Original Balabushka bumper

Some of you are getting hyperventilated over the originality of a bumper. Desirable, yes, but bumpers darken over time with use. If you want to sell something with a brand new KU bumper, I get it. But over time, they develop the same color with use. Top, or right, Here's an early Joss, original KU bumper. Then two Scruggs cues with new replacement bumpers, thanks to our own Chris Hightower. I preferred brown bumpers over black, so I changed them. Then a Richard Black with a brown bumper that has darkened so much over the years, it's darker than the KU bumper on the Joss. Interesting thing about the Black bumper is that it's a bit smaller than the standard, KU, or replacement. Not sure how Richard did that. The KU bumper darkens over time as well; it gets close to unrecognizable from its original state.

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FWIW.. My uncle had Gus install a KU Bumper in his Szamboti when he picked it up in 76 ish... When Barry refinished it in the late 90's he had Barry put a black one in. My uncle kept the brown one. Gus did not tape the bumper.

JV
 
WildWing said:
For what it's worth I've heard two theories on the masking tape. One, from someone else, the bumper was considered replaceable, and the tape would make it easier to do so. Two, my theory, was that tape around the bumper would seal the bumper against the buttplate, and dampen the sound of the cue hit, less of a void. Other theories welcome.
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I think its the latter. The bit he used for the bore was probably a little bigger than the bumper and the tape snugged it up. I do not think George liked slop or play. His machining and assembly techniques were precise. One thing I tell people if you remove the rings from lets say a Palmer, you better mark them, or tape them, because if you do not put them back the same way, they do not line up. The concentricity seems to be off. With GB that never happens.

JV
 
classiccues said:
I think its the latter. The bit he used for the bore was probably a little bigger than the bumper and the tape snugged it up. I do not think George liked slop or play. His machining and assembly techniques were precise. One thing I tell people if you remove the rings from lets say a Palmer, you better mark them, or tape them, because if you do not put them back the same way, they do not line up. The concentricity seems to be off. With GB that never happens.

JV
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Agree with that. I always thought he did the tape to snug up any void.

By the way, this works with push in bumpers, for interest. I have an 80s Meucci with the typical push-in bumper. Trouble with it was the bumper would work it's way out with play. So, I took some double-coated tape that's used to put golf club grips on. I put the tape over the bumper tenon, wetted the tape with Naptha, and eased the bumper in, and let it all dry. Not only does it keep the bumper in, but I think it dampens the hit a bit too. I think George was on to the same thing, with just regular tape. Actually, I think he used packing tape, which was stronger than regular masking tape.

All the best,
WW
 
Chopdoc said:
I have thought it was a possible safeguard for the butt cap. We know if you drop the cue on the bumper, sometimes the momentary expansion of the bumper can split the butt cap. But I never felt strongly about that idea.

He could have used it for temporary fitting, to hold the bumper in with friction, then just never bothered to remove it when he ran the screw in to retain it.

And finally, he could have known we would be talking about it after he was gone, and put it there with no particular purpose except to mess with us.

I like the last one. I just feel like it would be cool of old GB was laughing at us for all the fuss over such things.

I think I even saw once a person making some kind of conversation about exactly what brand of tape he used, that he got it at the same hardware store where he got his A joint screws.

I want to picture him in the great cue shop on the sky yelling down at us "it's f'ing tape!" and "it's a f'ing screw!" "I didn't make that part! Look at what I made!" LOL!

I like to think if GB were a machinist and had a metal lathe, he would have made his own f'ing screw.

But he wasn't. And he didn't. So he used what was available.

I told a guy in a pool hall "that's a Balabushka bumper on my Joss". He was fascinated.
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The tape that was on mine looked like masking tape
 
WildWing said:
I was waiting for you to say he soaked the bumpers in rhinoceros piss to harden them.
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I would have made it sound much more plausible....
Like it was 3 parts 10-40 motor oil, 2 parts lacquer thinner, and a little rubbing alcohol.
When you fish you gotta reel them in....

JV
 
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