chipping phenolic tip

SKUNKBOY

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I made a phenolic tip for my sons break cue. I have some 1/2"phenolic rod that I machined abiut 1/4" down to 5/16" dia. Cut that off the rod (picture a stubby nail), bored a 5/16" hole in the ferule and glued the phenolic tip onto and into the ferule, then shaped it. He's used it for almost a year now and during one break, about 1/4 of the phenolic tip broke off. The rest of the tip stayed attached. He glued the piece back on and continued to use it. Now he says some smaller pieces are still chipping of the phenolic tip. BTW, I only found out about this a month after the initial break.

I just told him to bring it to me and I would replace the tip with a new phenolic tip. I plan to use the same method as original.

Is there something that any of you can think of that I may want to look for on the new tip? Did I do it correctly the first time? What would you suspect the problem might be?

Thanks for any help you might suggest...Ken
 
You may be using the wrong phenolic. Atlas sells rods of two different versions...you want the canvas version as its much stronger. The other version is linen & it will break & chip often. The canvas is pretty much bullet proof.:wink:
 
Thanks for the repies.

Eightballjunkie...you explaination makes sense and I did think about the possibility of a gap between the faces of the phenolic tip and the ferule but when I put it together, I used a calmp to apply pressure so I dismissed that idea.

Varney Cues...I did infact purchase my phenolic rod from Atlas and I do believe it is the linen variety. I guess I'll order another rod of the canvas variety this time. Thanks for that information...would have never thought of that possibility.

L8R...Ken
 
can you post a picture of the failed tip?
It maybe that the laminates are not flat but are inline like the grain of the shaft.
 
can you post a picture of the failed tip?
It maybe that the laminates are not flat but are inline like the grain of the shaft.

I have not seen the tip yet, going to visit him tomorrow. But by your mention, I will check that possibility. I will check the 'rod' itself tonight.

Good suggestion however, after thinking about it for a while, isn't that kind of inherent to the construction of a phenolic rod? Don't they roll up the material (weather canvas or linen) cylindrically and 'press' the resin into the wound rod? So an end cross-section would always be the end grain so to speak. I'll check.

Thanks...Ken
 
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