Ever heard this one

[W.Earp]

I had a very respected local player come to me tonight and tell me he was having problems with a loose ferrule. He takes his cue, loosens the joint slightly and taps the cue on the floor,while holding his ear to the tip,then hands it to me and asks if i here it to.
I told him I had never heard of this method of checking a ferrule, so I tightened the joint again and bumped it off the floor and it sounded fine. Then he said he can also here the noise "sometimes"while shooting. This was during a Tournement so we didnt get much more time to discuss it,but I told him I have seen wieght bolts loosen slightly and the noise will travel up the cue to where the ferrule could sound loose.Anybody else run across this method of "checking the Ferrule"by loosening the joint and bumping the floor?Isnt this usually done with the joint tight?

 

[TripXQ]

buzz

Take the shaft off the cue and bump the side and listen for a buzz. Inspect it with the tip cut off and faced on the lathe. Look for glue failure around the tenon. Gently rock the ferrule and look for air at the base against the shaft. Remove the parts of the cue uninvolved so they can be eliminated from the problem. If you can't see the problem and the customer wants it changed do it and charge him for it. There may be a hidden air pocket so it's easier to fix, than argue over. It can help your reputation if your "eat a little" on warranty work, too. Just my $0.02.
Tom Gedris, Triple Cross Cues

 

[Dave38]

As soon as the joint is loosened, there will be a buzz just from that alone. The shaft must be checked while not attached to the cue. It could be the weight bolt, loose butt cap, loose joint collar especially if it's metal. It could also be a tip that is seperating from the ferrule either in the center, or on the edges. The ferrule could be loose, but pulling and twisting on it should show a gap at the bottom if that is the cause. I always start at the bottom and work up to the tip, and usually it's the weight bolt or the joint collar.

Dave

 

[W.Earp]

I totally agree with you both, I didnt have time to check it the way I normally would. what surprised me was his method of checking it. I had never heard of that before.