pin indentification - 'real' radial pin?

P

pongohops

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So I bought an OB Classic + shaft about a year ago and as time has passed the shaft screws on very loose - not the somewhat snug fit when it was original like any other cue/shaft combination I've used.. I'm talking you can actually wobble it sideways (if the cue is vertical) up until the last thread or so. I need to do a 'tight' turn at the end when it makes contact with the butt for fear it will come loose during play (which it actually did before so I started the tight turn at the end).

Doing some research I found out that there are knock-off radial pins which are slightly different threads-per-inch and pitch. I'm wondering if maybe I have one of these knock-off pins and this is why the shaft is no longer fitting properly?

Is it possible for anyone to tell if this is a knock-off and not a true uniloc radial from these pictures?

Yes, I am going to try to contact the cuemaker for info, but he is hard to get a hold of. Somewhat local guy that nobody would know on this forum.
 

Attachments

  • s-FullSizeRender.jpg
    s-FullSizeRender.jpg
    68.2 KB · Views: 1,117
  • s-IMG_1129.jpg
    s-IMG_1129.jpg
    62.2 KB · Views: 1,024
  • s-IMG_1130.jpg
    s-IMG_1130.jpg
    67.9 KB · Views: 959
  • s-IMG_1131.jpg
    s-IMG_1131.jpg
    41.1 KB · Views: 1,046
  • s-IMG_1132.jpg
    s-IMG_1132.jpg
    45.7 KB · Views: 1,163
It does appear to be a true Uni-Radial however it also appears to be sunk a little too deep into the jnt.
This would result in one or two less threads engaging the shaft threads. 1" of threads would have been ideal.
The most efficient and most cost effective solution is to have a phenolic insert installed in the shaft.
The problem goes away forever, never to return.
 
Appreciate the comments. I just tried a Predator 314-2 on this cue and it has a 'snugger' fit with the non-wood threads in the shaft.

Another thing is I just compared two other butts from this same maker alongside mine. Each radial pin has a different size hole (width wise) on the top of the pin. That doesn't sound like something that would happen with a company like UniLoc, but maybe I'm wrong?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I think that's a real Radial™ pin, but it's installed to deep and it seems to have some sort of corrosion on it?
As KJ said you can install a phenolic insert in the shaft, and the problem will be gone. Hardwoods like purpleheart, ebony and African blackwood seems to work fine too.
Having changed threads on quite a few shafts, I have noticed that there aredone slight variations in the Radial pins. The aluminum ones is slightly smaller than the SS ones, atleast the ones I have measured. I get mine fron Elforyn, I'm pretty sure they are the real thing....
 
Looks like a Radial.

Try taking a straw, suck up a little water and fill the shaft with the water. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and draw the water out and let it dry for a day with the joint side of the shaft pointing up. The wood should expand.

Make sure you don't get any water on the face of the shaft.

If it ends up too tight try a little wax.

Has worked for me many times.

Bill S.
 
Bill,

That is exactly what I was thinking of doing, but was holding off till I made sure it wasn't a pin problem causing the problem. I'll probably end up going this route as I don't have anything to lose trying it. Thanks for the reply!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Well, for anybody else that comes across this... don't try the water in the joint trick. I put some water in there for a few minutes, drained it, then let it sit over night. It created a crack in the shaft about 5 inches long right above the joint. Shaft ruined. Not very happy as I would have rather had a loose shaft than nothing at all.
 
pongohops said:
Well, for anybody else that comes across this... don't try the water in the joint trick. I put some water in there for a few minutes, drained it, then let it sit over night. It created a crack in the shaft about 5 inches long right above the joint. Shaft ruined. Not very happy as I would have rather had a loose shaft than nothing at all.
Click to expand...

You left it there too long.
You could have used a wet cotton swab too.
 
Water in for 2 minutes if that then drained. I agree it shouldn't have happened, but it did.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
the crack was there before you added the water thats why it was loose...how could you blame water for creating a crack?
 
More than likely the crack was already there as someone said. The water simply caused the crack to expand as well. Post some pictures of the crack. Just because a shaft has a crack doesn't necessarily mean it's done, and can't be fixed.
 
Hi,

You could drill the shaft 1/2" x 1.75 and epoxy in an garolite le insert. Then drill and bore the minor hole slightly smaller than the spec calls for then tap. If it does not screw on all the way to seat the face, then slightly bore in about .250 taking a few thou off the ID. Repeat if need but only about a thou at a time. Be carful not to go past the interference fit.

You will find that by adjusting the front part of the threaded bore you can achieve a very tight fit just as the seating surfaces meet.

JMO.

Good luck,

Rick
 
scdiveteam said:
Hi,

You could drill the shaft 1/2" x 1.75 and epoxy in an garolite le insert. Then drill and bore the minor hole slightly smaller than the spec calls for then tap. If it does not screw on all the way to seat the face, then slightly bore in about .250 taking a few thou off the ID. Repeat if need but only about a thou at a time. Be carful not to go past the interference fit.

You will find that by adjusting the front part of the threaded bore you can achieve a very tight fit just as the seating surfaces meet.

JMO.

Good luck,

Rick
Click to expand...

Do you use the regular or undersize Radial™ tap Rick?
I bore to .312 and use a -.312 gage pin, when that goes in and make a popping sound when taken out, I tap with the undersize tap.
That leaves the hole so tight that I usually have to run the tap through a few times to make it fit the pin.
I have found that the aluminum Radial™ pins works best when the hole is bored to .311, I have no idea why the aluminum pins are smaller...?
 
Kim Bye said:
I think that's a real Radial™ pin, but it's installed to deep and it seems to have some sort of corrosion on it?
As KJ said you can install a phenolic insert in the shaft, and the problem will be gone. Hardwoods like purpleheart, ebony and African blackwood seems to work fine too.
Having changed threads on quite a few shafts, I have noticed that there aredone slight variations in the Radial pins. The aluminum ones is slightly smaller than the SS ones, atleast the ones I have measured. I get mine fron Elforyn, I'm pretty sure they are the real thing....
Click to expand...

My immediate impression was that the pin is made of brass. I know there are brass radial pins out there, but don't know if Uniloc makes one. In any event, that would explain the patina.

TW
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top