Cue vibrates like a tuning fork.

Quesports

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Speaking of tonal woods and cues. I have a cue that Dave Kikel made of camatillo. I had him ship me all the camatillo he had in his shop. I received it and there were four pieces of straight grain black and violet colored pieces. The tonal sound was unbelievable, a rich deep enchanting sound. I went around for two days tapping them and listening to the tone and the length of time you could hear it. Really quite an experience. I chose the straight grain black and violet pieces labeled what I wanted and shipped it all back. Dave and I finally agreed to build it with all ivory points(4 hi 4 lo) in the forearm and the butt, rings, joint, butt cap, ferrules and joint protectors all ivory. It is stunning to say the least, Dave's sister was in love with it according to Dave!
 

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Before the 'new' fangled LD shafts a flexible shaft was a means of cutting done on the CB Deflection. Bob Meucci was probably the first or one or the first cue makers to extend the parallel taper well up toward the joint. That creates a vibrating shaft. Since I learned with conical taper house cues that were stiff, I hated the vibration.

Now as Ms. Crimi implied, one can get the Low Deflection with a more stiff shaft. Problem solved.
Whoa. I just saw this. Let's be clear here. Most people think of deflection in terms of cb squirt only, but there is also shaft deflection. Speaking about solid wood shafts only: The stiffer the shaft, the less shaft deflection on impact, but that results in greater cb squirt when side spin is applied as opposed to a flexible shaft.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
The stiffer the shaft, the less shaft deflection on impact, but that results in greater cb squirt when side spin is applied as opposed to a flexible shaft.
Yes, but according to Dr. Dave not a significant increase within the normal range of pool/billiards shafts.
"...when a stiffer shaft is flexed (as the CB pushes the tip sideways), the shaft reacts with more sideways force, which can create more squirt. However, typical pool cue shafts are very flexible in the lateral direction (i.e., they don’t require much force to flex), and the shaft does not flex very much during the incredibly brief tip contact time anyway, so stiffness does not have a significant direct effect on squirt."
pj
chgo
 
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WilleeCue

The Barefoot Cuemaker
Silver Member
What does knowing the grain orientation do? How does it provide useful information to the shooter?
The shaft, having a spline will always flex in one direction easier that another direction.
That is one of the things segmented and carbon fiber shafts try to eliminate.
Bob felt that having the shaft deflect in the same direction for every shot would help with consistency.
Whether or not that actually helps the player, and to what degree, has been debated.
 

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yes, but according to Dr. Dave not a significant increase within the normal range of pool/billiards shafts.

pj
chgo
I guess it depends what shafts you're comparing. I went from a Meucci to a Schuler constant taper. That's like going from a tuning fork to a block of wood. Besides, how do you dispute the feedback a player gets and the adjustments they have to make with all other things being the same? I've been saying this all along --- these scientific studies may be helpful, of course, but they're not necessarily absolute. There are a lot of variables that aren't factored into these tests they do.
 

WilleeCue

The Barefoot Cuemaker
Silver Member
How was it intended to be used? I'd guess for maximum consistency the spline would always be rotated toward the CB's center.

pj
chgo
You used the cue with the colored dot facing up.
That way every shot had the shaft in the same position relative to the spline.
Whatever deflection or bending the shaft did when it struck the cue ball it did it in the same direction every shot.
 

Clusterbuster

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You used the cue with the colored dot facing up.
That way every shot had the shaft in the same position relative to the spline.
Whatever deflection or bending the shaft did when it struck the cue ball it did it in the same direction every shot.
Thanks for the info.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
You used the cue with the colored dot facing up.
That way every shot had the shaft in the same position relative to the spline.
Whatever deflection or bending the shaft did when it struck the cue ball it did it in the same direction every shot.
Thanks.

But it seems to me that hitting with straight follow or draw would push the shaft up or down in line with the spline, while hitting with straight sidespin would push the shaft sideways 90 degrees from the spline, and other tip placements would push the shaft other directions relative to the spline.

pj
chgo
 

WilleeCue

The Barefoot Cuemaker
Silver Member
Thanks.

But it seems to me that hitting with straight follow or draw would push the shaft up or down in line with the spline, while hitting with straight sidespin would push the shaft sideways 90 degrees from the spline, and other tip placements would push the shaft other directions relative to the spline.

pj
chgo
True ... the force acting on the shaft from striking the cue ball will act as you say.
However ... the spline of the shaft will flex easier in only one direction and will resist flexing in any other.
With the spline in a random alignment the resistance to the flex will be lesser or greater thus the actual flex will be lesser or greater.
With the spline always in the same alignment you get the same flex every time you make the same stroke.
Consistency and the brain's ability to learn from the results is what it is all about.

The new carbon fiber shafts reduce the spline and its effect on shaft flexing to almost zero.
It can be tested and verified in lab type tests.
Does this actually make a difference to the pool player?
Are we over engineering something that has a very small effect on real play?
 

Protractor

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Have to ask this question.
Is it desirable to shoot with a cue that vibrates like a tuning fork.
Thinking not, I have installed rubber washers at select positions on the cue to deaden the vibrations.
Not only did the washers reduce the vibrations it also changed the sound of the tip hitting the cue ball.
The cue now feels like shooting with a cue off the wall.

Not trying to sound funny here just want to know from your experience what is desirable for play.

Personally, I don't mind the vibrations just don't want to start down the wrong path with a new cue.
This is the cue I bought and really like it.
Cynergy SVB GEN ONE Dakota Edition cue Black Starlight | Cuetec

Thanks
John

I have an early Cynergy 15k shaft that I ordered from Seyberts with a Kamui Black medium tip and Radial joint. The butt is custom, made of Kingwood. I have never noticed any sort of tuning fork type of vibration out of it since I first got it or now that I am using Moori medium tips.

Before I bought it I tried the early Predator CF shaft that a team mate had bought and immediately noticed a ping sound/vibration when I shot with it. It doesn't bother him but it bothered me enough within 6 shots or so that I went with the Cynergy.

I am a musician so maybe I'm more sensitive to such things but am quite happy with the Cynergy in this and all other regards. Based on my experience your issue may have something to do with the joint and/or the materials used in the butt, assuming there is no difference (besides the joint type) between my shaft and yours. My friend (now retired) preferred the Radial joint and made it as a wobble fit so that the faces on the butt and the shaft would seat precisely, making it feel like one solid piece, to the extent possible.
 
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