Sheldon said:
I have done that to cues for people that have brought them to me broken in half. I would not have put 2 joints in it though, I would have added a piece long enough to finish out the forearm.
The cue you have there, needed to be cored when it was built. The grain in that wood makes it a very likely candidate for breaking in two. (might happen again if you aren't careful)
I don't know how old that cue in question is, but have seen the newer ones cored with a laminted dowel. don't know If it went through the forearm also, but the handle & buttsleeve were cored with it.
You are correct on the wood being unpredictable. IMO opinion they do not always need coring, but no way of knowing which one has a place that will break inside of it, or not with those woods, so probably why most feel It safer to core. If one does not core it, then they are taking their chances, It may be fine, or may not. Kind of a gamble. I've done them without coring, and was fine, but have seen others snap right off at the joints quite a few times, so it does happen, and often.
I had a set of cues one time from another maker that we sold, with what turned out to be uncored birdseye in the forearms. all the same cues different designs. Think there was 4 or 5 altogether, and one broke off at the joint, because the grain let go. Point being the others were fine, and only the one broke, so that's the problem to me- they won't all break, but how do you know before hand which will, and which won't unless one was to core them? Greg
