Loose shaft

Ken_4fun

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a cue that is a big pin and this is an older cue. The shaft is a great shaft and plays well, but after years of screwing it on and off the shaft is pretty loose on the threads.

I have had Southwests, Rick Howards and others with similar threads that when they were new they were so tight that I could bearly join the shaft to the butt. Eventually they loosened some, but retained a snug fit. I have always wondered about these wood to wood joints (because of this reason), verses the piloted joints that the Gus, Gina, JW, etc have.

Any suggestions?

Ken
 
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Hi,

Permanent Fix: You need to drill out the shaft and epoxy a insert or wood dowel into it then drill and tap.

Quick Fix: Before you commit to spending money you could try putting superglue in the threads and go outside and spin the cue around in a circle motion to get the excess glue out. Then put the cue back together after it dries.

Do this several times and you may be surprised. Make sure you put tape on the face to keep it clean with a hole in the middle.

I have never done this but A cue repair friend of mine has had success in the past. If the threads are too far gone and you just see a spiral line in there you may be too far gone. It's worth a try!

Make sure to wear goggles to potect your eyes.

Rick
 
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Fill the hole with

Denatured alchohol - let sit a few seconds then pour out. Wood will swell up a bit. Afterwards the fit is much tighter.
 
I've had a shaft plugged and re-tapped. I was quite surprised at how well it worked, and also the price ($20).

-s
 
You can take a Q-TIP with some automobile PASTE wax & apply it to the shaft threads. Let it dry & you will see a big improvement...JER
 
I agree with swelling the threads, let them dry, use something to harden the grain, and then screw it back together. Coring and retapping is a option only after you have tried the other methods. How you swell the wood is up to you. Some use alcohol, some use a little water. Harden the threads with super glue or an actual grain hardener.
 
IMHO, the largest single advancement for the 'BIG-pin' that I've seen in my 20+ yrs of building is the phenolic insert. It's not a fix, it's a permanent solution.
I've been using it on all my big-pin shafts for at least 10 yrs.
I've even used it on G-10 Radial pins. The fit is phenomenal.
 
rethreading

I agree completely with KJ. Once you use a phenolic insert you won't want anything else.
Tom Gedris, Triple Cross Cues:thumbup:
 
Swelling the threads will only weaken them . Plugging is the real solution . Treating newly tapped threads with thin CA and then running the tap in again really makes a difference in the long run ...:cool:
 
BLACKHEARTCUES said:
You can take a Q-TIP with some automobile PASTE wax & apply it to the shaft threads. Let it dry & you will see a big improvement...JER
Click to expand...


I agree with Jerry, and Ryan about this method, this may work completely depending upon how worn out the threads are. If it doesn't I would recommend a Phenolic Insert being installed, over a standard wood insert that many would recommend. I use these on all my custom cues, they are easy to install, and they do not wear like wood so they do not wear out over time. They also give a real nice fit at the cues joint that isn't overly tight, however, it will fit very snug, I also think that using these inserts will stiffen the hit of the cue a little bit.

JIMO
 
ratcues said:
I agree with swelling the threads, let them dry, use something to harden the grain, and then screw it back together. Coring and retapping is a option only after you have tried the other methods. How you swell the wood is up to you. Some use alcohol, some use a little water. Harden the threads with super glue or an actual grain hardener.
Click to expand...

I tried this technique and it worked, but the problem was it worked too well.

After "swelling" I should have (key there...should have....) threaded the shaft and butt together to re-examine the fit. I didnt do that and after it dried I applied crazy glue on threads, maybe 3-4 drops, and tried to spread it allong the threads.

After that dried, i tried to screwing it together. :eek:

I then used the joint protector to work back and forth after about 20 minutes, I then when with the butt until it worked fully on.

Snug? Yep, probably a tad too snug, but I think it will relax a little with time.

I was scared when I tried to put it back on the first time, I can tell you. But I thought the worst case I would have to send it to a cuemaker to do the dowel and tap method.

Thanks for the responses.

Ken
 
Eric Wynne said:
Swelling the threads will only weaken them . Plugging is the real solution . Treating newly tapped threads with thin CA and then running the tap in again really makes a difference in the long run ...:cool:
Click to expand...

With cue repairs it is always best to try the simplest solution first. I swell the threads and then seal them. That usually works. It may work for the life of the cue or it may not work at all. I just do not see the logic in putting a cue at risk when you do not have to. Any time you put a cue in a lathe, there is risk, especially if the cue is already finished.

Playability is also a consideration. While I do use phenolic inserts at times on new builds, I rarely use them with repairs unless requested. As Manwon said, it changes the hit. You may or may not notice but it does change.
 
An update.

Its been a couple weeks and the shaft is very snug, similiar the the Rick Howard cue when it is brand new. It has loosened from where it was initially and seems to found its tightness.

The techinique, at least for me, was successful.

Thanks again,

Ken
 
KJ Cues said:
IMHO, the largest single advancement for the 'BIG-pin' that I've seen in my 20+ yrs of building is the phenolic insert. It's not a fix, it's a permanent solution.
I've been using it on all my big-pin shafts for at least 10 yrs.
I've even used it on G-10 Radial pins. The fit is phenomenal.
Click to expand...

KJ did this for me on a Predator 314-2 shaft. The shaft was a radial thread and he drilled it out, put in a phenolic insert, drilled and tapped it for a SW thread and changed the ring work to match my SW cue and it came out great. The fit was perfect......

James
 
KJ Cues said:
IMHO, the largest single advancement for the 'BIG-pin' that I've seen in my 20+ yrs of building is the phenolic insert. It's not a fix, it's a permanent solution.
I've been using it on all my big-pin shafts for at least 10 yrs.
I've even used it on G-10 Radial pins. The fit is phenomenal.
Click to expand...

Yep ... KJ is right.
This is the way to go for a fix.
I have done many shafts with a phenolic insert and they all worked out very well.

Willee
 
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