Cuetech Metal ferrule

O

olsonsview

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have been asked to remove a SS ferrule from a cuetech break cue and install a phenolic ferrule. The stainless looks machined like a capped ferrule. But I am leary of cutting it off with a carbide tool because of the heat that may be generated that may blister the fiberglass clad shaft near the ferrule end. Any thoughts out there, besides trash the shaft? Normally I would say no to working on the shaft, I do not like them, but it is a friend of a friend deal.
My plan at this point is to cut with a sharp carbide tool, and feed it slow. Is the ferrule threaded on? I would like to know before I cut. I tried running it in reverse and heating the ferrule with leather to get it to unscrew possibly, but there was no reaction besides some smoke from the leather, then I stopped because of fear of damage to the glass. I know many of you guys out there have had some experience with this, any thoughts you can share would be greatly appreciated.
 
Try heating the ferrule with a torch and removing it with a pair of pliers... If it doesn't pull straight off the end, try unscrewing it. The steel should expand when heated, and this should loosen the epoxy. Be careful not to heat it too much, as you could damage the shaft.

FYI, fiberglass is a thermoset which can not melt, though it can burn.

Good Luck!
 
If you are worried about heat buildup, you could cut the ferrule off at the base and bore/install a new tenon to mount the new ferrule on. You can add the 1/8" to the legnth of the new tenon/ferrule as to not shorten the cue.
Chuck
 
May be I'm missing something here. You say you are afraid to trim the metal ferrule off with a lathe because of heat build up but you are using leather and such to build up heat to melt the epoxy. I would trim it off in the lathe and install a new one just the same as I do with any other ferrule. The only harder part of installing a ferrule on a composite shaft is that they are never round. Makes it harder to fit a ferrule to the shaft as the ferrule, when completed, is round. Since you can't hardly sand the fibreglass to roundness the ferrule ends up a little high or low in spots where ferrule and shaft meet.

Dick
 
Your right Dick

I just do not want to exceed the heat level I already hit with the leather. The ferrule was hot to the touch of even calloused fingers. I was curious if the ferrule is threaded or not, figured it is better to know before I cut it. I could cut it in reverse with an upside down bit if it is threaded, and maybe it will unscrew itself with the heat of cutting, and the resistance of the metal to the bit.
The things we do for a friend ... sheesh.
 
Thanks for the sage advice

I think the reason this customer wants the metal ferrule removed is because he has found out for himself it is not doing the job for him! Maybe if this were a Masse' cue it might be the way to go, but it lacks as a jump break cue.
By the way, for my fellow cuemakers and repair techs: I did remove the ferrule. I took light passes and after shaving off maybe a few hundreths on an inch I saw movement of the metal ferrule. I grabbed it with pliars while spinning in reverse and it came off. It had a shallow acme like thread formed inside the metal ferrule to help hold the glue, and it was rather thin walled. The tenon was larger in diameter than normal, and squared off at the end with no threads or grooves for glue. The fiberglass mushroomed slightly near where it mated to the ferrule, maybe due to the heat generated by the cut. I will trim it and the tenon with my router on the lathe, groove it, then epoxy on a new ferrule of phenolic. I may make my ferrule od to finish size and polished before installing. As was pointed out, the fiberglass shaft cannot tolerate sanding, so all must be concentric and spinning dead nuts for this repair to come out clean. Thanks to all that responded with meaningful suggestions!
 
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