OB Cues

Michael Webb said:
Does anyone know about these new shafts.
http://www.obcues.com/playbetter.html
Someone please enlighten me. Besides the price.
Click to expand...

Michael,
I bought a shaft from them at a tourney about a month ago. I have shot with it on different butts, and have changed the tip also.

Let me explain. I do repairs, sell items off and on Ebay, build a few cues, and am the type of person who wants to know what the "differences" are. When a players asks if this shaft will hit "better" than a 314 shaft, how do you explain. without shooting with it yourself, right?

If you have ever shot with a Helmstetter, Schon, or a SW. And I mean with a small diameter (12.75mm) STIFF shaft---Then you will be in the arena of the OBcue shaft. It has very little bend, spring, deflection when hitting a ball. It also has very little "feedback" too. I thought, the original tip is like an Elkmaster soft tip---soo, let me put on a regular LePro tip and shoot with that and see how that feels. Somewhat better "feedback" but still a little stiff.

Now I played some 20 hours or so with this shaft, on different occassions, and noticed one area I didn't like. You can feel the "ridges" where the pieces are glued to gether. I took the shaft over to my Hightower lathe, and sanded it with 600, 1200, 2000, and leather burnished. That night after shooting with it an hour or so, the "roughness" feeling came back. I am so used to silk smooth shaft, maybe that is my hangup.:rolleyes:

Overall, if you are looking for a stiffer 314 shaft, that hits SOLID, and gives little vibration in your hands--this will do it.

No major complaints from me, but I will put this shaft away, and sell it when the opportunity arises.:D

Thanks
RWOMEL
Richard Womeldorf
McAllen, TX
 
rwomel said:
Michael,
I bought a shaft from them at a tourney about a month ago. I have shot with it on different butts, and have changed the tip also.

Let me explain. I do repairs, sell items off and on Ebay, build a few cues, and am the type of person who wants to know what the "differences" are. When a players asks if this shaft will hit "better" than a 314 shaft, how do you explain. without shooting with it yourself, right?

If you have ever shot with a Helmstetter, Schon, or a SW. And I mean with a small diameter (12.75mm) STIFF shaft---Then you will be in the arena of the OBcue shaft. It has very little bend, spring, deflection when hitting a ball. It also has very little "feedback" too. I thought, the original tip is like an Elkmaster soft tip---soo, let me put on a regular LePro tip and shoot with that and see how that feels. Somewhat better "feedback" but still a little stiff.

Now I played some 20 hours or so with this shaft, on different occassions, and noticed one area I didn't like. You can feel the "ridges" where the pieces are glued to gether. I took the shaft over to my Hightower lathe, and sanded it with 600, 1200, 2000, and leather burnished. That night after shooting with it an hour or so, the "roughness" feeling came back. I am so used to silk smooth shaft, maybe that is my hangup.:rolleyes:

Overall, if you are looking for a stiffer 314 shaft, that hits SOLID, and gives little vibration in your hands--this will do it.

No major complaints from me, but I will put this shaft away, and sell it when the opportunity arises.:D

Thanks
RWOMEL
Richard Womeldorf
McAllen, TX
Click to expand...

Thank you,
I play with my standard shaft, ivory ferrule, moori medium and I can switch to a Predator with very little adjustment because my taper is simular, which I do on occaision just to aggravate my friends that play with a Predator. I do however like to learn about new products, so when I saw the ad, I had to ask. The feeling of the laminations is a big concern, Maybe they'll be at the expo and I can fire some with it,
 
Michael Webb said:
Thank you,
I play with my standard shaft, ivory ferrule, moori medium and I can switch to a Predator with very little adjustment because my taper is simular, which I do on occaision just to aggravate my friends that play with a Predator. I do however like to learn about new products, so when I saw the ad, I had to ask. The feeling of the laminations is a big concern, Maybe they'll be at the expo and I can fire some with it,
Click to expand...
From a cuemakers standpoint, that is a lot of work to put in a shaft for what he charges. He turns 6 pieces round, grooves them out, glues them all together, then turns that into a tapered shaft. Very reasonable price for the amount of work involved. I had heard about his shafts, but had not seen how it was made until today. Thanks for posting the link.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
 
I know a couple of people that own them, and they are very happy with them. I hit with one, and it felt good.
 
These new colors driving me nuts already, Thanks for the reply's. Like I said maybe they'll go to the expo. I'd like to put it through some tests, just to see what it will actually do or not do.
 
OB opinion

rwomel said:
If you have ever shot with a Helmstetter, Schon, or a SW. And I mean with a small diameter (12.75mm) STIFF shaft---Then you will be in the arena of the OBcue shaft. It has very little bend, spring, deflection when hitting a ball. It also has very little "feedback" too.
Click to expand...

Richard-

Can you enlighten me a little bit? What do you mean by "stiff"? I looked at one of these shafts a couple months ago... When I gave it the standard "deflection test" (hold joined cue loosely in one hand and give a quick hit to the joint with the palm of your hand), the shafts "node" (dead spot in a wave) was wobbling from the center like a Meucci! Every one of my best playing shafts have that same "node" appear much closer to the ferrule... IMO, this shaft was one of the whippiest (sp?) laminates that I had ever seen! I have yet to really play with one though... I took a couple of shots with it and didn't like the lack of feedback or the weight. That shaft was so heavy that it literally changed the balance point of my cue!
 
cheese_ball said:
Richard-

Can you enlighten me a little bit? What do you mean by "stiff"? I looked at one of these shafts a couple months ago... When I gave it the standard "deflection test" (hold joined cue loosely in one hand and give a quick hit to the joint with the palm of your hand), the shafts "node" (dead spot in a wave) was wobbling from the center like a Meucci!
Click to expand...

Humm-"Standard Deflection Test" ? :confused: Well, I will say that a whippy shaft sometimes hits real good, if you have good stroke and follow through. And if you are using extreme english, yep they will add a bunch more to the shot.
(This is not a hint that you can not shoot, just a general personal opinion)

I agree the shaft hit or slappped as you decribed does produce a whippy action. But it does hit solid in regular play. I don't feel any movement hitting with it. It hit nice and solid or stiff, right through the shot.


Every one of my best playing shafts have that same "node" appear much closer to the ferrule... IMO, this shaft was one of the whippiest (sp?) laminates that I had ever seen! I have yet to really play with one though... I took a couple of shots with it and didn't like the lack of feedback or the weight. That shaft was so heavy that it literally changed the balance point of my cue!
Click to expand...

As mentioned before, in my last post, I used this on various butts. And on some it balance out well, on some if was forward weighted. I personally like the shaft's stiffness---but am use to some better feedback to the strike on the ball. You see the hit, you hear the hit, you just don't feel it. Hitting with this shaft is like driving a big "Caddie", you don't feel the movement.:D

After reading the past posts, I agree with Chris, there is an amazing amount of work in this shaft. Even the ferrule is special. I also found out by changing the tip, an IMPORTANT fact. There is a pad between the tip and ferrule. Don't cut into the pad to the ferrule, mfg told me the ferrule was designed for the shaft, and the pad placed there for presearving the integrity of the ferrulle.

The "roughness" of the shaft is minor, and really comes from the taper cutting into the multi--multi laminates of the design. It minor, but I feel it.
I give the shaft a 90-95% thumbs up.:)

Thanks
RWOMEL
 
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Michael Webb said:
These new colors driving me nuts already, Thanks for the reply's. Like I said maybe they'll go to the expo. I'd like to put it through some tests, just to see what it will actually do or not do.
Click to expand...

Click the "User CP" link, and then the "Edit Options" link. At the bottom of the page that comes up, under Miscellaneous Options, there is a dropdown for "Forum Skin" Select AzBilliards vB 3 Style, and it will go back to what it used to look like. :)
 
rwomel said:
Well, I will say that a whippy shaft sometimes hits real good, if you have good stroke and follow through. And if you are using extreme english, yep they will add a bunch more to the shot.
(This is not a hint that you can not shoot, just a general personal opinion)

I agree the shaft hit or slappped as you decribed does produce a whippy action. But it does hit solid in regular play. I don't feel any movement hitting with it. It hit nice and solid or stiff, right through the shot.
Click to expand...

What is the "hit" of a shaft or cue if it is not the feedback you recieve in your hand, the level of control that it provides, deflection, squirt...? A super whippy shaft may FOOL you into thinking that it plays good by providing different levels of spin than a stiffer shaft might... You mention that using extreme english with a whippy shaft can give you more oomph. True, but can you get the cue ball to spin off of 4 rails and land within a 3" radius from the spot with that shaft? How many times out of 10? Sure, you may be able to draw three lengths of the table with that shaft, however, can you CONTROL it? Pool is a game of thousandths of an inch! A little too much or not quite enough is the difference between bringing home dinner to the wife and kids or explaining how you lost the mortgage.

I still don't understand what makes this shaft "stiff." Seems like we've both agreed that this shaft is pretty whippy. How can a shaft be both whippy and stiff at the same time???

Chris- I also agree with you... as far as value is concerned, you ARE getting a lot for your money. The process involved to make these shafts is outrageous! I'm not trying to put anyone down, or discredit the manufacturer... I just want to know if it's "for me." I'll try just about anything, but I always end up going back to my good old solid maple shafts when it matters. I've never felt comfortable with ANY laminated shaft!
 
Michael Webb said:
These new colors driving me nuts already, Thanks for the reply's. Like I said maybe they'll go to the expo. I'd like to put it through some tests, just to see what it will actually do or not do.
Click to expand...


Mike,

Scroll down to the bottom of the screen to the little drop down list, select azbilliards Vb3 style and you'll have the old setup.;) I'm getting used to it myself.

Terry
 
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