Cue Butt Xray
- Thread starter GB Basher
- Start date
You can tell how they were assembled .
The main info I am after is:
Is there a Metal pin at the A joint (or does it even have an A joint, could be a full length core)
What parts of the butt are solid wood and which parts are cored wood.
Will it tell me this?
Why would you care to know?
I used to think it would be interesting knowing those things. I used to think having wood threaded "A" joint was the nuts, the absolute best way to do things. Even though I thought that, I still experimented with various other methods. I have done pretty much everything. My conclusion is that it didn't matter how the cue was made, but rather how well it was made, and the end result is the only thing that matters.
I used to think it would be interesting knowing those things. I used to think having wood threaded "A" joint was the nuts, the absolute best way to do things. Even though I thought that, I still experimented with various other methods. I have done pretty much everything. My conclusion is that it didn't matter how the cue was made, but rather how well it was made, and the end result is the only thing that matters.
I have a custom made cue that was made to my 'design'.
The cue is naturally weighted, and the everything about the cue feels good (or suits me)
I would like to try to replicate this and I thought a good starting point would be to know what construction method was used.
You might think this is not feasible, but I am always going to get closer using the same construction.
It will tell you all that .
Which brand? I might have the specs and x-Ray of that brand.
Well that's as good of reason as any.
Normally the first thing I would do is contact the original cuemaker.
However he passed away just over a year ago.
My cue was made by Wayne Holmes
I do know he used different methods depending on the design and type of woods used.
He made full splice cues iirc.
He was a little rare b/c he spliced them when the woods were round already.
He also made short splice cues of course.
I don't know how he did his A-joint .
I don't remember even seeing it in his website.
But, if you get it x-rayed, you will be able to tell.
GB,
My friend took his cue to the dentist and the x-ray was 20.00.
Do you need a cleaning soon?
Good Luck,
Rick
My friend took his cue to the dentist and the x-ray was 20.00.
Do you need a cleaning soon?
Good Luck,
Rick
If you want to tell quickly if it's cored, look at the face if it matches the forearm wood.
You can use an earth magnet to check if it has magnetic metals inside .
Very difficult to tell
Not alot of wood to look at. Joint od is 0.8430
This consists of thin walled SS collar and inside this what looks like a black phenolic sleeve with a thickness approx. 0.065. With the joint pin in the middle, this doesn't leave alot to look at.
With my cuebuilding knowledge (limited) I am guessing it is a solid maple forearm with an A joint connected to 1 single core to the end of the butt.
This core has been sleeved with Ebony for a handle, then Ring (probably Lapis),
then Ebony butt sleeve, then butt cap (possibly Micarta)
But my knowledge is limited...Hence the questions about an xray.
What woods are used? A strong argument could be that the woods used will have much more noticeable impact than joinery method. If you can match the weight, balance, and tonal characteristics of the cue, I do not personally believe construction method matters. Tonal pitch and sustain are what I believe to be the finger prints of a cue's personality.
Point being, if the cue is made of plastic and has a thousand inlays, but tonally matches a solid maple cue, they would hit & feel & perform nearly identical. On the same token, seemingly identical cues that are significantly different tonally, will have blatantly noticeable differences in hit & playability. There's a science to cues that I don't fully understand, and many either are not aware or do not acknowledge. It's a fascination that keeps me interested in cues. Otherwise I'd have quit making them a long time ago.
Point being, if the cue is made of plastic and has a thousand inlays, but tonally matches a solid maple cue, they would hit & feel & perform nearly identical. On the same token, seemingly identical cues that are significantly different tonally, will have blatantly noticeable differences in hit & playability. There's a science to cues that I don't fully understand, and many either are not aware or do not acknowledge. It's a fascination that keeps me interested in cues. Otherwise I'd have quit making them a long time ago.
Woods are:
Maple forearm
Ebony handle
Ebony butt sleeve
[/QUOTE]Point being, if the cue is made of plastic and has a thousand inlays, but tonally matches a solid maple cue, they would hit & feel & perform nearly identical. On the same token, seemingly identical cues that are significantly different tonally, will have blatantly noticeable differences in hit & playability. There's a science to cues that I don't fully understand, and many either are not aware or do not acknowledge. It's a fascination that keeps me interested in cues. Otherwise I'd have quit making them a long time ago.[/QUOTE]
I completely agree with you.
If even you don't fully understand the science.......there's no chance for me! Hence the reasons to try and replicate (same dimensions, same materials)
you do know
that if you use the exact woods, the exact methods to construct the cue, it might hit different ?
you might get it close, but as wood is organic no two pieces are exactly the same, very close but not the same.
if i wanted to do what you are doing, i would take that cue to a competent known builder, and ask if he could build another cue that hits, or playes like yours,
construction methods might differ a bit, but if they both hit the same !!!!!!!!!!!!!
that if you use the exact woods, the exact methods to construct the cue, it might hit different ?
you might get it close, but as wood is organic no two pieces are exactly the same, very close but not the same.
if i wanted to do what you are doing, i would take that cue to a competent known builder, and ask if he could build another cue that hits, or playes like yours,
construction methods might differ a bit, but if they both hit the same !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with you!
....how do you know I'm not a competent cue builder?
But you are correct, I'm not a competent American cue builder.
But if I go down this road, I learn nothing.
It doesn't really matter if I succeed or fail....hopefully I gain experience and a bit more knowledge.
Wait, are you going to make the cue ?
yes i am !!
You'll learn something. You may not realize exactly what, or at least not immediately, but you will learn something. I am always referencing my knowledge data bank (memory) & digging up things from past experiences to apply it in today's work. It's sometimes a eureka moment where I realize that I learned this lesson years ago, but didn't realize it until now because I didn't need the info until now. Had I been smarter, I would have kept a journal along the way with detailed notes. If I had, I would now have a chronological record of my progress, plus a reference to lots of knowledge & ideas that I have forgotten. Just today I began taking photos of my "A" joint in progress. Next time I core, I will do the same thing, and so on. I'd like to have a step by step reference of how I do things & why, so that when I have those moments where things just aren't working, I can go back to a time when things were, and see what I'm goofing on.
There's no way for me to go back to the beginning again, but it's something. You are just starting, and seem to have an inquisitive mind, so I suggest keeping a journal to record your experiences. Imagine the knowledge that accumulates over the years.