cue
- Thread starter sciarco
- Start date
Weight bolt. No, I don't know. 
From what I have experienced, NO weight bolt is preferable.
As for Mr. Madden, I sure hope he's still crafting Great Cues.
My two Favorite Makers are Alex Brick & John Madden.
As for Mr. Madden, I sure hope he's still crafting Great Cues.
My two Favorite Makers are Alex Brick & John Madden.
Weight bolt or not doesn't really matter to me as long as they're balanced how I like them. Both of my playing cues, however, are full spliced and not drilled for a wright bolt. One is a 60" at 19.4oz. The other is a 58" with a 2" shaft extension and I haven't weighed it.
Ben
Ben
This Is a Very Good Pool Cue Construction Question
I have had 2 custom cues made within the last two years and I have 2 more underway right now......the first two were with different cue-makers and the two being made right now are repeat orders with these two same two cue-makers because they both did extraordinarily great work making my last two cues. Let me admit at the outset that I am very meticulous in my cue specifications as many whom I have had opportunity to discuss purchasing a pool cue with would confirm. And when I order a cue to be made, every detail of the cue design is discussed and agreed upon before work starts and also along the way.
The cues I order are considered to be light cues so the inclusion of a weight bolt can become a very significant element for the final balance and feel of my cues.......all my cues have flat faced joints so the shafts do not have any brass fittings to contribute to the shaft's overall weight......that's my preference since I like heavier weight "wood" shafts......brass adds almost 2/5 oz. to the shaft's final weight.......I prefer cue shafts > 3.8 ozs. which is something the cue-maker has to deliberate and allow for when building my cues. The 2 customs I ordered have butts weighing 14.5 ozs. and my specs were 14.5 -14.6 ozs. and both cue butt sleeves are very fancy so the weight was already going to be a challenge. When the cue-maker builds my custom, I do not ask him whether he is going to include a weight bolt because whether he chooses to or doesn't use any, it doesn't matter in the slightest to me since the cue still has to be made to my specs.
If a weight bolt has to be used to balance the weigh of the cue butt, that's fine with me because all my cues have ebony sleeves.......it's already a challenge just to build my cues with a butt weight under 15 ozs. so if a bolt was needed, I do not care since my shafts will add a pretty good weight on the top half of the cue. I think relying upon a weight bolt to hit the target weight.......if the cue comes in lighter than what the customer wants, then screw in a longer, heavier bolt, that's not "Kosher" with me. They could just build their cues to generally fall within 18 ounces and add the bolt needed to make the customer's requested weight......or else match some shafts that only weigh 3.5 ounces (with brass fitting) to the cue butt tin order to make the customer's specified cue weight. To my way of thinking, that's not what I had in mind when I ordered my cue. Cue specs may not matter to most pool players but personally speaking, it's a very important for my cue's performance characteristics and overall feel.
So I take a very active role in how my cues are built and you know what. "I have never been disappointed with the end result" & my last two customs cost 1/2 as much as my EP cue and both play amazing. That's why I just designed & ordered 2 new cues with Bob & Jerry which will be completed within 12-13 months instead of waiting 3-4 yrs for new EP cue. I'm too old to indulge that long wait for any pool cue. The bottom-line is I have never discussed nor asked either cue-maker whether the cues they would be making will include any weight bolt.......IMO....that should not even be a consideration if the cues are made to your exact specifications.
Matt B.
p.s. The propellor cue butt happens to be ivory & Cortland #9 on both cues.
I have had 2 custom cues made within the last two years and I have 2 more underway right now......the first two were with different cue-makers and the two being made right now are repeat orders with these two same two cue-makers because they both did extraordinarily great work making my last two cues. Let me admit at the outset that I am very meticulous in my cue specifications as many whom I have had opportunity to discuss purchasing a pool cue with would confirm. And when I order a cue to be made, every detail of the cue design is discussed and agreed upon before work starts and also along the way.
The cues I order are considered to be light cues so the inclusion of a weight bolt can become a very significant element for the final balance and feel of my cues.......all my cues have flat faced joints so the shafts do not have any brass fittings to contribute to the shaft's overall weight......that's my preference since I like heavier weight "wood" shafts......brass adds almost 2/5 oz. to the shaft's final weight.......I prefer cue shafts > 3.8 ozs. which is something the cue-maker has to deliberate and allow for when building my cues. The 2 customs I ordered have butts weighing 14.5 ozs. and my specs were 14.5 -14.6 ozs. and both cue butt sleeves are very fancy so the weight was already going to be a challenge. When the cue-maker builds my custom, I do not ask him whether he is going to include a weight bolt because whether he chooses to or doesn't use any, it doesn't matter in the slightest to me since the cue still has to be made to my specs.
If a weight bolt has to be used to balance the weigh of the cue butt, that's fine with me because all my cues have ebony sleeves.......it's already a challenge just to build my cues with a butt weight under 15 ozs. so if a bolt was needed, I do not care since my shafts will add a pretty good weight on the top half of the cue. I think relying upon a weight bolt to hit the target weight.......if the cue comes in lighter than what the customer wants, then screw in a longer, heavier bolt, that's not "Kosher" with me. They could just build their cues to generally fall within 18 ounces and add the bolt needed to make the customer's requested weight......or else match some shafts that only weigh 3.5 ounces (with brass fitting) to the cue butt tin order to make the customer's specified cue weight. To my way of thinking, that's not what I had in mind when I ordered my cue. Cue specs may not matter to most pool players but personally speaking, it's a very important for my cue's performance characteristics and overall feel.
So I take a very active role in how my cues are built and you know what. "I have never been disappointed with the end result" & my last two customs cost 1/2 as much as my EP cue and both play amazing. That's why I just designed & ordered 2 new cues with Bob & Jerry which will be completed within 12-13 months instead of waiting 3-4 yrs for new EP cue. I'm too old to indulge that long wait for any pool cue. The bottom-line is I have never discussed nor asked either cue-maker whether the cues they would be making will include any weight bolt.......IMO....that should not even be a consideration if the cues are made to your exact specifications.
Matt B.
p.s. The propellor cue butt happens to be ivory & Cortland #9 on both cues.
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