Final Word on How to Store Cues

[fjk]

I know this has been discussed on here before, probably more than a few times.

It seems the consensus was to store cues straight up in their case. I've always stored my cues lying flat in their case. In 40 years or so of owning cues, I've never had one warp. Not even a little. I've also spoken to a few well-known cue makers. At least one told me lying flat is best for storage.

So, which is it and why?

Does the type of case make a difference? To me, it seems standing up in a tube case would provide an opportunity to warping because the shaft(s) are likely leaning to one side of the tube. In a case that supports the shaft, like a JB case, it seems like you wouldn't need to worry about that.

What about an air-tight friction fit case vs a case that would allow the wood to breathe? Is one better than the other in terms of protection against warping?

Is there an ideal temperature and humidity for cue storage? If moisture is the enemy, would one of those moisture absorbing packets be of any value?

 

[Island Drive]

Whitten, the great cue stick case maker (father) not the son who's now making em, he did this.
And his son surprisingly didn't know till I told em.
He1st went and talked to the Great case makers for woodwind instruments for the symphony, before he jumped into making pool cue cases.
I must say this, the interior within the original Whitten cases creates an ecosystem for the wooden pool cue.
My cue never feels ''dried out''.
The environment his cue case creates for the wooden pool cue is perfect.

 

[slide13]

I’ve been to a good number of cue makers shops. Never once have I seen cues stored horizontally. Every single one has cues and shafts stored vertically whether they were completed cues or works in progress.

All my cues are stored in cases with JB interiors standing upright. I like JB interiors a lot and trust them the most, they’d probably be fine in either orientation but vertical seems to be the consensus from all the builders I’ve ever seen.

 

[fjk]

Found this old JB quote from 2007

 

[Maniac]

I've always stored my cues lying flat in their case. In 40 years or so of owning cues, I've never had one warp. Not even a little.

I can say the same thing about my cues with the exception that I store my cues cased in a vertical position, as I'm sure literally thousands of others could probably attest to.

I even have a 30" butt that I had a custom cuemaker build from a solid piece of wood (not cored). He was hesitant to do it because he feared it would be prone to warpage, but after 10 years of being cased in a vertical position, it is still as straight as the day I received it.

I think the cues environment/ surroundings play a far bigger factor in whether or not it warps than the horizontal/vertical positions factor in to it.

 

[fjk]

I can say the same thing about my cues with the exception that I store my cues cased in a vertical position, as I'm sure literally thousands of others could probably attest to.

I even have a 30" butt that I had a custom cuemaker build from a solid piece of wood (not cored). He was hesitant to do it because he feared it would be prone to warpage, but after 10 years of being cased in a vertical position, it is still as straight as the day I received it.

I think the cues environment/ surroundings play a far bigger factor in whether or not it warps than the horizontal/vertical positions factor in to it.

Paul Drexler told me some wood just doesn't want to be a pool cue. You can do everything right, and it will still warp.

I tend to agree with you (and JB); it doesn't make any discernable difference if they are stored vertical or horizontal.

 

[Island Drive]

Gravity never stops, but Maniacs quote/below is Definitely your biggest concern.
Every time in the past 40 years, when I go to Dave Kikels shop, vertical.


I think the cues environment/ surroundings play a far bigger factor in whether or not it warps than the horizontal/vertical positions factor in to it.

 

[slide13]

As an aside, I think we as a group tend to worry too much about cues being perfectly straight too.

Sure, nobody wants to play with a cue so obviously warped that you can see if when shooting, but a bit of drift in a shaft of the kind we mostly see where it would be measured in mm and not cm I think has basically no effect on playability. But we it does effect resale value because we all, myself included, want them perfectly straight.

(easy for me to say that when my current two playing cues are as dead straight as they come)

 

[skiergd011013]

I keep mine in a case, tips pointing down, in my bedroom, when not in use. Never in cold/heat extremes. At the bar, i keep it away from everybody, and i shamelessly take it with me if i have to pee. Its one of the very last custom made OB cues, and im not letting some drunk knock it over or grab it if i walk away. Ive only seen this happen about 100 times. A local cuemaker examined the cue and was very impressed with the job OB did. I protect it.

 

[Island Drive]

Never Park your resting cue against an outside wall....

 

[fjk]

Every time in the past 40 years, when I go to Dave Kikels shop, vertical.

Could this be because they get better air circulation for drying? Or maybe storing vertically take up less space? Maybe it has nothing to do with storing to avoid / minimize warping. Just a thought...

Like JB mentioned, I would like to see a study done with some kind of data to evaluate.

 

[lord_shar]

I stored my 1980's Meucci Original vertically for a while, until the back end developed a roll. After storing it horizontally for the last few years, the wobble seems to have vanished.

 

[fjk]

I stored my 1980's Meucci Original vertically for a while, until the back end developed a roll. After storing it horizontally for the last few years, the wobble seems to have vanished.

Interesting. As I mentioned, I've always stored horizontally. Maybe I've just been extremely lucky, but all my cues are dead straight (no "taper rolls"). I'm thinking about now storing vertically to save some space...that's why I'm asking. I don't have a preference or strong opinion either way. What I'm hoping to hear (learn) is either way is fine and there isn't a difference.

 

[iusedtoberich]

IMO, with a PVC tube style case, a butt would do better horizontally, because it would be fully supported by the tube (assuming the butt is perfectly straight, and not a dual taper butt). The shaft, on the other hand, would do worse on this type of case, because it is curved, and therefore would never be fully supported by the PVC tube. Gravity would always be trying to bend a horizontal shaft.

 

[Island Drive]

Could this be because they get better air circulation for drying? Or maybe storing vertically take up less space? Maybe it has nothing to do with storing to avoid / minimize warping. Just a thought...

Like JB mentioned, I would like to see a study done with some kind of data to evaluate.

Dave Kikel shafts, he cuts em down in stages/hangs em, lets em rest comes back to them in X amount of days for the next trim down.
Each cut releases tension within the wood grain that in time releases and naturally causes the wood, even yrs old wood to move.
I'm guessing somewhat on the time frame, but he may cut a shaft down 4 times or more over a month or two before its ready to deliver, depending on the shaft thickness ordered.

bm