Patience, fresh glue and flatness of surfaces are the keys to succes here :smile:
I had some pop off when I didnt give the glue enough time. They lasted for a day or two and broke off. This latest has been on for a couple of weeks and it has stayed on, even when it has really been beaten hard as I have been working that time mostly on my break shots for 8 ball and 9 ball :thumbup:
I believe hard break tips pop off because the glue joint is sheared by side force on an off center hit. So this is what I do now....
Prepare the ferrule and tip by facing the ferrule and then drill shallow holes in the tip and in the ferrule with a 1/16 in drill,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sand each smooth and blow off the dust,
Glue on the tip with 5 min epoxy... that's what I use but choose what you like. When the glue has set, drill a 1/8 in hole about 1 inch deep right in the center of the tip,
Use 5 min epoxy to glue in a 1/8 in phenolic rod.
When the epoxy has set, cut off the rod and finish the tip.
I have never had any installed like this pop off. Before this ... they all popped off. The 1/8 in phenolic rod is available from Mcmaster Carr....... cheap.
Kim
I would be hesitant to do Kim's method to a predator or any other similar designed break shaft without letting the customer know first that this would void their lifetime warrantee. I wonder if it would also cause more problems due to the shaft being hollow at that end?
Dave
I would not use one of those shafts for a break shaft....... I don't think it would take the beating. Some of those shafts break with regular use as a shooter.
Kim
I was referring to the BK2 BK3 break cues or the OB break cues series. I agree the 314s and such wouldn't hold up to breaking.
Dave
FWIW, I always had a hard time getting White Diamonds to stay on no matter how much roughed them up and/or what glue I used. I always attributed the lateral forces of off-center breaks were the cause.
Here's crude sketch of my solution.
View attachment 399112
It's a slightly different version of the "rod through the middle" solution shown earlier. I chuck the tip in the lathe and machine what is basically a very shallow tenon on the back of the tip. I machine a matching counterbore on the end of the cue. When fit together and glued with 5 minute epoxy, I've never had on pop off. This prevents any lateral force applied to the tip to cause the glue to fail. This also eliminates the need to drill through the tip and have the center of the tip a different material. Even on "center ball" breaks, your breaking with a White Diamond and not phenolic.
Just another way to skin the proverbial cat![]()