Question about LD shafts (ob1 specifically)

[TXsouthpaw]

Do they keep their LD properties if I turn down the shaft to 12.5 mm. After working with earl strickland I went to a thinner shaft and I love it. Im thinking of gettin an ob1 but not unless i can turn it down to 12.5.
Thanks

 

[mosconiac]

Royce commented in a thread I posted that a "turned-down" OB-1 produces better results than a stock one (from an LD point-of-view). I can confirm this as my "turned-down" OB-1 is noticably better than the stock one I had. The limit is 12.25mm, which is where mine is. Any thinner and you risk damage.

EDIT: BTW, I am using an OB-2 now & its ridiculously good. It measures 11.8mm. It doesn't feel as small as it measures, so I am totally comfortable with it. I might change the tip to a Kamui MS, but the stocker seems pretty good. This is how I rank my LD shafts (highest deflection to lowest): stock OB-1, 314, 12.25mm OB-1, OB-2. I prefer the "feel" of the OB-2 & 314 over the stock OB-1. Not sure where the 314-2 and Z would fall in there.

 

[mosconiac]

Here's Royce's post:

...Now, the differences between the OB-1 and the OB-2, other than the tip diameter, are on the inside. The 2 uses a smaller core. The reason for this is simple, wall thickness. On the OB-1 we recommend a minimum diameter of 12.25mm in order to keep the wall thickness substantial enough to hold up under the impacts of play. The OB-2 uses a smaller core throughout in order to maintain that consistent wall thickness with the smaller tip size. Of course, in the middle of the shaft where the outside diameters are pretty close to the same between the 2, the 2 has a thicker wall and is therefore a little stiffer.

Your OB shaft on the left appears to be an OB-1. If that is the case, and it is smaller than 12.25, then the wal thickness is down pretty low. Although we don't recommend it, I have seen many that were under 12mm and still holding up. These shafts also had the lowest squirt or deflection of any of our cue shafts due to the reduced mass from the thinner wall thickness.....

Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com