Flat face joint, how tight?

the_saint_siwa

the_saint_siwa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Greetings,

If you have a radial or 3/8X11 (South West, Blue Grass, etc) style pin cue, how tight do you normally connect/screw in the cue to the shaft?

What are the pros and cons of tight/loose joints?

Thank's
 
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Years ago a mechanic told me that when you installed spark plugs you get them as tight as you can and then give them another 1/4 turn. A smart a$$. Being a young kid at the time I just said thanks and walked away, realizing that he got his jollies for the day. No harm done.

When putting my cue toghether I get it as tight as I can. I don't hold the wrap when doing this because I am afraid that it may twist the wrap. I think it is better to be tight then loose. If loose you could ruin the threads in the shaft.

I have heard that Keith has one of the strongest grips when putting together his cue. Watch when he takes it apart. He has to rap it with his hand to loosen it.
 
i have no proof one way or the other, but i have always felt a difference in sharpness of hit between a loose pin and a tight one. is it my biased imagination?,,,,,i don't really know.

i like a tight pin because i want the fit to be snug and sure as soon as i put on the shaft. i don't want the shaft to be "secure" simply because of the pull tension created when i tighten a looser shaft. there's way too much space in the pin/thread with a loose fit.
 
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Years ago a mechanic told me that when you installed spark plugs you get them as tight as you can and then give them another 1/4 turn. A smart a$$.
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He probably meant to get them as tight as you can BY HAND and then turn them a quarter turn with a wrench. You wouldn't want to get spark plugs as tight as you can with a wrench.

As far as your question, I would have to say the tighter the better.
 
Loose is lousy. You feel that bad vibe after a shot and have to tighten it, right? Try cleaning the wood threads with a little alcohol every month or so ... then squirt the pin with WD-40 or silicone spray, and you'll get a tight but workable fit for a few weeks, at least. No question when you've got it all the way there that it'll stay.
 
TheBook said:
Years ago a mechanic told me that when you installed spark plugs you get them as tight as you can and then give them another 1/4 turn. A smart a$$. Being a young kid at the time I just said thanks and walked away, realizing that he got his jollies for the day. No harm done.

When putting my cue toghether I get it as tight as I can. I don't hold the wrap when doing this because I am afraid that it may twist the wrap. I think it is better to be tight then loose. If loose you could ruin the threads in the shaft.

I have heard that Keith has one of the strongest grips when putting together his cue. Watch when he takes it apart. He has to rap it with his hand to loosen it.
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Lol, i seen him on t.v in the skins program and they showed him breaking his cue apart like when you give someone a snake bite on their arm.
 
Travis Bickle said:
Loose is lousy. You feel that bad vibe after a shot and have to tighten it, right? Try cleaning the wood threads with a little alcohol every month or so ... then squirt the pin with WD-40 or silicone spray, and you'll get a tight but workable fit for a few weeks, at least. No question when you've got it all the way there that it'll stay.
Click to expand...

i just got a mcdermott cue and i noticed the shaft has just wood for the threads unlike the other cues of myne, and i am scared they will either get crossed threaded or something goes wrong in the future, it has a life time warranty on it. But you said clean with alcohol how do i go about doing this, and squirt the pin on the butt with wd 40. Thanks for the reply. Cole.
 
Cole, I don't claim to be an expert and maybe somebody will chime in and tell me this is a questionable practice, but I read of it a couple of years ago on another board and it has worked for me. 2 years on one cue with 2 shafts, no problems.

I just pour the alcohol into the threads, shake it for a sec with my thumb over it, give it all a quick once-over with a cue tip, then dump it out. I let it sit and dry for a few mins, then I'll spray the pin and work it in there once. That does it for several weeks ... when I feel it loosening a little, I do it again. Some folks put wax in there, but I haven't needed to. Same fit each time, so far.

But don't skip that last step! After the wood swells up, you might need a couple of pipe wrenches to get it apart without the lube!
 
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Regarding tightening a wood to wood joint, this must be a German joint design cause somebody told me foriegn torque specification......gudntite!!
I think that means tight but NO Magilla Gorilla. Part of Keiths ability to tighten his cue so tight I believe is how he has the cuemaker makeup the joint. You don't really want it that tight anyway, your wrist will be tired after playing and you won't be able to break your cue apart.Wax on the pin can help with that but it has to be cleaned out of the shaft occasionally because it will eventually pick up grit.

Terry
 
Travis Bickle said:
Cole, I don't claim to be an expert and maybe somebody will chime in and tell me this is a questionable practice, but I read of it a couple of years ago on another board and it has worked for me. 2 years on one cue with 2 shafts, no problems.

I just pour the alcohol into the threads, shake it for a sec with my thumb over it, give it all a quick once-over with a cue tip, then dump it out. I let it sit and dry for a few mins, then I'll spray the pin and work it in there once. That does it for several weeks ... when I feel it loosening a little, I do it again. Some folks put wax in there, but I haven't needed to. Same fit each time, so far.

But don't skip that last step! After the wood swells up, you might need a couple of pipe wrenches to get it apart without the lube!
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Right on, sounds like an idea, i was scared to play with it alot cause of this. when you say dont' skip the last step that is the wd40 right, Thanks again Cole.
 
> I'm also in the group that puts their cue together as tight as it will go,but aside from a horrible McD Black Mac break cue,I've never owned a cue with wood threads inside the shaft. When I screw someone elses cue together,a cue from a shop I'm unfamiliar with,or a cue I am looking at possibly buying or experimenting with,I know what I like and don't like. I don't like rough looking threads on a pin,inside an insert or inside a wood screw type shaft. I have taken a close look at the only 2 Radial-pin cues in the area,both of which are Lucasi. Both were TIGHT,almost annoyingly so. I have also looked at a radial jointed Josey,which was noticably looser than these Lucasi's,but still very snug. The thing I really noticed the most about this Josey was how SMOOTH it went together,despite the snug fit,almost like you screwed the pin into a block of really hard wax. The Lucasi joints were nowhere near as smooth,but way tighter. The 3/8-10,11 Acme style pins you see on SW,DPK,Bender,Cogs and several others are usually pretty snug as well because the inside of the shaft wood is actually riding the minor diameter of the pin,which is flat and concentric. The threads on the pin really aren't that tight inside the shaft,and will eventually get looser,but the bore inside the shaft isn't as succeptable to twisting stresses and eventual wear,so it still fits snug. Hal here on the board was selling a Paul Dayton cue he said was so tight he expected the shafts to crack,personally I'm not so sure I'd want one that tight. Another thing that affects this is how well the joint facings line up,as far as getting it screwed together tightly enough that the playability doesn't suffer. Meucci cues,for sure,play better when they are as tight as you can reasonably get them. There are also ways to tighten up a loose/sloppy fit as far as inside wood threads,but not with an insert. When you screw a cue together so tightly it takes 2 people to get it apart,or takes a few times to get broken loose,the joint facings are what causes that,not the pin/shaft fit. A cotton ball or corner of a rag lightly dampened with alcohol works well for keeping them clean,but putting alcohol down in wood threads is asking for problems. Tommy D.
 
Tommy-D said:
> I'm also in the group that puts their cue together as tight as it will go,but aside from a horrible McD Black Mac break cue,I've never owned a cue with wood threads inside the shaft. When I screw someone elses cue together,a cue from a shop I'm unfamiliar with,or a cue I am looking at possibly buying or experimenting with,I know what I like and don't like. I don't like rough looking threads on a pin,inside an insert or inside a wood screw type shaft. I have taken a close look at the only 2 Radial-pin cues in the area,both of which are Lucasi. Both were TIGHT,almost annoyingly so. I have also looked at a radial jointed Josey,which was noticably looser than these Lucasi's,but still very snug. The thing I really noticed the most about this Josey was how SMOOTH it went together,despite the snug fit,almost like you screwed the pin into a block of really hard wax. The Lucasi joints were nowhere near as smooth,but way tighter. The 3/8-10,11 Acme style pins you see on SW,DPK,Bender,Cogs and several others are usually pretty snug as well because the inside of the shaft wood is actually riding the minor diameter of the pin,which is flat and concentric. The threads on the pin really aren't that tight inside the shaft,and will eventually get looser,but the bore inside the shaft isn't as succeptable to twisting stresses and eventual wear,so it still fits snug. Hal here on the board was selling a Paul Dayton cue he said was so tight he expected the shafts to crack,personally I'm not so sure I'd want one that tight. Another thing that affects this is how well the joint facings line up,as far as getting it screwed together tightly enough that the playability doesn't suffer. Meucci cues,for sure,play better when they are as tight as you can reasonably get them. There are also ways to tighten up a loose/sloppy fit as far as inside wood threads,but not with an insert. When you screw a cue together so tightly it takes 2 people to get it apart,or takes a few times to get broken loose,the joint facings are what causes that,not the pin/shaft fit. A cotton ball or corner of a rag lightly dampened with alcohol works well for keeping them clean,but putting alcohol down in wood threads is asking for problems. Tommy D.
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how often should one clean the wood threads?
 
> I recommended cleaning the faces of the joint,unless you wax the pin or use something else on the pin I can't see ever needing to clean the wood threads. Metal pins like stainless,aluminum,and especially brass will oxidize unless they are plated somehow,the oxidation rubs off the pin and stains the wood,making it look dirty. This is perfectly normal. Tommy D.
 
TheConArtist said:
i just got a mcdermott cue and i noticed the shaft has just wood for the threads unlike the other cues of myne, and i am scared they will either get crossed threaded or something goes wrong in the future, it has a life time warranty on it. But you said clean with alcohol how do i go about doing this, and squirt the pin on the butt with wd 40. Thanks for the reply. Cole.
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DO NOT USE WD-40 ON YOUR CUE!! It will ruin the cue. It will brake down the wood fibers inside the shaft. :confused:
 
Cole,

If you got a McDermott it has a stainless pin, you don't need anything more than "maybe" wax (bees,auto). Personally I'd use "nothing" until you notice problems like grittiness when disassembling. Avoid petroleum products, I think I've heard you can use the alcohol but the wood will likely swell in the threads.

Terry
 
Travis Bickle said:
then I'll spray the pin and work it in there once. That does it for several weeks ... when I feel it loosening a little, I do it again. Some folks put wax in there, but I haven't needed to. Same fit each time, so far.

But don't skip that last step! After the wood swells up, you might need a couple of pipe wrenches to get it apart without the lube!
Click to expand...

Tbeaux said:
I think I've heard you can use the alcohol but the wood will likely swell in the threads.
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Travis said he uses wd40 for that reason then Jeffrey Gayle said

Jeffrey Gayle said:
DO NOT USE WD-40 ON YOUR CUE!! It will ruin the cue. It will brake down the wood fibers inside the shaft.
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One person recommended using johnsons wax on the pin and a little on the wood threads.
 
TheConArtist said:
Travis said he uses wd40 for that reason then Jeffrey Gayle said



One person recommended using johnsons wax on the pin and a little on the wood threads.
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I'd avoid the wd-40 unless you let it dry completely (then what use is it?). It's a petroleum product and will enter the exposed wood pores in the threads,causing again the wood to swell,also causing the wood to break down over time. I "THINK" Blud said he uses alcohol on a q-tip to clean threads (could be wrong though). Hell, use joint protectors and don't let the joint get dirty in the first place!

Terry
 
Hell, use joint protectors and don't let the joint get dirty in the first place!
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Exactly! That's what I did with my old McDermott that had wood threads. Never had any problems with it. I still use it from time to time. I leave it in my car in case I forget to bring my good cues. I know that is not good for it but I'm not too worried about that particular cue.
 
good advice, but you know just like to know what to do when the time comes if they need a little cleaning or tightening up.
 
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