Coring, tolerances?

There are a lot of Cue makers who don't core.
Southwest, Dennis Searing, John Showman. Paul Fanelli didn't core. Etc. Etc. Etc. I don't know. Everyone is right.

It just shows there are benefits to not coring as they all build great cues. It forces them to only use weaker woods as points and inlays instead of structural forearm parts. But that being said burls and such certainly make nice looking cues when only uses as points and inlays also.
 
Some high-end full-splice blank maker must have figured it out.
Last time I worked on an ebony-bottomed veneered blank, it had 3/4" maple dowel up the bottom.
The one before that, did not have it.
 
It just shows there are benefits to not coring as they all build great cues. It forces them to only use weaker woods as points and inlays instead of structural forearm parts. But that being said burls and such certainly make nice looking cues when only uses as points and inlays also.

Your starting to get it. Cool. :thumbup:
 
Your starting to get it. Cool. :thumbup:

I have been getting this for a long time. I core occasionally, But still have never used a cored burl for a forearm. I have used cored burls for handles and also for points and inlay many times though.
 
I have been getting this for a long time. I core occasionally, But still have never used a cored burl for a forearm. I have used cored burls for handles and also for points and inlay many times though.


Hi Chris
I know. Was just funnin.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
 
Does anyone else, radius the end of the dowel going into the drilled part, and have a relief area on the part for a pool of glue to be drawn in as it is assembled? I prime the bore and dowel 1st as well.
Neil
 
For those who sleeve a cored forearm over a dowel that sticks out of a full size solid handle have you thought about covering the bottom of the dowel up against the wrap shoulder and about an inch of the dowel with epoxy then wiping the gorilla glue excess off right before you get there to allow the shoulder to be glued with epoxy? I think this is the next coring thing I am going to try. My thinking on the benefits is epoxy strength at the shoulder and slightly above and no voids as we all know gorilla glue expands.
 
For those who sleeve a cored forearm over a dowel that sticks out of a full size solid handle have you thought about covering the bottom of the dowel up against the wrap shoulder and about an inch of the dowel with epoxy then wiping the gorilla glue excess off right before you get there to allow the shoulder to be glued with epoxy? I think this is the next coring thing I am going to try. My thinking on the benefits is epoxy strength at the shoulder and slightly above and no voids as we all know gorilla glue expands.


I'm trying to grasp it except I can't get passed 2 different glues and curing times. Are you questioning the strength of gorilla glue?
I admit. I'm sought of confused.
 
I'm trying to grasp it except I can't get passed 2 different glues and curing times. Are you questioning the strength of gorilla glue?
I admit. I'm sought of confused.
Curing times make no difference as we wait until the next day to mess with it anyways. The trick will be getting the gorilla glue wiped off that bottom inch before the forearm freezes on the dowel. Think of a ferrule being glued on with epoxy and then the tip being glued on with super glue. We mix then all the time, but usually let them dry first. Yes I am thinking gorilla glue is not as good of a choice for end gluing as epoxy is. And I am thinking epoxy is not as good for the core gluing as gorilla glue. But that is just my thoughts.
 
For those who sleeve a cored forearm over a dowel that sticks out of a full size solid handle have you thought about covering the bottom of the dowel up against the wrap shoulder and about an inch of the dowel with epoxy then wiping the gorilla glue excess off right before you get there to allow the shoulder to be glued with epoxy? I think this is the next coring thing I am going to try. My thinking on the benefits is epoxy strength at the shoulder and slightly above and no voids as we all know gorilla glue expands.
Since I typically have a segmented ring set between the handle and forearm, I have been doing the epoxy/gorilla combination for quite some time. I also do this over a full dowel, depending on the build. I like it, but my glue-up take longer since I will glue the handle one day, face the top of the handle the next day, then glue the ring pack and forearm.

Alan
Phelps Custom Cues
 
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Thank you to Mr. Hightower and Mr. Phelps.
As intriguing as it sounds. I'll pass but I do wish you the best of luck and success with this method.
 
Curing times make no difference as we wait until the next day to mess with it anyways. The trick will be getting the gorilla glue wiped off that bottom inch before the forearm freezes on the dowel. Think of a ferrule being glued on with epoxy and then the tip being glued on with super glue. We mix then all the time, but usually let them dry first. Yes I am thinking gorilla glue is not as good of a choice for end gluing as epoxy is. And I am thinking epoxy is not as good for the core gluing as gorilla glue. But that is just my thoughts.

I'd prefer not to be Mr Negative when it comes to new ideas......if they have merit. But I don't see any at all in this procedure. It makes absolutely no sense at all to trust an epoxy bond more than PU glue for only an inch in the glue up??? First I believe that it may even be backwards if it has any do ability at all. PU glue in all the tests I read out performed all other glues on end grain gluing. Why would you want to wipe it away at the better point of the gluing op for that particular glue?
I'm not going to rehash my thoughts about the whole core gluing op but it only makes sense IF you trust the epoxy bond at all the other points of the gluing construction in a cue why would you not want to trust it for a coring op? The PU glue is not any less expensive than a good epoxy.
I'll say this again.....if you're getting voids and/or gaps in between the core and the host wood you are doing something wrong and/or using the WRONG epoxy for the job. PU glue is not a good choice. It is like boring your pin hole .003 too large and trying to massage it down to zero because you can't do the job correctly in the first place.

I've heard of guys doing similar with ferrules because they couldn't get rid of the ugly ass glue line at the back side of the ferrule that epoxy will on occasion leave. So they use an epoxy and right before the gap closes will wipe it out and fill the gap with titebond. That's about as dumb putting white color in the epoxy in the first place.
IF the job was being done correctly in the first place you wouldn't have to make up a bunch of side jobs to fill in the poor quality inadequacies.
The above being an opinion of someone who has tried the PU glue thing and thought of it as a flop for cue gluing ops.
 
Geeezz guys, Kim asked about tolerances w.r.t core versus forarm/body and it all ends up in glue, methods and why coring discussion...

What I would say is pretty much mentioned in post #2! If you as a Q maker decide to go for a 5mm gundrill and make the rest to fit or a 10,15,20,25mm.... drill an make the surrounding fit - that is your choice and should be based on what you think would work for that Q to make your work distinct! If you like to make it as tight as possible and use liquid thin glue -that is your choice. If you like to use a larger gap and a softer hitting glue - that is your choice as well. There is no good or bad in this if a Q maker can make it work for him.
Regarding Coring and not (Trusting your wood or not as KJ mention) - yes you can pick your woods as dry as you may have in your stock and create a magical combo with non cored species in both forarm, grip and butt. However, I found using some heavy species hard without coring which was required to make it all work.
Happy Q making.
N
 
Geeezz guys, Kim asked about tolerances w.r.t core versus forarm/body and it all ends up in glue, methods and why coring discussion...

What I would say is pretty much mentioned in post #2! If you as a Q maker decide to go for a 5mm gundrill and make the rest to fit or a 10,15,20,25mm.... drill an make the surrounding fit - that is your choice and should be based on what you think would work for that Q to make your work distinct! If you like to make it as tight as possible and use liquid thin glue -that is your choice. If you like to use a larger gap and a softer hitting glue - that is your choice as well. There is no good or bad in this if a Q maker can make it work for him.
Regarding Coring and not (Trusting your wood or not as KJ mention) - yes you can pick your woods as dry as you may have in your stock and create a magical combo with non cored species in both forarm, grip and butt. However, I found using some heavy species hard without coring which was required to make it all work.
Happy Q making.
N


So, Are you saying we shouldn't discuss, dispute, whatever and just answer the questions?
This ain't that kind of movie. :grin-square:
 
Geeezz guys, Kim asked about tolerances w.r.t core versus forarm/body and it all ends up in glue, methods and why coring discussion...

What I would say is pretty much mentioned in post #2! If you as a Q maker decide to go for a 5mm gundrill and make the rest to fit or a 10,15,20,25mm.... drill an make the surrounding fit - that is your choice and should be based on what you think would work for that Q to make your work distinct! If you like to make it as tight as possible and use liquid thin glue -that is your choice. If you like to use a larger gap and a softer hitting glue - that is your choice as well. There is no good or bad in this if a Q maker can make it work for him.
Regarding Coring and not (Trusting your wood or not as KJ mention) - yes you can pick your woods as dry as you may have in your stock and create a magical combo with non cored species in both forarm, grip and butt. However, I found using some heavy species hard without coring which was required to make it all work.
Happy Q making.
N

What's the matter....afraid you might learn something new..... or old?
 
Just to clarify. Coring does not speed up my process. Things I core today will not be used in a cue for a long time. That is not why I core.
2nd. I really find the term. It's never been proven, to be a cop out answer that seems to have grown in popularity. I call it more an unwillingness to think about other options.
3rd. After a little searching. I now realise that not everyone who signs thier post with so an so Custom cues. Is not really a Cue maker. It's the way of the Forum.
4. There is a huge difference in a trick to make something seem like it works as opposed to defining and developing a repeatable Technique.
 
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