wild west said:
WTF??? Who made this? What does it play like?
I made it from a deep sea fishing rod blank. The carbon is .055 inch wall. It plays really well, and has an interchangeable tip system on it.I have a phenolic break tip , for breaks and jump shots, and use several other tips to shoot with. The ferrule is 10 mm, but I sometimes use 13 mm tips.Currently there is no rule to prevent me from changing tips during a match.And I have to say that there have been times when that has been a definate advantage.
It has a laminated cork handle, As I like the soft feel of the cork. It has a sanding sealer on it and a thin clear coat of UV spar varnish. The varnish is to keep the smoke residue out of the cork.
This cue weighs 16.75 oz as pitcured. A brass insert break tip adds 15 grams. When placed on 2 equal height scales , 1 at the back , the other on the tip, The tip weighs 4.1 oz and the back weighs 12.65 oz. My wooden cue that I had ordered from a local cuemaker is 6.05 oz on the front.Without the brass weight at the back it is a 13.75 oz cue. Sometimes I like shooting with the lighter setup if I am on a fast table. It also seems to have less deflection on the cue ball when shooting from the left or right side. Although tip selection can have a big impact on that.
I can draw much better with the light front end. I made another front shaft and weighted it to be similar weight distribution to the maple front shaft of the wood cue. That shaft when hitting centre ball is fine but I find it more difficult to draw to the same distance compared to the lighter shaft.
And yes I do get funny looks when I 1st played in a local apa league. But when I end up playing rackless nights, and get to be 3rd overall peoples attitude to the cue does change.
This cue can not really be compared to normal cues as Carbon fibre totaly transmits shock, however it does not ping,and does have good feedback.The shafts are silky smoothe on the front. The joint is 2024 Aluminium and has a 3/8 spigot to align, with a 5/16 unc thred.
The tip does not touch the felt.It just stays straight. With the weighted shaft , the tip will rest on the felt.
