cocobolo shaft collar -finish keeps chipping

[Qjunkie]

I have a cue that the maker used cocobolo w/ nickel ring for a shaft collar. It wasnt my daily player but after taking it out for a couple of racks i notice the finish lifted. I had the shaft refinished once but the finish cracked again. I have been told that because of the oils in the cocobolo that the finish wont adhere properly and that I'll always run into this problem. Any suggestions on how to fix? Maybe use a different type of wood that almost matches cocobolo? Maybe use dark brown phenolic? Your opinons are valued.

Thank you.

Mike

 

[rhncue]

I have a cue that the maker used cocobolo w/ nickel ring for a shaft collar. It wasnt my daily player but after taking it out for a couple of racks i notice the finish lifted. I had the shaft refinished once but the finish cracked again. I have been told that because of the oils in the cocobolo that the finish wont adhere properly and that I'll always run into this problem. Any suggestions on how to fix? Maybe use a different type of wood that almost matches cocobolo? Maybe use dark brown phenolic? Your opinons are valued.

Thank you.

Mike

You, of coarse, could change the rings to another wood but that is a fair amount of trouble and expense. As stated, Cocobolo is an oily wood and special treatment is needed for a good, long lasting finish. Just prior to putting on a sealer the cue should be washed down very good with lacquer thinner or a wax wash to remove the oil that is on the surface and then I blow compressed air to quickly dry the solvent and then immediately apply a quick setting sealer. The stuff I use is a 2 part epoxy that is mixed and sprayed onto the cue. It is dry to the touch in about a minute so that the oils have not had time to resurface and contaminate the surface of the cue. With most sealers, both epoxy and Nitrocellulose, or finishes, you will see the oils in the Cocobolo bleed into the film. If this is happening then you are going to have a adhesion problem.

Dick

 

[Qjunkie]

thank you Mr. Neighbors for the reply.

 

[Craig Fales]

After a while of curing the oils will cease...I've used cocobolo for rings and shaft collars and never had a problem with finish....

 

[cutter]

cocbola shaft collar

Do you know what kind of finish was originally used. As Dick Neighbors states, if you seal it correctly it shouldn't be a problem. Sound to me like it may have been a water based finish or something with out solvent in it.
I use acetone to wash it down, then hit it with a solvent based sealer. I don't usually use wood for a joint, another possibility is that it is compressing during the hit which would cause it to bulge and then recover, which could cause adhesion problems.

 

[KJ Cues]

Shaft collar chipping

IMHO,
The joint of a cue is a flex point. As the cue bows, the two edges of the handle & the shaft opposite the direction of the bow are being pinched together putting the finish in shear with the wood surface.
Not everyone likes my remedy which is to put a teeny-tiny radius on the perimeter of both the shaft & handle mating edges, thus they roll when subject to flex. Teeny-tiny radius and you won't have this problem any more.
I don't have to do it deliberately, my finish does it for me.