Purple heart shafts...

W

WRHaynes

Registered
Ok, I've done quite a bit of reading on this matter but want to bring it to the surface now that I"m about to start building and cuecomponents has some great purple heart shaft wood for sale :D.

I now that purple heart is stiffer with less flex than maple. I'm not sure about the weight. I know that a purple heart shaft would be killer on a break cue with a stiffer taper and maybe a sumo tip or something hard like that [just my preferance].

But my main concern and question is, how does a purple heart shaft take being used on a normal pool cue? I know it doesn't flex as much, but it is to the point that if someone accidentally does flex it hard, will it break? And does this wood as a shaft have the strength to live at smaller tip diameters like 11-12mm with long tapers? Would it be able take the punishment for many years like maple has?

I'm just starting in cuebuilding and have prototyped a breakcue for myself with a purple heart shaft, but I'm interested in a sneaky with a purple heart shaft but tip diameter @ 12.25mm or 12.5mm with 30" shafts. I play with a 60" cue.

Thanks in advance to all willing to chip in their two cents,

I'm kinda new here, so just to be polite;

My name is Bill [William :D.]
 
I feel they make good break shafts or jump shafts, but I do not think they have the best properties for a regular playing shaft.

Only time will tell if the ph breaking shafts stand the test of time and ones being made now are being used in 15 years.

Kelly
 
OK, thanks, ...yeah I know they take a bit of extra care because the grain likes to pop up and so on, but I think I'm going to give it a try just to see what I think. I love really stiff hitting cues and aren't much on a long pro taper so it might just be right up my alley and workout for a stiff tapered shaft. I'll definately post some results here in a few months once I get some going.

Thanks to all guys. I appreciate it :D
 
i have a custom purpleheart break cue....butt and shaft are from the same plank of wood and it breaks awesome...

its about 12.8mm with about a 14" taper i think and is as stiff as a 14mm shaft...aegis ferrule and sumo or water buffalo tip....

you have to use an insert with purpleheart as it doesnt hold open threads well at all...i believe tung oil was used to seal the shaft.

it jumps well too ;)

it does take some getting used to....:D

good luck with yours and i would be glad to try one of yours out to do a side by side comparison....:D
 
WRHaynes said:
OK, thanks, ...yeah I know they take a bit of extra care because the grain likes to pop up and so on, but I think I'm going to give it a try just to see what I think. I love really stiff hitting cues and aren't much on a long pro taper so it might just be right up my alley and workout for a stiff tapered shaft. I'll definately post some results here in a few months once I get some going.

Thanks to all guys. I appreciate it :D
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I also have purchased some of the Purple Heart shaft Blanks from Cue components. To date I have finished two of these shafts. Both were made playing shafts, they both were tapered with a extended Pro-taper with the tip / ferrule being at 12.5mm. Even with shafts turned down to that size they weighed in at 5.5 oz. This makes these shafts forward heavy, but both people like them and have no-problem using them. I though that the color would effect my vision, but it is ok.

Craig
 
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You may also want to try some of the petrified wood. Its the submerged wood that they have brought up from the bottom of the great lakes. Very hard, stiff, dense, dark color, and work extremely wonderful on a j/b...but too stiff for a playing cue. Just a thought.
 
scruggsinhand said:
i have a custom purpleheart break cue....butt and shaft are from the same plank of wood and it breaks awesome...

its about 12.8mm with about a 14" taper i think and is as stiff as a 14mm shaft...aegis ferrule and sumo or water buffalo tip....

you have to use an insert with purpleheart as it doesnt hold open threads well at all...i believe tung oil was used to seal the shaft.

it jumps well too ;)

it does take some getting used to....:D

good luck with yours and i would be glad to try one of yours out to do a side by side comparison....:D
Click to expand...



I was going to say the exact same thing. You would have to put a phenolic insert or a maple insert before you tap it because they will strip out on you. just a thought


Tony
 
Definately, on the threading the shaft. I'm a big fan of putting a linen phenolic insert into the shaft to thread for smaller pins. I'm definately going to give it a try for both a playing shaft and a stiffer 14mm break cue.

I think a set of matching purplehear/BE sneakys with one having a playing shaft from purple heart and the other having that nice 14mm thick taper, would really be a great set. Whichever it turns out to be, I'll be finding out soon :D. I've alread got some supplies ordered so my wheels are in motion.

thanks guys.
 
Varney Cues said:
You may also want to try some of the petrified wood. Its the submerged wood that they have brought up from the bottom of the great lakes. Very hard, stiff, dense, dark color, and work extremely wonderful on a j/b...but too stiff for a playing cue. Just a thought.
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Hey!!! I have some of that....:rolleyes:
________
 
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Varney Cues said:
You may also want to try some of the petrified wood. Its the submerged wood that they have brought up from the bottom of the great lakes. Very hard, stiff, dense, dark color, and work extremely wonderful on a j/b...but too stiff for a playing cue. Just a thought.
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Petrified or old-growth?
Petrified wood is stone now, aren't they?
 
manwon said:
Even with shafts turned down to that size they weighed in at 5.5 oz. This makes these shafts forward heavy
Craig
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5.5 ounces, holy crap. I love a forward weighted cue but that is about as heavy a shaft as I have ever heard.
I know my Universal is 4.6 and to me, that is heavy. Wow!
 
JoeyInCali said:
Petrified wood is stone now, aren't they?
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Petrified, stone, rock, yup, same things. Ya'd have to core it out to have any balance in the finished cue. About the only thing it would be good for happened years ago ... it would have been great to see Bubba Smith break that cue ball in half while shattering his cues shaft ... that would have been a real mystery :D

Now that old-growth submerged wood is another story, one that has been discussed here some time back. I recall that the consensus was that it was not the best for pool cues, but I cannot recall why, so perhaps I should have stuck to the smart ass comments.

Dave
 
WRHaynes said:
Definately, on the threading the shaft. I'm a big fan of putting a linen phenolic insert into the shaft to thread for smaller pins. I'm definately going to give it a try for both a playing shaft and a stiffer 14mm break cue.

I think a set of matching purplehear/BE sneakys with one having a playing shaft from purple heart and the other having that nice 14mm thick taper, would really be a great set. Whichever it turns out to be, I'll be finding out soon :D. I've alread got some supplies ordered so my wheels are in motion.

thanks guys.
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An insert should be put in no matter what the pin size is. Our local cuemaker makes break cues like that for 150. A Purpleheart sneaky butt with purpleheart shafts and he uses a 3/8-10 pin. The insert is still needed or they will strip out on you. Even if it is a big pin. Purpleheart is a very pourus wood. Oh and the shafts vary in weight. I've seen so many break cues with purpleheart shafts here locally and some range from 3.5 ounces to 7.3. :eek: Well they all do average to about 5 or 5 and half ounces per shaft.

Tony
 
I have some PH shafts

still in the tapering mode. I will tell you that they sink like a rock in the nelsonite vat, the Rock maple bobs up like a cork, but not the PH shafts or butts. They lay on the bottom. So indeed the wood is quite dense.
 
Guys, I've got a few quick questions I'm hoping someone will be able to answer.....

When you talk about plugging the end to tap the threads, do you press-fit in the plug and epoxy it or is it threaded in? Once the plug is "in-place", you tap the shaft per usual to accept the joint pin, yes? Any suggestions as to the type of linen phenolic to use? The same stuff used to make joint sleeves?

Thanks!
 
I have made several purple heart shafts with a nylon insert in the shaft. I have two guys here locally that have used them for breaking in 9-ball and they love them. They have been using them for about 2 years and have had no problems. They claim that they sink more balls on the break with these shafts.
 
ragbug74 said:
Guys, I've got a few quick questions I'm hoping someone will be able to answer.....

When you talk about plugging the end to tap the threads, do you press-fit in the plug and epoxy it or is it threaded in? Once the plug is "in-place", you tap the shaft per usual to accept the joint pin, yes? Any suggestions as to the type of linen phenolic to use? The same stuff used to make joint sleeves?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

mine is threaded in and tapped as usual...linen phenolic or brass insert works...nylon is too soft in my opinion and exp....delrin could be used also i would think...
 
Busbee Cue said:
I have made several purple heart shafts with a nylon insert in the shaft. I have two guys here locally that have used them for breaking in 9-ball and they love them. They have been using them for about 2 years and have had no problems. They claim that they sink more balls on the break with these shafts.
Click to expand...

Just what do you use to lock the nylon inserts into the shafts? Years ago I tried using nylon when making a couple of Huebler shafts but after a while they would unscrew a little needing refacing a number of times until I just took them out and replaced them with brass.

Dick
 
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