This does not bode well for cheap CF shafts.
Becue Leonardo Balance System
- Thread starter SSP
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They use carbon fiber on the space shuttle because of it's a ability to go from -476 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature in space, to 2,000 degrees when entering the earth's atmosphere, I learned this on a website about carbon fiber bikes, a guy in Denver Colorado was told he might have micro cracks in his bike because it was stored in a garage that was -55 degrees Fahrenheit, a NASA scientist chimed in with the above info, it convinced me to give a full CF cue a try, Becue is the best playing cue I have ever owned and they have never failed to respond to any question I had.
Paul_#_
Well-known member
Since there should be little change in the carbon fiber shaft after manufacturing, the manufacturing would be the more likely culprit for bad shafts. Becue would know to what extent their manufacturing produced any not-straight shafts. For what its worth two posted here about not-straight Becue shafts suggesting there may have been some problems---maybe a thing of the past.
Here is from the AZBilliards post I mentioned earlier that argues carbon fiber warps but that the warping is negligible:
Even Becue mentions how carbon-fiber manufacturing can be excellent or mediocre. See https://www.becueofficial.com/pages...kZzAkdDE3NTAxNjM3NDYkajYwJGwwJGgxOTc5MTgyMzM2
Building a carbon fiber product means mastering all aspects of using this material. It means creating the perfect lamination for that type of product. Lamination refers not only to the raw material of which the fibers and layers are made but also to the orientation of the fibers, the weight and the thickness of the fabric used, the percentage of resin used and the type of texture. The combinations are almost infinite and by changing a single variable or not mastering the process perfectly it is very easy to completely overturn the product, passing from excellence to mediocrity.
Becue is innovative. It has produced what it claims is the "most flexible carbon fiber shaft on the market". It "blends the natural feel and flexibility of a wooden shaft with the stability and precision of a carbon fiber one."
I don't call .25 of 1mm warping......
Scrunge19
Registered
That would make sense if it was just showing a slight roll but he showed me that shaft and it had a serious warp in it.
And I get it, shit happens, but for the company to just kind of shrug their shoulders and dismiss it outright doesn’t speak to a company worth doing business with.
One thing that can happen to a cue shaft, especially if it is made with prepreg material, is they can be effected by high heat. Heat exceeding 80C and any bending moment of it during that heat cycle. So if it had something on the shaft and was left in a hot car for example, could lead to a bent shaft. The blanks I used, were meticulously hand made layups, with great care taken to the fibre orientation.
Paul_#_
Well-known member
Although the air won't reach 80C in a car, objects in it could ( 80 degrees Celsius is 175 degrees Fahrenheit):
According to the National Weather Service, the atmosphere within the car is "warmed little" compared to that of the objects within the car. A dark dashboard or a seat, for example, "can easily reach temperatures in the range of 180 to more than 200 degrees Fahrenheit," the agency says.
"These objects (e.g., dashboard, steering wheel, childseat) heat the adjacent air by conduction and convection and also give off longwave radiation (red) which is very efficient at warming the air trapped inside a vehicle," the agency added.
In Phoenix, which has seen weeks on end with triple-digit temperatures, Dr. Kevin Foster of the Arizona Burn Center told NPR that seat belt buckles can also get so hot that they lead to burns.
"The interior of an automobile, particularly one with dark upholstery, can get to be 160 or 170 degrees," Foster said. "The worst thing to do is to touch something that's metal inside the car that's been exposed to direct sunlight like a seat belt buckle."
See https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-ho...xtreme-heat-can-be-so-deadly-in-a-parked-car/
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Artificial Intelligence blurb that raw carbon fiber is very heat resistant but composites less so:
While raw carbon fiber is highly heat-resistant, carbon fiber composites are more vulnerable to degradation from heat due to the resin matrix. Understanding the specific properties of the composite material and its intended application is crucial for determining its suitability for use in different temperature conditions.
I too have been with Becue since kickstarter days. I still have original player but have bought new break and jump variations. Alessandro has also been very responsive and nice to me.
I did have 1 jump cue that warped significantly.
Basically said warping does not affect play of the cue and offered 10% off a newer version (which everybody gets if they wait for a sale). Not quite the response I was hoping for after supporting them for many years.
But even so I'm not a pro or anything close so more of a blow to my ego. After all they are a smaller company and I want to see them succeed.
They make fantastic products and I will still support them . FOMO says I have to try the new Prime 2 shaft
I did have 1 jump cue that warped significantly.
Basically said warping does not affect play of the cue and offered 10% off a newer version (which everybody gets if they wait for a sale). Not quite the response I was hoping for after supporting them for many years.
But even so I'm not a pro or anything close so more of a blow to my ego. After all they are a smaller company and I want to see them succeed.
They make fantastic products and I will still support them . FOMO says I have to try the new Prime 2 shaft
Paul_#_
Well-known member
How different are Becues' carbon fiber shafts from other manufacturers? Becue claims the new Prime 2 shaft is the "most flexible carbon fiber shaft on the market". How does that and its earlier carbon fiber shafts compare to other companies' carbon-fiber material?
Given the three anecdotes above, there appears problems with warping or not-straight Becue carbon fiber shafts.
This seems to be warping and not something that come off the production line. Warping is a straight shaft that turns into a curved shaft (warping = "a twist or curve that has developed in something originally flat or straight").
Warping should be unusual unless you hang your CF shaft and butt between closed car windows and hang a five-pound weight to it in Phoenix , Arizona.
Whether new carbon fiber shafts should be arrow straight was argued on AZ in 2019 with some figuring there can be some but very little. A fellow posted about some bad wobble in a Meucci CF shaft and another person claimed three shafts from major brands were delivered with slight wobble:
I have the Becue Engage 12.3 and the 11.8 shafts, I recently got the Prime II 12.0, all I can say is WOW, I have owned the McDermott Defy shaft and hit a few others, the Prime II is my favorite by far, I find the deflection nearly identical to the Engage shafts with a little more flex, I think the original Prime M has more flex, I think they found the perfect balance in the Prime II, being a technology company will Becue build a better shaft in the future? I would be surprised if they don't continue to advance the technology & quality of their products, anyone else think Predator, McDermott, Cuetec and many others build better cues today than they did 10 years ago? There are a lot of great cues being built today, my choice is Becue.
I have the Becue Engage 12.3 and the 11.8 shafts, I recently got the Prime II 12.0, all I can say is WOW, I have owned the McDermott Defy shaft and hit a few others, the Prime II is my favorite by far, I find the deflection nearly identical to the Engage shafts with a little more flex, I think the original Prime M has more flex, I think they found the perfect balance in the Prime II, being a technology company will Becue build a better shaft in the future? I would be surprised if they don't continue to advance the technology & quality of their products, anyone else think Predator, McDermott, Cuetec and many others build better cues today than they did 10 years ago? There are a lot of great cues being built today, my choice is Becue.
Carbon fiber composites are more vulnerable to degradation from heat....How much more vulnerable?
I have been with Becue since the kick-starter days, and have been playing their cues ever since. The bent shafts that I am aware of were in the early days, I think all of them were white in color? I can remember Allessandro telling me that they had a problem with a company they contracted to make those shafts. I have owned both Engage and Prime shafts for my Becue, and jointed in 3/8x10 for other butts I own and use only because I think they are beautiful. I have not experienced any problems with any of the black shafts I have bought in the last several years, in fact they are fantastic in every way!
The cue for me that warped was the jump cue released just before the latest naked jump cue.
for the most part , all shafts i have ever had have been great except for one that was a facing issue not a warp
i tend to be a hoarder and still have the original white 5.1 and even a white Prime!
for the most part , all shafts i have ever had have been great except for one that was a facing issue not a warp
i tend to be a hoarder and still have the original white 5.1 and even a white Prime!
Paul_#_
Well-known member
I figure the Becue problem of not-straight carbon-fiber shafts was a manufacturing problem. Do you? I suspect warping --- taking a straight CF tube and making it curved --- occurs rarely. For example,