Inexpensive coring wood for weight

[JoeyInCali]

Using expensive wood for coring is silly if there is an equally suitable wood available that costs less. I think that is what the OP was asking about.

That's the operative words.
Woods are priced MOSTLY by figure and rarity.

Among the best woods in my collection is pernambuco.
Would I use them for cores ? Frkn ey no.
I use another specie that is really close to it.

Straight grain tight maple is among the best choice to knock the weight down of heavy woods. They are not cheap if you buy expensive shaft dowels in the first place. I don't buy them in short lengths. I get plenty of 30" dowels that I look at and can tell they won't make it as 29" shafts.
But, a lot of them are salvageable as 15-18" core dowels.

Another good source of core woods is Rockler.
Oftentimes they will have a sale on their 3/8 and 1/2 thin slabs.
They have rosewoods and maple.
You can pick your boards. Stick a needle on them to check moisture content.
Buy the good ones. Let sit for a while in your shop.
Plain them flat on one side.
Cut them the length of the boards, then flip one over for a cross-ply board.
Glue and clamp.
Band saw them to your thickness liking.
Center them and turn round.
Done and aged right, they make for great dowels.

 

[Lexicologist71]

It would seem that incorporating cost would help differentiate between having a hobby or a business. If two woods meet the criteria for a certain task equally, the cheaper wood is the logical choice. Paying extra just to be able to say you did makes no sense to me. It's like waiting until the sale is over to make a purchase.

 

[qbilder]

It would seem that incorporating cost would help differentiate between having a hobby or a business. If two woods meet the criteria for a certain task equally, the cheaper wood is the logical choice. Paying extra just to be able to say you did makes no sense to me. It's like waiting until the sale is over to make a purchase.

The big picture i'm trying to convey is that in order to do your best, you must not consider the cost. If cost inhibits your decisions, then you simply aren't building the best cue you can possibly build. You are building the best cue you can build within the budget you made for it. If you spent $50 extra on a cue in material cost, what's the difference if you sell it for $1000 or $1050? $50 won't break the sale.

 

[scdiveteam]

Using expensive wood for coring is silly if there is an equally suitable wood available that costs less. I think that is what the OP was asking about.

Hi,

I think maple cores hit the best and give a uniform hit to your cues if you use it singularly and exclusively.

If you find a combo of woods that you feel makes the best feed back then you should use it on every cue you build. With me it is maple.

Jmo,

Rick G

 

[JoeyInCali]

The big picture i'm trying to convey is that in order to do your best, you must not consider the cost. If cost inhibits your decisions, then you simply aren't building the best cue you can possibly build. You are building the best cue you can build within the budget you made for it. If you spent $50 extra on a cue in material cost, what's the difference if you sell it for $1000 or $1050? $50 won't break the sale.

Id' go broke if I use pernambuco and brazilian rosewood as cores.

 

[Dave38]

It would seem that incorporating cost would help differentiate between having a hobby or a business. If two woods meet the criteria for a certain task equally, the cheaper wood is the logical choice. Paying extra just to be able to say you did makes no sense to me. It's like waiting until the sale is over to make a purchase.

IMO, no two different woods are the same all the way around. Most, if not all exotics are prices based on, not just rarity, but on tonal quality, stableness, and hardness, and basically the demand for those qualities. IMO, a cheaper alternative is usually just that, cheaper, and therefore it usually is not as good compared to the first choice, on the other qualities needed, or desired that's why it is considered a ' cheaper alternative' That doesn't mean it is a direct replacement of a better, more expensive wood.
Whether you are doing a hobby or a business, one should always try to provide the best product that they can.
I currently use maple and purpleheart for cores, but have been thinking about and waiting to use other woods depending on needs and expectations of the cue that I may be working on at that time. (Ipe being one of them)
Just my thoughts,
Dave

 

[qbilder]

Id' go broke if I use pernambuco and brazilian rosewood as cores.

I'd never depend on braz as a core wood. It varies far too much in consistency from piece to piece. I may use a piece here or there as a core just because it fits the mold for that particular cue, though. I have used a lot of EI rose & mayan rose.

For me, coring gives me an opportunity to design the tone & weight of the cue into the build. I have a particular end resulting tone that I like for my cues to have. Mix matching the woods & cores allows the flexibility to reach that goal with a fair degree of consistency, far more than just using maple. Core a maple forearm, then core an ebony forearm, and build otherwise identical cues from the two components. They will be totally different in feel and personality. Granted, there will be more consistency than say a solid ebony vs. solid maple forearm, but nothing like tone matching. So for me, having an array of core materials to choose from gives me more flexibility to reach a particular goal. It's not for everybody, obviously. Shaft tone is the final tuning of the cue.

The reason I tone match is because there have been cues that hit really good & some not so good. I never could understand why. Didn't matter who built them or what woods were used, some cues mysteriously just played & felt much better than the others. Once I began bouncing & bumping cues to note the tone & vibration, did I realize why. A cue's personality directly tied in with it's tonal characteristics, basically the pitch, strength, & longevity of how it vibrates. I took special note to the differences & how the sound correlated with personality, and over the years have been able to hone in on a particular tone & strength that I personally feel gives paramount feel & playability, basically that "magic pixie dust". That's why I am so particular & nitty about my cores.

 

[Paul Dayton]

If you are really serious about building the best cue you always buy the best wood you can get and if later you get better pieces of that particular wood, you put the original pieces aside. Sometimes you can use these for coring. Goncalo alves, bocote, purple heart, and some others make great cores.

I've never heard anyone complain about the fact that wood on their cue was too good or it hit too well,but I do know people who have a reputation for making ugly cues that hit okay. In the end you need to spend whatever it costs to do the best job. Cheap cores don't make sense unless they improve the play of the cue. If you saved $10 on a cue that is out there for everyone to see and try, how much did you really save.

 

[qbilder]

If you are really serious about building the best cue you always buy the best wood you can get and if later you get better pieces of that particular wood, you put the original pieces aside. Sometimes you can use these for coring. Goncalo alves, bocote, purple heart, and some others make great cores.

I've never heard anyone complain about the fact that wood on their cue was too good or it hit too well,but I do know people who have a reputation for making ugly cues that hit okay. In the end you need to spend whatever it costs to do the best job. Cheap cores don't make sense unless they improve the play of the cue. If you saved $10 on a cue that is out there for everyone to see and try, how much did you really save.

Said it better than I did.

 

[Lexicologist71]

And 'better' is so subjective as to be useless. Different people look for different things. You could use a metal rod for coring a cue and someone would think it was perfect.

 

[qbilder]

And 'better' is so subjective as to be useless. Different people look for different things. You could use a metal rod for coring a cue and someone would think it was perfect.

That is gospel. Though I wouldn't say useless. Every individual has the same choices to make. Should I do my very best? Or are there corners I can cut along the way & still do pretty good? Whatever that best may be, some choose to strive for it while many settle at pretty good because it's somehow easier or cheaper. It's the same choice at every aspect of life.

 

[JoeyInCali]

And 'better' is so subjective as to be useless. Different people look for different things. You could use a metal rod for coring a cue and someone would think it was perfect.

True.
Some used acrylic or phenolics even.
The most popular coring material now is laminated maple I think.
I don't like them but to each his own.
I use mainly two kinds of coring materials.
One being choice maple . I pick the straightest and tightest 15-18" I can get from shafts and handle stock I have that won't make it as 30" or 18" ( handle thickness ) without run-outs. Once cut down and recentered for cores, they have the orientation I like.
I match them according to the handle wood I'm using. I don't believe in very hard core and very hard handle. It's just me. Kinda like a rosewood backed guitar and spruce top . Make it all rosewood wouldn't sound as good as rosewood and spruce ( I don't use spruce though ) .
Also woods' tone changes a lot in different sizes ( besides rigidity of course ).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIOAn55nMVU
Here's a shocking video and demo of it ( around 8:08 ).
Worth watching , believe me.
And even though hit is subjective, it's almost universal from what I've gathered along the years.
Players want stiff hit ( most ), lively/low squirt cueball action and great feedback to the grip hand. So every cue I make, has that in mind.

 

[scdiveteam]

True.
Some used acrylic or phenolics even.
The most popular coring material now is laminated maple I think.
I don't like them but to each his own.
I use mainly two kinds of coring materials.
One being choice maple . I pick the straightest and tightest 15-18" I can get from shafts and handle stock I have that won't make it as 30" or 18" ( handle thickness ) without run-outs. Once cut down and recentered for cores, they have the orientation I like.
I match them according to the handle wood I'm using. I don't believe in very hard core and very hard handle. It's just me. Kinda like a rosewood backed guitar and spruce top . Make it all rosewood wouldn't sound as good as rosewood and spruce ( I don't use spruce though ) .
Also woods' tone changes a lot in different sizes ( besides rigidity of course ).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIOAn55nMVU
Here's a shocking video and demo of it ( around 8:08 ).
Worth watching , believe me.
And even though hit is subjective, it's almost universal from what I've gathered along the years.
Players want stiff hit ( most ), lively/low squirt cueball action and great feedback to the grip hand. So every cue I make, has that in mind.

Joey,

There is not a bad statement in your description. Stiff hit, lively/low squirt and great feedback are what I strive for also and have designed into my cue ( with a little help from Ray ).

I know a lot of people like the ring tone that is a signature of a Joey cue. I on the other hand like to have all of the features you mentioned with a quiet or more low frequency resonance.

It is these subtle details that define a cue maker and his work. Each player needs to find the one that fits his stroke and game the best.

Rick