Cues in cars

I've posted this a bunch of times but I leave my Southwest in my car pretty much 100% of the time. It's never warped in 8 years.

I used to leave a Josey sneaky pete in the car for a long time too, and a Mcdermot before that. They never warped.

I have had a Madison Bob cue warp that I was playing with for a while. I left that in the car too. Now it leans against the wall in my basement. lol.

I know the risks, I would say generally speaking it's not a good idea.
 
The worst place you can store your cues is in the trunk of your care, due to the exposure to extreme heat or cold which warps the wood. It's a very very bad habit.

whatthehell said:
Hi All,

Not too sure if this has ever been addressed, but what is everyone's take on leaving your cue in the car? For the most part, I hear that a good rule of thumb is to not subject your cue to temperatures you would not like, as the cue will warp since it is expanding and contracting with the cold and heat.

On the other hand, I know some players from a different school of thought on the subject, who leave high end cues in their cars (and even break with them) and have had no issues at all.

Thoughts? Thks for any info either way.
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If all the wood is cured properly, it might not be a problem. But, how do you know? I chose not to take the chance and never have.

Rats, double post, sorry.
 
Warpage or stolen is the biggest two things that you have to worry about when leaving cues in the car.

Breaking with your playing cue? Sure, why not, but the tip would need extra maintenance due to mushrooming and glazing over from the hard impact on the break. You also risk damaging your cue, such as cracking a ferrule and a tip falling off your playing shaft. If you happen to not have an extra shaft to play with, than hmmm...

I break with a J&J Panther, its $80, a little more expensive than your avergae house cue, but it breaks better, and it is a jumper too (I don't jump balls anyway). Not to mention, it is your personal cue, and it is not warped like most POS at the pool halls. I mean, if the rules allowed, I'd smash a rack with a baseball bat :D

Chino
 
Cues left in cars in plain sight also tend to get stolen. Another reason why this is a very bad habit.
 
Some people are lucky

For the very few who leave their cues in their vehicles. They are very lucky. 90% if not higher. My self and others would not. The heat down here in Texas is unbelievable and there is no telling what it would do to fine wood and glue etc. I hope that your luck continues if you leave your cues in your vehicles.
 
NewStroke said:
I have heard of cues blowing up that are left in cars in the heat of Arizona.
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Never heard of that just this,
warpedboard_bg.jpg

:wink:
 
whatthehell said:
On the other hand, I know some players from a different school of thought on the subject, who leave high end cues in their cars (and even break with them) and have had no issues at all.
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"No issues" means different things to different people. For instance, one person may not care that a metal trim ring can be just barely felt above the surface of the cue, and that could drive someone else crazy.

If you want your cue to stay perfect then take perfect care of it. If not then do whatever you want.
 
OK here is the real answer, I asked my car earlier after I posted my response, and he sent me an e-mail and told me that,

"The reason I don't like it in me is because I don't appreciate having shafts in my hot or cold back end and have someone blame me for not being straight. Two, I hate it when bad guys are jealous that I have shafts and butt in me and beat me up, pry me open and take away the precious."

Sincerely,

The Saab

I, myself was very surprised at the answer. :D

Chino
 
Beyond the already mentioned warpage issues...heat and humidity in a car can cause clouding of some cues' finishes.

Another really good reason...most of the cues that are posted here as stolen, were stolen out of someone's car.

I NEVER leave my cues in the car....no matter what, the case with cues goes with me, even into work, if necessary.

Lisa
 
ridewiththewind said:
Beyond the already mentioned warpage issues...heat and humidity in a car can cause clouding of some cues' finishes.

Another really good reason...most of the cues that are posted here as stolen, were stolen out of someone's car.

I NEVER leave my cues in the car....no matter what, the case with cues goes with me, even into work, if necessary.

Lisa
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Thank you all greatly for the posts.
Lisa brings up a great point. I play in 2 leagues right now, and leave my cues in my car only during these days. They are in my car from roughly 8 am to about 5pm in California weather.

My work can be (how do I say this politely) very OCD about what we bring into work, hence the reason why I don't bring my cues in (aside from the fact that you get a million and one questions and everyone wants to touch and see the cues).

With this being said, it sounds like keeping them in the car is definitely a risk with some dire possible results. It also sounds like keeping them in a case that zips up and almost "seals" them in the case may be better versus a more porous case.

I guess the only other option would be to go with a lifetime warranty cue like a McDermott.

All good information! Thanks very much!
Perhaps I should bring my cues to work in their case, hidden in a cooler or something --- less questions and less problems, lol.
 
I used to keep my J&J 4410 jump break cue in the trunk of my car all the time. At one point, the shafts started to warp, so I took it out. The warp was rather minor, so I didn't really care much since it was my break cue. I checked the shafts for that cue just recently and they were perfectly straight.

One member posted before that wood reacts weird sometimes to humidity changes. Shafts from one side of the world at a different humidity level would warp in transit to the destination that is a completely different humidity level, but when left to adjust to the change it returns back to its original state.

Warpage is difficult to determine whether it will happen or not, but as some have stated it is a risk. Better safe than sorry, so don't leave cues in the car unless for a short period of time. If you do, at least park under a shade, crack open some windows or sunroof to prevent heat from being trapped in the car, and make sure that they are inside of a very nice sealed case.
 
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I bought a Cuetec just for leaving in the back end of my car. Unfortunately, I would rather play with a house cue after giving the Cuetec a fair chance to stay in the collection.

I left my car unlocked and somebody stole it, but damn if they didn't bring it back the next day. I left it on the hood of the car. It was taken and left back on the hood the next day. This time, they left another Cuetec with mine and a nasty note describing how hard a thief has to work to make a living these days. I was going to just bury them, but then Dick Abbott posted a thread about turning cues into tomato stakes, so now I've got them buried in my back yard waiting for the cherry tomato harvest!
 
The only Cue I would ever leave in a car indefinitely is my Cuetec Jump/Break Stick ...
Climate changes don't seem to affect it and I have a Stick for emergency play when some
"nit" at a Bar thinks he can take my money ... The Cue has a SuperPro Tip and actually plays great.

As for my other Cues and Cases ..... NOT A CHANCE !!!
 
poolhustler said:
Storing a cue in your car is not the issue or concern.

HEAT and HUMIDITY are the issues and will ruin a cue.

If you need to keep a cue in your car, buy a cue with a lifetime warranty like a McDermmot.

When it warps, return it for an exchange!

Russ.....
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I live in South Florida for 25 years my cues live in my trunk never had a problem. zip
I did take them out of car when I lived up north though.
 
Good god man! is that a 275 GTB 4-cam?

*D R O O L* :thumbup: <= big time... My all-time favorite

'67 is it?
 
3Bros Billiards said:
I once left a guitar in my car for about 2 days during the summer, and when I tried playing it next the 5 or so highest frets didn't work on one of the strings. This clearly indicates that the neck was warped. I have never taken a chance with leaving a pool cue in my car, but I certainly wouldn't want to risk it.

I do sometimes break with my playing cue, and I think the only concern there is having to reshape your tip a bit more often than normal.
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Either the neck warped or the wood around the fret wire swelled and pushed them out of their slot a little. It's rare to see a neck warped that far up. Warping tends to happen more around the 8th to 13th/14th frets. Although it *could* warp side to side.....and if that happens you need a new neck because the truss rod won't fix that.
MULLY
the wood in the neck pocket could have swelled and pushed the neck up a little higher too
 
i have the same sneaky i have for 40 years in the trunk or back of the car. it has been in 120 plus and down to minus 40f. many times and for long periods.
i always keep a cue with me as you never know when it may be needed. i have never had and problems from doing this.
i even leave my very high priced cues once in awhile in the trunk when on a trip.
if you have a good well seasoned cue it may be okay.
 
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