Effects of different Shaft/Tip diameters

Bill the Cat

Proud maker of CAT cues
Silver Member
Various threads in this forum discuss "deflection" and "squirt". If I am understaning this concept correctly, the shaft "deflects" when the shaft flexes or the cue ball "squirts" when the shaft is very stiff.

Are both these conditions simply a result of shaft/tip diameter (thinner = more flex)?

What effect does each have on aiming and english?

Can anyone recommend a book that discusses this and other cue design considerations?
 
Deflection is generally lower with a smaller shaft, because the weight is reduced.
The overwhelming factor is the endmass of the shaft. (side being a given) How stiff the shaft is will be debated, but I have found that it makes little difference.
 
the concept is overrated..

# cushion players require precise cueing and predicatbility. they play with a very stiff shaft, and "squirt" is part of the bargain, because they get the consistancy they want.

i think every player would like the cb to go where they aim it but consistancy is what they can adjust to.
 
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bruin70 said:
# cushion players require precise cueing and predicatbility. they play with a very stiff shaft, and "squirt" is part of the bargain, because they get the consistancy they want.
I do not agree with this. Take a Predator Z shaft for example. It is a straight taper, small diameter shaft, much like a carom cue. Predator testing indicates that it produces less squirt than the 314 shaft. Shaft deflection should not be confused with squirt.
bruin70 said:
i think every player would like the cb to go where they aim it but consistancy is what they can adjust to.
This part I do agree with.

Tracy
 
madison bob

I have a thought myself from a lot of research with shaft sizes and taper,s but i,am sure everyone won,t agree. i,ve noticed that if you cut a taper that comes up slowly 2 to 3 thousands a inch from the ferulle back toward the joint about 15 inch,s and cut the dia of the tip about 12.9 mm the shaft seem,s to have very little deflection at all if you put on a nice ferulle such as millimine threaded with a base to the ferulle in other words drill the ferulle all the way thru and from the bottom of the ferulle open up the hole about a 1/4 of a inch up toward the top to a larger size and this area will not be taped just open like a open hole ferulle then when you install the ferulle on the shaft the larger hole at the base gives the tenon extra support so it has almost no deflection in the ferulle area . it,s a little more work but when you machine the ferulle you can see there is little flex because the ferulle cut,s perfectly striaght all the way thru when you measure it it will measure the same at the bottom closer to the chuck and at the top closer to the tip end if you don,t do it this way you will see 2 to 3 thousands different,s no matter how sharp your tool,s are because of the flex of the tenon.i,ve been useing this shaft taper for years now after trying many other,s before and have found set up in this fashion will have very little deflection almost non. and i,am running this with a .850 joint size . one thing with this taper it feels at 12.9mm more like a 13mm because of the rapid increase in the rise of the taper but it sure hold,s your stroke in line on power stroke,s . also this taper allow,s only the first 5 are 6 inch,s of the shaft to work releasing the cueball at a faster rate with less deflection and this doe,s away with all that center shaft movement that the so called pro taper,s have cutting down on deflection . madison bob
 
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