Cue Makers with Tight Tolerances?

rdplyr

rdplyr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have owned quite a few cues from both low and high end makers. The only cues I have ever owned that had nice tight fitting shaft to butt joints were Dennis Searing and Leon Sly. When you screw the shaft to the butt, the fit is very tight as opposed to the shaft have alot of movement until it is screwed tight.

Dennis's steel joint are tight like that and I can only assume his radial joints are the same. Leon's flat-faced and steel are all nice and tight.

Obviously, tip, taper, ferrule, and shaft wood all come into play, but I think the cuemakers that take the time for that extra step at the joint is the difference in good and great hitting cues.

Are there any other cuemakers out there that take the time to make sure the joints fit very snug to the shafts?
 
rdplyr said:
Are there any other cuemakers out there that take the time to make sure the joints fit very snug to the shafts?
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Are you talking about the face-to-face mating? Most decent cuemakers do.


As an aside, by design the Ray Schuler joints are actually an interference fit for the butt counterbore and the shaft pilot. That's a bit different when talking about "tight tolerance" for screw fits.

And maybe nobody puts more effort into how tightly the tolerances and design of the joint are than Mike Lambros.

Freddie
 
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Pete Tascarella.....mailto:tascarellacues@optonline.net

..he can play some, also
 
Cool. A guy has to take out a small loan to get a Boar now don't ya, that is if you can find one? ;)

Any others makers that are more accessible?
 
Compression Joints...

John Showman, Tony Sciannella (Black Boar Cues), Pete Sr./Jr. Tascarella,
Barry Szamboti...
 
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rdplyr said:
.,..I think the cuemakers that take the time for that extra step at the joint is the difference in good and great hitting cues...?
Click to expand...

I would be inclined to say that once a given cue is screwed together, any minute variance in thread pitch mating would not result in a 'hit difference' noticible by use.
 
I have a Kikel with the acme thread pin that the threads fit very tightly into the shaft, also my Josey with a radial is a very tight fit. Really, I don't think it matters, as I have other cues that screw together more easily...all, including the above mentioned, play very very nicely.
 
I have three to add to the existing list. Lee Peppers of LP Custom Cues, Chuck Starkey and Ernie Martinez all make real nice tight fitting joints on their cues.

I would add Lee Peppers for his 3/8x 10 flat bottom pin flat face joint he uses which screws down real smooth and real tight on the last few turns.

Chuck Starkey's flat face 1/2" diameter wood joint is real solid and secures tightly.

Ernie Martinez's 3/8 x 12 joint also has the nice feature of being smooth and tightening up to a real snug fit on the last couple turns.

Kevin
 
Dz cues

bob dzuricky makes a tight fitting joint as well as holding close tolerances on the other features of his cues.

SLIM
 
Lexicologist71 said:
Schuler's cues are like that. Well, the threads aren't, but the pilot sure is. My cues are as well.
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Cornerman said:
[...]
As an aside, by design the Ray Schuler joints are actually an interference fit for the butt counterbore and the shaft pilot. That's a bit different when talking about "tight tolerance" for screw fits.
[...]
Freddie
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I second this about the Schuler joint. I have a Noel Mendoza (Ray Schuler's protege, and took over the Schuler business) that, as soon as the pilot touches, the fit is very tight. Not so tight that you can't screw the cue together, but tight enough that you have to make sure you grab both sides of the joint snug with your full hands (not just fingers) and a little elbow grease to finish the joining of the cue.

Other than the unique Schuler joint, I'm partial to Radial pins for this reason -- very snug.

-Sean
 
Add South West and Mezz to the list. Mezz is doing some really good production cue work....just really surprised how tight and precise their joint fit together.

The question is does tight fit equal better playability? It's subjective and really just depends on the quality of the wood IMO. I have tight fitted cue that plays like crap and loosely fit cues that play rock solid.

Duc.
 
I think the conical design is the way to get the tightest fit, btw.

Piloted a close 2nd, standard threads about a lap and a half behind.

c/ o Layain Cues;
planche-layani.jpg
 
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rdplyr said:
I have owned quite a few cues from both low and high end makers. The only cues I have ever owned that had nice tight fitting shaft to butt joints were Dennis Searing and Leon Sly. When you screw the shaft to the butt, the fit is very tight as opposed to the shaft have alot of movement until it is screwed tight.

Dennis's steel joint are tight like that and I can only assume his radial joints are the same. Leon's flat-faced and steel are all nice and tight.

Obviously, tip, taper, ferrule, and shaft wood all come into play, but I think the cuemakers that take the time for that extra step at the joint is the difference in good and great hitting cues.

Are there any other cuemakers out there that take the time to make sure the joints fit very snug to the shafts?
Click to expand...

Bob Dzuricky comes to mind, he has a great eye for detail and has made the best threads I have ever seen. I think he has some details about it on his web site Dzuricky cues.
 
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