Collar vs. no collar and shaft strength

Jobba786

Jobba786

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would like to receive some comments on the strength of a shaft with no collar compared to shafts with different collars.

I had a Lucasi Hybrid slim shaft with no collar crack at the joint yesterday. My only shaft with no collar, and my first to break/ crack. I know this is laminated maple and might not as strong as solid maple, but more interested in the collar issue. There are quite some sneaky petes around with no collar. Any experience very appreciated.

Thanks, Jon Birger
 
Yes, collars do prevent cracking. They are usually strong enough to prevent the cracking that can come from the accidental leveraging that can occur while the cue is not fully screwed together.
 
I have a shaft that is a 9 piece pie that does not have a collar. Have been playing with it for over 10 years no problem what so ever. Oh yes, I do not break with it.
 
Take your 9 piece shaft and when it is about 1/2" away from being tightly screwed together, try and bend the shaft while keeping the butt motionless. I'll bet a shaft with a wound phenolic collar is stronger than a shaft without a collar. That was the OP's question.
 
I will not build a cue that doesn't have a joint and collar unless no amount of arguing with the person ordering the cue will change their mind. Two reasons for this stance. I'll give a little background information first.

At the turn of the 20th century, Brunswick was building some very fancy one piece cues. For 10 dollars they would cut them in half, add a pin and install a joint and collar. This cue had no ferrule, it was an option. Brunswick thought a joint, collar and butt cap were more important than a ferrule.

Now the two reasons that I believe that the joint and collar are so important. The first is what has already been stated by others, to add strength to this critical area. Second, and maybe more importantly, is for protecting the cue from moisture changes. I believe I have read that 85% of moisture changes in wood comes from the end grain. The grain in wood is similar to a bunch of straws bunched together running parallel the length of the board or dowel. The joint, collar and but cap seals much of this area to slow down this moisture transfer. I believe, just like Brunswick did that it is very important and in my opinion even more important than a finish on a cue in stopping this transfer which can lead to cracks.

Dick
 
Last edited:
It is a uni loc shaft, and you have to keep an eye on the joint being locked properly as they do unscrew a bit, easier than other pins. Someone else used the cue when it cracked, so I am not sure how it was. Anyway I tried a simple fix with ca glue (probably not the right glue), and I got the laminated pieces and the joint thread back together. I couldn't feel any difference in play, so let's see how long it stays together.
 
not for everyone

i really think how well a cue stands up, is to how it is treated. my buddie in seattle sold a few cues for me, and was using one, he called and said it just broke in his hands. i ask for an explaination, he said ' well you know how the quarter slot gets jammed on bar boxes, i just put the butt on the slot and gave it a couple jabs and the cue just came apart in my hands. ' Now he weights about 350 so i can imagine what a couple jabs were like. and NO you cannot use them as levers when trying to roll a granite block or as a handle for a car jack.
i have a cue without collars that has an .85 joint and a .41 inch hole cut into the shaft threaded for a 1/2 by 10 wood pin. that makes the walls of the shaft .22. i have been using this cue about 2 years playing and using it to break.
i have also seen cues with collars break at the joint area when players bend them into a semicircle when breaking. these guys dig the tip into the cloth leaving dig markes into the cloth. they DO NOT play on my table.
i believe joints are stronger with a collar, and dick make a great point about moisture. but as we are all different, collars are not for all cues.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top