cored cues - does exterior wood become just decoration?

Hidy Ho

Hidy Ho

Missed 4 rail hanger!!!
Silver Member
Another layman's question ..

If a cue or forearm is cored (it seems like maple is a popular choice), is the "hit" determined more by the wood inside rather than what you see on the exterior.

Does the exterior wood (typically exotic hardwood such as ebony, snakewood and etc.) provide more to the look of the cue rather than how the cue hits or feels?

Thanks.
 
It is a combination of the 2 woods. I would say the core produces more of the feel than the outter wood. A amboyna burl cue cored with maple hits softer than ebony cored with maple. However if the cues weigh the same the difference is not dramatic. Chris.
 
Hey Jazz, To add further controversy to the matter there is a variation in core diameter and type. Some makers use maple, others laminated maple cores. There are also "partial" cores of the front of the forearm only. With a large diameter core I'd think the sleeve would contribute little to the hit. But with a .750" core or smaller there would be more contribution of outer layer toward play...assuming the core is well epoxied in place.

One local cuemaker (Kent Davis) whose work I admire uses a large diameter radially cut ironwood core with about a 3/16" outer lamination of ultra figured and bookmatched veneer around the forearm. The seams are tight and precise. His cues have a nice consistent and solid feel with excellent feedback and he is able to use burls and other high-figure woods that look terrific but would not otherwise be suitable for cues.

Martin


Jazz said:
Another layman's question ..

If a cue or forearm is cored (it seems like maple is a popular choice), is the "hit" determined more by the wood inside rather than what you see on the exterior.

Does the exterior wood (typically exotic hardwood such as ebony, snakewood and etc.) provide more to the look of the cue rather than how the cue hits or feels?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
jazznpool said:
Hey Jazz, To add further controversy to the matter there is a variation in core diameter and type. Some makers use maple, others laminated maple cores. There are also "partial" cores of the front of the forearm only. With a large diameter core I'd think the sleeve would contribute little to the hit. But with a .750" core or smaller there would be more contribution of outer layer toward play...assuming the core is well epoxied in place.

One local cuemaker (Kent Davis) whose work I admire uses a large diameter radially cut ironwood core with about a 3/16" outer lamination of ultra figured and bookmatched veneer around the forearm. The seams are tight and precise. His cues have a nice consistent and solid feel with excellent feedback and he is able to use burls and other high-figure woods that look terrific but would not otherwise be suitable for cues.

Martin
Click to expand...

Your figures don't add up. I don't believe you can use a core much bigger than .750. At the joint the cue is only from .830 - .855. With a .750 core you only have between .040 to .050 of outside wood. If your outer laminate is 3/16 then the core would have to be smaller than .500 and probably closer to 3/8.

Dick
 
I don't think a core bigger than .625 if really even feasable...
________
 
Last edited:
I have made cues with both 5/8 core and 3/4. The cues in question were both ebony cored with laminated maple. Both were made with same pin and joint style, same basic construction.

The 3/4 cored cue DEFINITELY hit harder and more brittle. Felt a lot like laminated shafts feel. Really not a hit that I liked much, however the new owner did.

I have also made an ebony cue with hard maple core. It did not feel as firm as the laminated, but still had a different hit than a solid ebony cue.

Given those trials, I have to say I think the core has MUCH to do with the hit, especially when the core size is larger. I think the selection you make for the core wood is key considering the desired feel.

I have yet to try it, but I have always wondered if you cored, say, Ebony with Birds Eye Maple. Yes, I see the waste of BEM, but BEM has a distinct feel and, given the above, I think you might be able to achieve a classic hit with ebony appearance and still have a desired weight. After all, the benefit of coring is that you have one piece's grain running against (and thereby resisting the warp from) the other piece, which would still be achieved.

Anyone done that, or other combinations?

JWP
 
I meant a core of .625 or smaller Dick. The radial laminate core is quite large in diameter but I'm not sure of the actual size and not sure of the thickness of outer veneer. I gave approximations. If I can get a photo at some point I'll post it here. A maker I know does use a .750 core (or close to it), and in that case I wouldn't think the shell contributes much to cue playability.

Martin


rhncue said:
Your figures don't add up. I don't believe you can use a core much bigger than .750. At the joint the cue is only from .830 - .855. With a .750 core you only have between .040 to .050 of outside wood. If your outer laminate is 3/16 then the core would have to be smaller than .500 and probably closer to 3/8.

Dick
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
jazznpool said:
I meant a core of .625 or smaller Dick. The radial laminate core is quite large in diameter but I'm not sure of the actual size and not sure of the thickness of outer veneer. I gave approximations. If I can get a photo at some point I'll post it here. A maker I know does use a .750 core (or close to it), and in that case I wouldn't think the shell contributes much to cue playability.

Martin
Click to expand...

.750 is the core size I use in most cues that I build. I use shaft blank culls for the dowels. You, of coarse, need to be sure the core is exactly in the middle of the prong as at the joint end you only have around .040 of exotic wood to work with.

I feel that straight grain Maple is one of the premier woods to affect a good, solid hitting cue and is the reason that most of my cues are cored with it. I often even core Birdseye and Curly Mapled cues.

Dick
 
JoeyInCali said:
^
Dick, do you use exactly .750 gun drill or .755?
Click to expand...

I use an exact .750 and turn my coring dowels to about .735 or .740. I sort of wish I would have got a little larger but it works out O.K..

Dick
 
rhncue said:
I use an exact .750 and turn my coring dowels to about .735 or .740. I sort of wish I would have got a little larger but it works out O.K..

Dick
Click to expand...
K, thnx.
I might get one at .755 so that the brass and nickle rings go in snug.:)
 
JoeyInCali said:
K, thnx.
I might get one at .755 so that the brass and nickle rings go in snug.:)
Click to expand...

Thats the reason I wish I had got it slightly larger. Right now I turn a dowel and leave one end larger. Once glued up I turn down to deco-ring size. Its not much of a bother since you need to turn the dowell a little anyway since it will have glue hardened on it. It would make it much easier to put a deco-ring at the A-joint if you intended to have the handle and forearm core one piece.though. I think you would probably want the drill to be a little larger than .755 though as you need to make sure there is room for epoxy all the way around. Im pretty sure there would have to be a buzz if there was any dry spots in there.

Dick
 
I leave only 5-7 thousandths for glue when I core. My gun drill is .753, and if I buy another it will be more like .758.
 
Sheldon said:
I leave only 5-7 thousandths for glue when I core. My gun drill is .753, and if I buy another it will be more like .758.
Click to expand...

You could send me your old gundrill when you get that new one bro... should I order the new one for you now?
:D :D :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top