> Deno is on the money here,using a dial indicator in a lathe is best. I must give you a word of caution though. Make SURE you wrap a short piece of Scotch tape around the cue if using an indicator,practically any indicator worth buying will have CARBIDE contact points,these can ruin your day and this cue by scratching right thru the finish and into the wood,so if you do this leave the lathe turned off and turn the cue by hand. I saw Joe Salazar once use a fresh dollar bill and ran it under the cue while rolling it on a bar table,he claimed that the slate seams on a 9 footer can make a perfect cue look warped. He set the cue down on the dollar,and drug the dollar towards the wrap,then rotated it so that the other 3 points were facing up,and repeated. He said if the dollar hangs up anywhere,there MIGHT be a warp,but could also be a thick spot in the finish or something along those lines. Tommy D.