Balabushka question

scruffy1

scruffy1

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Obtained this cue over twenty years ago and been sitting in the closet until now.Was told it was a bushka but did not mean that much to me at the time.
Cue came with a xray of butt or shaft? Not sure. My question is, does an xray tell mean anything particular to him? Thank you. Sorry for the bad xray pic but pin is at top right and just below glare is a void.
 

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The purpose of x-raying a cue is to confirm the 'A' joint construction.
I first heard of this process used to authenticate Gus Zamboti cues as he did his 'A' jnt in a particular manner with a specific mtrl.

It would take someone more knowledgeable than me to authenticate this as a GB because I'm not familiar with his construction methods.
The one thing I find interesting is the absence of a metal connection screw at the 'A' jnt in the x-ray.
Maybe some of our 'senior' members would like to comment on this.
 
The best way to find out for sure is to send it to Tascarella, but if you want someone just to give you an opinion based on your pictures I'd contact joe V at classic cues. He's seen as many Bushkas as anyone :thumbup:


Here's some info from his and Mark's site that may help:

http://www.classiccues.com/cues/balabushka_2.html
 
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You need an X-ray of the area in front of the wrap.

If it is a Bushka you will see a hanger bolt with different threads on each end.

George used to buy them at the hardware store just down the street from his house.

Bill Stroud
 
bstroud said:
You need an X-ray of the area in front of the wrap.

If it is a Bushka you will see a hanger bolt with different threads on each end.

George used to buy them at the hardware store just down the street from his house.

Bill Stroud
Click to expand...

Is this always the case? I would think if you saw it, it would make it certain but if it is not there it may just be a cue he made another way. I am sure he didn't from the first day he began building cue use the exact methods his whole career. I have one that has been certified by Tascarella as Bushka that has an insert under the bumper and a 5/16 x 18 butt screw. In the xray shown in this thread I only see a screw in the xray but no insert. There is probable a lot of variations in his cues to be found making any one trait found or not found not necessarily a deal breaker.
 
KJ Cues said:
The purpose of x-raying a cue is to confirm the 'A' joint construction.
I first heard of this process used to authenticate Gus Zamboti cues as he did his 'A' jnt in a particular manner with a specific mtrl.

It would take someone more knowledgeable than me to authenticate this as a GB because I'm not familiar with his construction methods.
The one thing I find interesting is the absence of a metal connection screw at the 'A' jnt in the x-ray.
Maybe some of our 'senior' members would like to comment on this.
Click to expand...

So now to be a cuemaker, one must have a Laser as well as an X-Ray machine!!

Gettin' more expensive all the time!

Gary :rolleyes:
 
I thank you sincerely for the help!!! I will try and contact Classiccues. From their site all the dimensions given are correct,but is there anything from the pics that just screams "not a balabushka". Colors,points,etc?
 
Well the points look a little shaky in one of the photos. Could have been a bad titlist.

The insert that holds the assembly/weight bolt in could be one of three materials, one might not x-ray.

Bill is correct that IF there is an A joint bolt it's going to be a lag bolt. Wood thread on both sides, . This bolt is very easy to spot in an x-ray, If the cue is a titlist or full splice rosewood Spain/Davis it won't necessarily have an a joint bolt.

I would need to see the rubber bumper removed and a photo of the inside of the delrin cap, into the threaded hole.

JV
 
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classiccues said:
Well the points look a little shaky in one of the photos. Could have been a bad titlist.

The insert that holds the assembly/weight bolt in could be one of three materials, one might not x-ray.

Bill is correct that IF there is an A joint bolt it's going to be a lag bolt. Wood thread on one side, machine thread on the other. This bolt is very easy to spot in an x-ray, If the cue is a titlist or full splice rosewood Spain/Davis it won't necessarily have an a joint bolt.

I would need to see the rubber bumper removed and a photo of the inside of the delrin cap, into the threaded hole.

JV
Click to expand...
I thought that also, but the bumper is very prominent and it would be a much less dense material then an insert yet it shows up equal to the screw. Have you run into many Balabushkas that you knew to be real but had things that did not conform to the usual things looked for? I know a guy who knew Balabushka and he told me once Balabushka occasionally sold cues in the pool room that he had made that may be all but unidentifiable now as one of his cues. Just something he whipped out for one reason or another.
 
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It looks like a single bolt to me ( middle picture ) .
I have an x-ray of a Gus too. A little fancier.
I won't post it in respect of Barry.
 
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macguy said:
I thought that also, but the bumper is very prominent and it would be a much less dense material then an insert yet it shows up equal to the screw. Have you run into many Balabushkas that you knew to be real but had things that did not conform to the usual things looked for? I know a guy who knew Balabushka and he told me once Balabushka occasionally sold cues in the pool room that he had made that may be all but unidentifiable now as one of his cues. Just something he whipped out for one reason or another.
Click to expand...

I just looked at some x-rays I have and there is definately a difference. I almost want to guess that cue might not be a Bushka.

JV
 
macguy said:
I thought that also, but the bumper is very prominent and it would be a much less dense material then an insert yet it shows up equal to the screw. Have you run into many Balabushkas that you knew to be real but had things that did not conform to the usual things looked for? I know a guy who knew Balabushka and he told me once Balabushka occasionally sold cues in the pool room that he had made that may be all but unidentifiable now as one of his cues. Just something he whipped out for one reason or another.
Click to expand...

The x-ray pic I have shows the same thing about that bumper.
You can tell the rubber is not as dense.
He also had a thick cap on his ferrule.
 
What type of place could one get xrays like that done now a days?
I have a few cues I would like to have xrays of.
 
cueman said:
What type of place could one get xrays like that done now a days?
I have a few cues I would like to have xrays of.
Click to expand...

I actually had a very cute girl do me... som ex-rays in my gout Dr's office. I told her the whole story about how the cue would be worth more if it was this or that and the only way to know was to x-ray it.

She did me a few and didn't mind at all...

JV
 
Looks like a 70's Schmelke Titlist blank to me with shorter inside points than I've ever seen on a Balabushka. JMO.

Martin



classiccues said:
Well the points look a little shaky in one of the photos. Could have been a bad titlist.

The insert that holds the assembly/weight bolt in could be one of three materials, one might not x-ray.

Bill is correct that IF there is an A joint bolt it's going to be a lag bolt. Wood thread on both sides, . This bolt is very easy to spot in an x-ray, If the cue is a titlist or full splice rosewood Spain/Davis it won't necessarily have an a joint bolt.

I would need to see the rubber bumper removed and a photo of the inside of the delrin cap, into the threaded hole.

JV
Click to expand...
 
X-ray tech

Hey guys, I am an X-ray tech here in Kentucky. Maybe I should open a X-ray service to cue makers, lol, could be a good moneymaker. What do you think, $25 a cue?
 
seahorse1877 said:
Hey guys, I am an X-ray tech here in Kentucky. Maybe I should open a X-ray service to cue makers, lol, could be a good moneymaker. What do you think, $25 a cue?
Click to expand...

The problem is location. If someone could bring the cues and do it in person that would work. But not many would want to ship a Bushka across the country and then ship it back. The insurance alone would be about $100 each way. So that $25 xray would cost close to $300.
Who does the big exrays like that now around the Metro Atlanta area that would do it for that????
 
One note on xrays, most newer setups are all digital, so you would end up with the pictures on a CD rather than actual film. Not that it makes a big difference, but I thought I would mention it. Also, the CD's are a lot cheaper than the film they use to print on.
 
radge69 said:
One note on xrays, most newer setups are all digital, so you would end up with the pictures on a CD rather than actual film. Not that it makes a big difference, but I thought I would mention it. Also, the CD's are a lot cheaper than the film they use to print on.
Click to expand...
My vet who I have known for like 35 years does xrays for me no charge. Of course my wife spends a few thousand a year on stray cats with him so I think he owes it to me.
The disks that are produced now I believe need a special program to read them. You can't just pop them in your computer I have found with the ones I have tried to look at from when I was in the hospital.
 
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