my thoughts.
 
spliced said:
Thanks for all the responses! So did Rambow or Balabushka ever make a cue like this?

Anyone have a picture of either of their cues without the wrap?
Click to expand...

most were 1 pc all the way down. GB didnt make his own blanks. he used titlsts davis spains and szamboti blanks. the reason for splicing maple is to eliminate weight. most used a figer type joint.

http://www.palmercollector.com/JohnDavis.html

craig is right in case you are wondering. it is an adam black prob converted or reworked recently. i know jerry rauenzaqhn did one recently with the exact same blank
 
spliced said:
Thanks for all the responses! So did Rambow or Balabushka ever make a cue like this?

Anyone have a picture of either of their cues without the wrap?

Short_Splice_1.jpg
Click to expand...
I have been told Balabushka joined some Titlist blanks similar to that way. But I have never rewrapped a Bushka that was done like that.
 
spliced said:
does anyone have a pic of a balabushka or rambow without a wrap on?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

you still havent answered the questions answered. and you asking the maker about this cue. if so its an adams.

no one prob has a pic without a wrap but i showed you in my last post the davis/spain method. http://www.palmercollector.com/JohnDavis.html a szamboti blank would be a short splice and a titlist should be all the wat to the buttsleeve. no splice in handle

ch said he heard of maple handles but never seen one
 
Oh sorry, I knew the cue I pictured was not a balabushka, I had just heard he and rambow may have used a similar technique and was hoping to see some actual examples. thanks!
 
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