Only Rock Maple Allowed?

M.G. said:
Dear poster,

please don't get turned down by the usual answer you'll get here.
The question about maple needs to be asked and there are quite a few different woods that work well and better, in some regards.

Hornbeam seems to be a very very good candidate and also ash shafts have been made (for pool) with excellent results.
Longoni makes maple/hornbeam-combined shafts (the S3); also a few European cue makers do that and they have a very unique following and I'd love to get my hands on one.

Its maple because (only excuses here):
- it's dirt cheap
- it has no noticeable grain or discolorations, is whiteish and looks innocuous
- it's always been done that way (which is a very very bad excuse)
- people dont like change

Cheers and do look around!
M
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It is painfully obvious YOU have NO clue about the price of shaft wood.

Dale
 
M.G. said:
Dear poster,

please don't get turned down by the usual answer you'll get here.
The question about maple needs to be asked and there are quite a few different woods that work well and better, in some regards.

Hornbeam seems to be a very very good candidate and also ash shafts have been made (for pool) with excellent results.
Longoni makes maple/hornbeam-combined shafts (the S3); also a few European cue makers do that and they have a very unique following and I'd love to get my hands on one.

Its maple because (only excuses here):
- it's dirt cheap
- it has no noticeable grain or discolorations, is whiteish and looks innocuous
- it's always been done that way (which is a very very bad excuse)
- people dont like change

Cheers and do look around!
M
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Robin said it best in his response to the op. To put it bluntly, sugar maple is the best wood for shafts and all the others have been tried. As far as cheap, you have to be kidding. My cost per board foot of shafts that I use on my cues is about $85 per board foot. The 60%-70% I reject are just money.
 
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Halfjack87 said:
Why are all shafts Rock Maple?

Seems like a good variety of woods would be perfectly suitable for a shaft - I mean they need to be relatively hard, fine grained wood, but in a market saturated with beautiful exotic woods used for the butts, why is nobody using anything but Rock Maple for the shafts?

Just want to understand, thanks in advance! :smile:
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For what it's worth, I log, mill, dry, and process the majority of my own shaft wood. My mill, equipment, kiln, etc. is all designed or chosen specifically for one species and size of tree. I could easily cut any wood, but I only cut sugar maple. In fact, it wouldn't cost me any more or less, nor would it alter my work practice. I don't choose maple because it's the standard, or because it's cheap. The only reason I use maple is because it's the best. No other wood has strength, elasticity, hardness, fine grain, and tonal characteristics comparable to maple and match its weight range. Another suitable wood simply doesn't exist. The only woods that offer what maple does will weigh significantly more. Ash & hornbeam are competitive in many aspects, but lack the whole package. If a wood existed that could rival or trump maple on every level, then maple wouldn't be the shaft of choice. It's that simple.
 
carguy said:
M.G.- I think you are way off base. As I mentioned in a previous post, cuemakers have had hundreds of years to experiment. Do you really think they have not done this?
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Yeah, might've been an angry post... shame on me and sorry :o

Still thinking that hornbeam or maple-hornbeam hybrids could be a step ahead.

http://www.longonicues.com/longoni-...longoni-pool-shafts/462-longoni-s3-pool-shaft

http://www.musterkiste.com/en/holz/pro/1027_Hornbeam.html
http://www.musterkiste.com/en/holz/pro/1008,0.html

Cheers!
 
No,it isn't rock maple shafts only that are allowed.
Purpleheart is allowed too:eek::eek::eek:
Also,I think that in the rule book snake wood is allowed as well:eek::eek::eek:
 
All this talk about shaft wood appears to be only relating to solid wood shafts. What's the chance that the makers of laminated shafts are using the best maple to create these magic wands?
 
c-money said:
All this talk about shaft wood appears to be only relating to solid wood shafts. What's the chance that the makers of laminated shafts are using the best maple to create these magic wands?
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In a word, infinitesimal. They have to and do use good wood, which has to meet their standards, but there is no reason why they would waste money when the the ONLY thing it does is cut their bottom line.
 
Some guys do use other woods for shafts. I have seen purpleheart, ash, hornbeam, etc. The other woods typically seem to be used sparingly, and for/on special request by a customer. The maple just seems to be the standard.
j2
 
My hornbeam shafts are getting close to finishing now. I`ll report back as soon as they are ready, but from working with hornbeam now, I can say that in every aspect, it`s very similar to maple.
 
JoeyInCali said:
JC said:
I hope you like 5+ oz shafts that don't flex much.:grin:
Maple is God's gift to pool.
Kinda like pernambuco to violinists .
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My friend wanted a light break cue so I made him a bar cue conversion with a goncalo alves shaft. Just cuz you said it would be crap:). The shaft was lighter and more flexible than purple heart and works very well for the application. In fact it weighs in the range of some maple. And it looks cool, the wood in the butt matches it closely. I ended up taking off the ferrule and installing a one piece phenolic after testing it. I'm making another one for myself.

JC
17098635_205104219968897_402029797744021660_n.jpg
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