Radial Pin shaft getting "loose"

[dirtypool40]

Here's a weird one...

I have a radial pin cue I play with now and then as a back up.

The pin into shaft fit has always been so tight it squeaks and I am always really careful I haven't cross threaded it.

I took some advice a month ago and put a little dry soap on the thread, and the squeaking went away.

Anyhoo... I put it together last night for the first time in a while and it's LOOSE!!! This thing spins on like a McDammit!!! WTF??

No one has touched it with a tap, and I know the shaft was slow turned over at least a year. How could it go from squeaky tight to loose in a month with no other change?!?!?!


BTW, it still plays fine, I am just corn-fused by this.

 

[rhncue]

Here's a weird one...

I have a radial pin cue I play with now and then as a back up.

The pin into shaft fit has always been so tight it squeaks and I am always really careful I haven't cross threaded it.

I took some advice a month ago and put a little dry soap on the thread, and the squeaking went away.

Anyhoo... I put it together last night for the first time in a while and it's LOOSE!!! This thing spins on like a McDammit!!! WTF??

No one has touched it with a tap, and I know the shaft was slow turned over at least a year. How could it go from squeaky tight to loose in a month with no other change?!?!?!


BTW, it still plays fine, I am just corn-fused by this.

It's apparent that the shaft wood has lost some moisture since the original problem presented itself. I must be in a drier location. When the threads are a little loose as they are now you can take some liquid car wax and pour into the bore of the shaft, put your thumb over the hole and shake it around for about a minute and then pour all that's left out and then while holding the ferrule end of the shaft sling the shaft so that centrifugal force gets the remainder of the polish out. This is best done outside so that you don't redecorate your kitchen walls. Be sure to get the excess wax out. Some do this using water instead of wax but water will eventually dry out and you'll be right back where your at now. Winter time is about on us and normally winter months ate much drier and that may be one of your problems.

Dick

 

[dirtypool40]

Thanks Dick, I appreciate the info.

here's another weird observation;

the shaft is not smoothing up like they usually do after this amount of play.

I don't sand, or lube or the shafts with anything, just a damp paper towel and burnish with smooth leather every 3-4 hours of play. This usually gives me that broken in, glassy feel in a short time.

This shaft REFUSES to get any smoother.

What gives? :scratchhead:

 

[junkbond]

I stupidly put a shaft tapped for a uni-loc radial pin on a butt with a Madison radial pin. This resulted in the shaft being loose when screwed onto the uni-loc pin butt, because the minor diameter on the Madison is larger than on the uni-loc. I filled the pin hole on the shaft with water, let it soak for about ten seconds, then emptied it. After drying for a day, the shaft fit the uni-loc pin just as when new - nice and snug.

 

[dirtypool40]

Just to clarify:

I am NOT blaming any of this on the wood supplier or the cue maker.

I am just wondering about a situation I have never seen before.

The cue / shaft still plays fine, it's just not as snug as it was.