Question Regarding Veneered Cues

Randy9Ball

Randy9Ball

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a five point veneered cue and I'm wondering if the veneers are raising. When I place the forearm of the cue in one hand and turn the cue with the other hand, it seems like I'm feeling the veneers. They don't appear to be raising by looking at them with the naked eye (no protrusion of the clearcoat) but when I do the same turning motion with another veneered cue, I don't feel the lines. It's just smooth clear. Do veneers rise and cause the feeling I've described above? If so, can this be fixed? Simple refinish job?

Thanks,

Randy
 
i would guess that the finish is tightening up and letting you feel the ridges around the veneers.

it is very common and i wouldn't worry about it.you could probably alleviate it with a wetsand and polish.
 
The woods might be shrinking. Another option is when sanding the cue before clearing the wood in the points or forearm is softer then the other so the sandpaper removed more material from the softer wood.
Holding the butt point the joint end at a good light source and look down the cue like a gun watching the reflection run up and down the forearm. Doing this correctly will show many imperfections in a cue.
A great cue will be as smooth as glass with no bumps, waves, or shrinkage.
 
Thanks for the replies guys! I tried the looking down the cue while pointed at a light and I could see no visible imperfections. Looks like a smooth glass tube.
 
Wood shrinkage in veneered cues is very common. I would guess that is what you are feeling. The way the grains run against each other does not allow all the woods to shrink or swell at the same rate, so you wind up able to feel the points in the majority of veneered cues over time. And this is especially true with the cues that get warm and cold.
 
cueman said:
Wood shrinkage in veneered cues is very common. I would guess that is what you are feeling. The way the grains run against each other does not allow all the woods to shrink or swell at the same rate, so you wind up able to feel the points in the majority of veneered cues over time. And this is especially true with the cues that get warm and cold.
Click to expand...

I agree with Chris that the wood shrunk but not for Chris' reasons.
I have found that well seasoned wood does not shrink. Of course, I am in the minority in that I believe it is necessary to season the wood to build a fine durable cue. Many other cuemakers especially those from Asia use unseasoned wood and that is one of the reasons their cues are so cheap.

Wood does not change size because of differences in tempature. Metal does but not wood. Wood does change size with great changes in humidity over a period of time. That is one of the reasons for finishing all wood products: to prevent the rapid absorption and/or dissipation of moisture.

Good Cuemaking,
 
You might be right Arnot, but I am not sure. I lived in Missouri where it gets really cold and pretty hot also. And I saw a lot of various cues coming into the pool room with shrinkage and swelling after being left in the car. Can temperature effect how fast mositure is exchanged in a cue? If so then you would be right that it is not temperature making them shrink or swell, but it could be the extreme temperature changes causing fast moisture exchange. Do you think that is possible?
 
Arnot & Chris,

Thank you both for posting. Regardless of the cause, would you suggest having the cue refinished to alleviate this?

Thanks,

Randy
 
I don't think I would have it refinished for that reason alone unless it just bothers you too much to bare. You might consider waiting until it needs refinishing for bad dings and other aesthetic reasons but it is your call. You should do whatever makes you happy.

Good Cuemaking,
 
cueman said:
You might be right Arnot, but I am not sure. I lived in Missouri where it gets really cold and pretty hot also. And I saw a lot of various cues coming into the pool room with shrinkage and swelling after being left in the car. Can temperature effect how fast mositure is exchanged in a cue? If so then you would be right that it is not temperature making them shrink or swell, but it could be the extreme temperature changes causing fast moisture exchange. Do you think that is possible?
Click to expand...

There is a good chance that heat could effect moisture exchange.

I do know that to leave a cue in the car is probably the worst thing that can be done to a cue. The tempature in a closed-up car can easily reach tempatures that melt the glue that holds a cue together. It can cause a cue to warp also. DON'T RECOMMEND EVER LEAVING YOUR CUE ANY PLACE YOU DON'T WANT TO BE.

Good Cuemaking,
 
I have found that well seasoned wood does not shrink.
Click to expand...
I disagree Arnie.
Wood is wood.
Even SW cues swell up when they get to Taiwan.
They take 5 years ( at least ) to complete a cue in Las Vegas.
To me seasoned woods mean they have moved and settled to their natural "direction".
But, expansion and contraction still happen due to humidity ( more than temperature imo ).
 
It's already mentioned, but It's probably more common then not IMO, and If It were a cue I bought, and the cue wasn't warping, then nothing I would stress too badly over unless the finish is lifting or cracking.
 
JoeyInCali said:
I disagree Arnie.
Wood is wood.
Even SW cues swell up when they get to Taiwan.
They take 5 years ( at least ) to complete a cue in Las Vegas.
To me seasoned woods mean they have moved and settled to their natural "direction".
But, expansion and contraction still happen due to humidity ( more than temperature imo ).
Click to expand...




I may agree with You on that. I've seen very well seasoned wood do this also.
 
Wood Expansion????

What an excellent discussion. Does wood expand/contract with temperature changes considering a constant humidity? As an example: A piece of wood is less than 6% moisture content at 100 degrees, if the same piece of wood is subject to 50 degrees of temperature at less than 6% humidity will its dimensions change. Personally, I do not know--once you take away the humidity change factor. Anybody have any imperical evidence of a dimensional change?

Bob Flynn/Denali Pool Cues
 
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