Cue construction affects on playability

R

Rackin_Zack

Suffering from OCBD
Silver Member
In looking at a lot of the custom cue makers out there I have seen a lot of different types of joints and pin types. I was curious about the different types of pins: radial, 3/8x10, 3/8x11, G-10, 5/16x14, uni-loc, piloted vs flat faced joints, and any other information that you may be able to provide about how construction techniques, and components, affect playability. I have just recently gotten into custom cues and would like to learn as much as I can about what features affect playability and how they do so. Thank you in advance for any information you can give me.

I haven't had the opportunity to play with many different custom cue makers' cues. I have owned, in order: a Dufferin, a Mali, a Huebler 4 point BE in cocobolo, a DP 5 point micarta in ebony, a Gilbert cocobolo J/B, a Gilbert 4 point ebony in BE and in 12 weeks a Skip Weston 6 point Amboyna Burl in Ebony. I still have the two Gilberts and am hoping that this is just a start to a nice collection.

Zack
 
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Just from what you have posted you have answered your own question. The Gilbert and Skip may hit simular but the others have different construction and balance points.
 
Rackin_Zack said:
In looking at a lot of the custom cue makers out there I have seen a lot of different types of joints and pin types. I was curious about the different types of pins: radial, 3/8x10, 3/8x11, G-10, 5/16x14, uni-loc, piloted vs flat faced joints, and any other information that you may be able to provide about how construction techniques, and components, affect playability. I have just recently gotten into custom cues and would like to learn as much as I can about what features affect playability and how they do so. Thank you in advance for any information you can give me.

I haven't had the opportunity to play with many different custom cue makers' cues. I have owned, in order: a Dufferin, a Mali, a Huebler 4 point BE in cocobolo, a DP 5 point micarta in ebony, a Gilbert cocobolo J/B, a Gilbert 4 point ebony in BE and in 12 weeks a Skip Weston 6 point Amboyna Burl in Ebony. I still have the two Gilberts and am hoping that this is just a start to a nice collection.

Zack
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I understand your question and I have the same one. Basically, we want a list that ties techniques of cuemaking to aspects of a cue's hit. Unfortunately, there are two problems with making this list. First, every part of a cue interacts with every other to make the hit what it is. Also, we don't have good words to describe the hit of a cue. If I wanted to say, "A piloted joint makes a cue hit ____", what words fit there? Stiff? Whippy? A ton? On this point I think Blud has it right. Pick it up and play with it. That's the way to know what there is to know about a pool cue.
 
Good luck on that list. Please don't take this the wrong way but as much as some of us try to help, this is one topic that seperates cue makers from every one else. The only thing I can suggest is to maybe buy some books on cue making. That would atleast give you some of the basics, every thing else takes years to understand properly. I wish it was easier for you but it just doesn't work that way. When some orders a cue, the first thing I ask is what kind of hit you prefer. We all have our own methods of ryme and reason. And most of us do things differenty as far as aging wood, balancing our cues, different splices, joints, what kind of pins we use, and what kind of ferrules and tips we prefer as well as different tapers we use. On the butt as well as the shaft. If you try enough different cues, listen when you hit with it. Each cue will tell a different story. If you get confused, welcome to our world!
 
i think most on this board will agree with me when i say, the joints in general will not effect the playability, one way or another. pioleted, or non, they will hit the same, , however stainless steel, or phenlonic, will hit differently. stainless steel, a punch, definite HIT! with no transfer of energy down to the butt, into your grip fingers. phenlonic, (which i prefer) has a silent, quiet, mature softer hit, with feedback going thru the joint, and into the fingers of the grip hand, providing instant feedback to the player. once again, the size of the pin, and the other finer details of the joint, makes zero difference.
 
Thanks

Thanks for the suggestions Michael. I have a friend who plays with one of your cues and he likes it very much. I think my main thing is that I need to hit with more different types of cues. The major drawback there is that I live in central missouri where there isn't a huge array of choices and I don't have the income to purchase as many different types as I would like to.

I appreciate the info from everyone who has posted.
 
Thank you Sir:
When your ready, I would be honored to build you a cue as well. I offer stainless joints as well as flat faced.
 
Michael Webb said:
That's the funniest thing I've read all day. You are joking right.
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That's the funniest thing I've read all day. You are joking right.
Click to expand...

hehe... I think you should sum it up Michael in the basic materials used first so it would be clear to us. Like stainless steel, phenolic, wood and ivory and whatelse. The difference between a flat faced and piloted. The pins' function in my opinion is simply to provide a snug fit for the butt and shaft to provide a true reaction to the materials mentioned above.

Taper, butt construction and woods used, maybe later when we're done with the pins. It's just gonna complicate matters, thanks!
 
Michael Webb said:
Thank you Sir:
When your ready, I would be honored to build you a cue as well. I offer stainless joints as well as flat faced.
Click to expand...

Michael, if you could PM me and let me know what your price schedule is I would appreciate it. Thanks.
 
please

THE SILENCER said:
i think most on this board will agree with me when i say, the joints in general will not effect the playability, one way or another. pioleted, or non, they will hit the same, , however stainless steel, or phenlonic, will hit differently. stainless steel, a punch, definite HIT! with no transfer of energy down to the butt, into your grip fingers. phenlonic, (which i prefer) has a silent, quiet, mature softer hit, with feedback going thru the joint, and into the fingers of the grip hand, providing instant feedback to the player. once again, the size of the pin, and the other finer details of the joint, makes zero difference.
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Hey Silencer, that's what you need to do, is be silent.

After reading your crap about cues, proves you know nothing about cues. and there construction.

Most of us here will agree that you no nothing of what your talking about.

For your information sir, the type of joint, pins, pin size, steel, flat faced, and or wooden threads all play differant, and do effect the cues playability. Steel joints are stiffer than flat face, flat face hits softer than steel, and so on.

Your so smart, tell us how to make one cue hit softer than another.

You need lessons in cuemaking, pal.

No need to come to me for lessons, cause you got your mind made up how it should be done, or I should say how it should not be done.

One thing I can't stand, is someone writting about something he knows nothing about.

Your post is mis-leading and way the hell off base.

blud
 
cues

((VH)) said:
hehe... I think you should sum it up Michael in the basic materials used first so it would be clear to us. Like stainless steel, phenolic, wood and ivory and whatelse. The difference between a flat faced and piloted. The pins' function in my opinion is simply to provide a snug fit for the butt and shaft to provide a true reaction to the materials mentioned above.

Taper, butt construction and woods used, maybe later when we're done with the pins. It's just gonna complicate matters, thanks!
Click to expand...

Hey VH, as cuemakers, we all have differant ideas. This is what makes our job so much fun. Were all trying to not out do the other guy, were just trying to build the best cue possible.

Some of the things you have ask for, will not be told, because as Mike, me and many others, have spent hours, days, month's and years, finding out the hard way. Not top secrect, but close to our hearts and minds.

PIN'S, If the only function was to hold it together, we would all use the same style and size. Pin's are very important. Take your cue or mine, change the pin, and it hits differantly, maybe stiffer with a radial steel pin, as opposided to a g-10 or brass, and or smaller pin. Just as the hit changes with a steel joint, as does one with a flat face, phenolic, ivory and so on.

Pins are very much the hit of a cue.

Most folks do not realize that the joint of the cue "must" have some give to it, or the cue will be real, real stiff. The bigger the pin, the more "mass" you have forward in the cue. I personally balance my cues forward. Makes it easer to draw and or follow with little effort. Using a massive pin, causes the cue to be front heavy and also squrit the ball[ to stiff], more than a less weighted pin up front.
Hope this explains about pins to you,sir.
blud
 
blud said:
Hey Silencer, that's what you need to do, is be silent.

After reading your crap about cues, proves you know nothing about cues. and there construction.

Most of us here will agree that you no nothing of what your talking about.

For your information sir, the type of joint, pins, pin size, steel, flat faced, and or wooden threads all play differant, and do effect the cues playability. Steel joints are stiffer than flat face, flat face hits softer than steel, and so on.

Your so smart, tell us how to make one cue hit softer than another.

You need lessons in cuemaking, pal.

No need to come to me for lessons, cause you got your mind made up how it should be done, or I should say how it should not be done.

One thing I can't stand, is someone writting about something he knows nothing about.

Your post is mis-leading and way the hell off base.

blud
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Damn Leonard, who pissed in your cornflakes? LOL... :D
 
guys

Ted Harris said:
Damn Leonard, who pissed in your cornflakes? LOL... :D
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Hi Ted, just tired of those guys, who think that got it together, voiceing there opinion's and MIS-LEADING folks, who don't know the truths. There are those who don't know and are willing to learn, and they do need to be told the right way, and not the WRONG..........way..............
This kind of shit will go on forever if we don't put a stop to it..

Just someone wanting there name in the news, and have not a clue about what they have written.......

blud
PS, tell your wife hello for me and janice....


No cornflakes,
I ate,3 eggs over-med, grits, pan cakes, bacon, cat-head-biscuits, and red-eye gravey...1- oj, and 3 coffee.....should of been here. Janice plays a real good set, in the kitchen........Then read that crapy.post above........PLEASE!
 
to those guys that say the pin doent affect the playabilty of the cue....please give this some thought a chain is as only strong as the weakest length and the joint of the cue is the weakest oart as it is b-ot fixed so there has ti be a intamacy there as to make the cue strong.....a strong joiu=nt will make for a good hitting cue,and then that depend on soft which is the flat faced and hard which is the steel.......but if you put a weak and whimpy joint pin you will have a weak and whimpy joint,there ofre a cue that plays like crap.....so please understand that all cuemakers know this is the first place that a problem can occur and the take special precaution to make it as strong as possible and not just with there selection o pin......you should give more thought before you om your mouth to speak of a subjec you dont understand ......please take care ......typing is so ruff when you are one morphine and xanax at the same time......blud and ted hey guys i hope yall are doing great.......juston coleman
 
Hey, JC, Z's pins are getting made again. I'll send you one when they're done.
Good luck on that auction and get better bro.
 
blud said:
Hey VH, as cuemakers, we all have differant ideas. This is what makes our job so much fun. Were all trying to not out do the other guy, were just trying to build the best cue possible.

Some of the things you have ask for, will not be told, because as Mike, me and many others, have spent hours, days, month's and years, finding out the hard way. Not top secrect, but close to our hearts and minds.

PIN'S, If the only function was to hold it together, we would all use the same style and size. Pin's are very important. Take your cue or mine, change the pin, and it hits differantly, maybe stiffer with a radial steel pin, as opposided to a g-10 or brass, and or smaller pin. Just as the hit changes with a steel joint, as does one with a flat face, phenolic, ivory and so on.

Pins are very much the hit of a cue.

Most folks do not realize that the joint of the cue "must" have some give to it, or the cue will be real, real stiff. The bigger the pin, the more "mass" you have forward in the cue. I personally balance my cues forward. Makes it easer to draw and or follow with little effort. Using a massive pin, causes the cue to be front heavy and also squrit the ball[ to stiff], more than a less weighted pin up front.
Hope this explains about pins to you,sir.
blud
Click to expand...


You hit it right on the button sir, thanks for the correction. Now things are even more complicated :D I too prefer a forward balanced cue, opposed to a rear balanced one.
 
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