Hypothetically: can a "regular" shaft be made LD?

[dquarasr]

I understand that the primary factor in making a cue shaft LD is low mass at the front of the cue. This can be achieved via multiple factors: thin diameter; hollow core near the tip; very short ferrules.

So, hypothetically, can an already relatively thin diameter wooden shaft which does exhibit a fair amount of deflection be made LD by (in priority order):
- shortening the ferrule
- hollowing out the ferrule and possibly some of the wood of the end of the shaft
- shaving some of the outside of the shaft / changing the taper
?

 

[Patrick Johnson]

I think boring a hole in the tip end of the shaft is most effective. My 10mm tip is hollowed and I also had a small (1/4” long), thin ferrule installed.

Works great (20” pivot length).

pj
chgo

 

[Cornerman]

I understand that the primary factor in making a cue shaft LD is low mass at the front of the cue. This can be achieved via multiple factors: thin diameter; hollow core near the tip; very short ferrules.

So, hypothetically, can an already relatively thin diameter wooden shaft which does exhibit a fair amount of deflection be made LD by (in priority order):
- shortening the ferrule
- hollowing out the ferrule and possibly some of the wood of the end of the shaft
- shaving some of the outside of the shaft / changing the taper
?

The answer is: of course. The “hollow core near the tip” is normally just a drilled hole 5-6” down the axis. That can be done on any wooden cue.

If you’re thinking about shortening the ferrule, you might as well drill a hole. You need obviously the right tools and some skills.


Yes, you can also shave material on the outside. That was a common method before people were truly understood how to get a low squirt shaft. People would find that if they re-tapered the shaft to more of a constant taper or a European taper, the result would be lower squirt. They thought it was the stiffness, but that’s not what it was. It was the simple fact that they were removing material off near the tip end.

You could, of course replace your ferrule with a lower density ferrule, which would be Meucci and the OB method.

 

[sbrownn]

I would keep your original factory maple shaft as is and contact https://dominiakcues.com/ stating what you want. He did a light roasted Kielwood shaft to my specs below $200 shipped. He also makes LD shafts and these that look to be a Kielwood LD hybrid:

Radial Laminated Taper Shaft/ Roasted Torrified/ Hard Maple

Radial laminated "Right Roasted" hard maple. These are straight taper shafts measuring 30" long , 1" at the joint and .750" at the ferrule Cut your own profile on these . Eight piece straight grain, hand built in the USA Stafford NY We offer these in 3 grades. The AA grade is the very best...

dominiakcues.com

 

[dquarasr]

I have a local cue maker. I can get another CF shaft (already have one I really like) but this was more of a curiosity for me then an actual need. Hence, the hypothetical nature of my inquiry.

 

[Quesports]

A good friend has a Joss cue with one original shaft. It was the straightest lowest deflection shaft I have ever shot with.

I offered him 2500 for it he turned me down. I countered that offer for just the shaft for 2000. He turned me down again.

I suspect that bastard still has that cue! Even called and spoke with Dan Janes about it. He told me once in every once in a while the stars all align and the perfect shaft happens.

He and I had a good chuckle about my offer for the shaft!
I’m still thinking about it now!!!! Damn it…

 

[Chopdoc]

I have a cue that I was after and found a number of years ago. The original owner had a genuine lizard wrap put on it. Excellent work...still haven't got around to restoring that.

He also had the ferrule shortened 3/4 of an inch to "make it LD". Diameter and taper are original. It now needs a dowel and new 1 inch ferrule. I haven't got around to that either.

Make it LD? I think he bumped his head.

You can do whatever you want with your cue. Duct tape, laser sights...whatever.

 

[Paul Bell]

The owner of the company that excelled in Dr Dave’s test of deflection from carbon fiber shafts, WheatState, wrote that he could achieve low deflection but that wasn’t the issue. The issue was to do that while “maintaining a great balance point, flex level, weight, sound/hit, build quality”.

 

[Jaden]

Reducing the end mass is the easiest way to reduce squirt/cueball deflection. It can be done on literally any cue. The first shafts I tested for my LD shaft designs were my playing cue shafts that I cored and hollow tenoned. I've even drilled out some of the carbon fiber in a carbon fiber blank and lowered the deflection.

My hybrid shafts are the definition of lowering the deflection of a standard shaft.

 

[j2pac]

Q: Hypothetically: can a "regular" shaft be made LD?​

A: They can, and have.

 

[ctyhntr]

There are many methods of lower deflection. Bob Meucci and his whippy shafts. Karen Corr was playing with a snooker cue. Check out Cuemaster98's postings about his fearless shafts. Tips glued directly to the shaft without a ferrule and displayed noticeable lower deflection.

An issue manufacturers discovered with lower deflection is radial consistency or lack becomes noticeable. Predator and OB went with plywood/pie like shaft construction. Snooker's solution was simpler, they put a notch at the end of the butt so you would always hold the cue/shaft in the same orientation every time.

 

[Chopdoc]

There are many methods of lower deflection. Bob Meucci and his whippy shafts. Karen Corr was playing with a snooker cue. Check out Cuemaster98's postings about his fearless shafts. Tips glued directly to the shaft without a ferrule and displayed noticeable lower deflection.

An issue manufacturers discovered with lower deflection is radial consistency or lack becomes noticeable. Predator and OB went with plywood/pie like shaft construction. Snooker's solution was simpler, they put a notch at the end of the butt so you would always hold the cue/shaft in the same orientation every time.

In snooker, "chevrons" (also known as arrows) refer to the natural V-shaped growth rings visible on ash wood cue shafts. Having these chevrons facing upwards (pointing toward the tip) acts as a visual aiming aid, helps ensure your cue is completely straight, and provides consistent natural flex or deflection.

The number and spacing of chevrons provide insight into how the wood grew and how the shaft will play. Fewer/Wider Chevrons indicates the ash tree grew faster. These wider-grain cues often feel slightly stiffer. More/Closer Chevrons indicates the ash grew slower, typically in colder climates. These yield a denser, slightly more flexible cue, providing greater "whip" and natural feedback.

 

[Chopdoc]

Q: Hypothetically: can a "regular" shaft be made LD?​

A: They can, and have.

Yup.

It can also be screwed up, like the one I got where all they did was lop off 3/4 of the ferrule and dowel.

As I suggested in my previous post people can do whatever they want to their cue. My suggestion is that if it is a rare or collectible cue, with a hard to replace shaft, old growth, or made by a master, please don't.

I am all for experimentation in general though.

 

[j2pac]

Yup.

It can also be screwed up, like the one I got where all they did was lop off 3/4 of the ferrule and dowel.

As I suggested in my previous people can do whatever they want to their cue. My suggestion is that if it is a rare or collectible cue, with a hard to replace shaft, old growth, or made by a master, please don't.

I am all for experimentation in general though.

I agree with you completely. If I were going to have something like that done, and the cue were mine, I would leave the original shafts untouched, and have an extra "LD" shaft made for the cue.

 

[Jaden]

There are many methods of lower deflection. Bob Meucci and his whippy shafts. Karen Corr was playing with a snooker cue. Check out Cuemaster98's postings about his fearless shafts. Tips glued directly to the shaft without a ferrule and displayed noticeable lower deflection.

An issue manufacturers discovered with lower deflection is radial consistency or lack becomes noticeable. Predator and OB went with plywood/pie like shaft construction. Snooker's solution was simpler, they put a notch at the end of the butt so you would always hold the cue/shaft in the same orientation every time.

There AREN'T many methods of low deflection, radial and pie cut shafts were only about radial consistency of the wood and had absolutely nothing to do with the level of deflection. Royce and I sat down and had conversations about shaft construction and low deflection. I'm not saying that mass reduction is the only method possible of lowered deflection, but there aren't many known ways to lower deflection.