Radial versus Uniloc Radial
- Thread starter thejeffcho
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DevilDestructor
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I already owned a Predator z-2 uni-loc Radial shaft. I bought two made in Phillipines cues with Asian radial joint hoping to use them with my predator shaft. Guess what. It does not fit although both of my cues are very well made. I did some thorough research on thread sizes and how they affect on the cue Joints.
Apart from quick release, a few of the most common joint pin thread specifications are 5/16x18, 5/16x14, and 3/8x10. The problem with the first two sizes is the thread sizes are very small so shaft requires the metal or phenolic insert because such a small size threads in wood would easily wear off. 3/8x10 joint pin's thread size is large enough that it does not require a shaft insert. Some brands such as Predator shafts still comes with shaft insert for longitivity of the threads. There is still one common problem with all three joint pins. Assuming that most cue joint pins comes with at least one inch male pin, it requires almost 18, 14, and 10 turns respectively to put the cue together.
The Uni-loc Radial pin's thread size is roughly (Uni-loc has not officially declared it yet) 3/8x8 which solves both the above discussed problems. No need of shaft insert because of the larger thread size. Uni-loc radial pin with only 8 threads per inch requires only 6-8 turns to put the cue together depending on the number of threads visible outside of the butt end.
Joint pin thread specification is based on the larger diameter of the pin and the number of threads per inch. For example 3/8 is the larger diameter and 8 is the thread count per inch.
As many people mentioned earlier, the Uni-loc radial pin is very expensive and it's not practical for Asian cue makers to use it in their cheaper cues. Asian companies manufacture their own version of Radial pin which is by no mean a copy right infringement. Uni-loc brand name is copy righted not the radial pin. One cannot get a patent of the Thread size.
I found below main differences between Asian and Uni-loc Radial pins.
[1] Uni-loc Radial got the better shiny finishing on the surface. Asian pins comes with matte finish which does not look as good as uni-loc pin but it does not have any effect on the effectiveness of the joint.
[2] Uni-Loc radial comes in many materials such as brass, aluminium, stainless steel, and phenolic. Asian radial comes only in stainless steel. At least I have not seen any other.
[3] Asian radial pin's specification is 3/8x8. Uni-loc does not mention their specification but I measured it and it's roughly the same as Asian one. Here comes the MAJOR issue with the Asian pin. Their threads are slightly shallower than uni-loc pin because the Asian pin's smaller diameter is a hair thicker than the Uni-loc Radial. So inspite of the same joint specification of both the pins, their shafts are not interchangeable. The shaft with Asian Radial threads can fit on uni-loc radial cue butt but it does not work the other way. That's exactly what happened in my case.
WHAT I DID TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
Predator shafts comes with the Phenolic insert which is a hard material that almost does not contract at least not good enough so that my shaft can fit on the new cue. So I bought a Balance rite extension with Uni-loc Radial pin that comes with no insert (wood to wood) on the female end. This extension fits fine on the Asian Radial pin with a little force at the first time because the wood around the threads gets compressed. BOOOM. Now I can use Predator Z-2 shaft with uni-loc pin on my beautiful cue made in Phillipines.
Apart from quick release, a few of the most common joint pin thread specifications are 5/16x18, 5/16x14, and 3/8x10. The problem with the first two sizes is the thread sizes are very small so shaft requires the metal or phenolic insert because such a small size threads in wood would easily wear off. 3/8x10 joint pin's thread size is large enough that it does not require a shaft insert. Some brands such as Predator shafts still comes with shaft insert for longitivity of the threads. There is still one common problem with all three joint pins. Assuming that most cue joint pins comes with at least one inch male pin, it requires almost 18, 14, and 10 turns respectively to put the cue together.
The Uni-loc Radial pin's thread size is roughly (Uni-loc has not officially declared it yet) 3/8x8 which solves both the above discussed problems. No need of shaft insert because of the larger thread size. Uni-loc radial pin with only 8 threads per inch requires only 6-8 turns to put the cue together depending on the number of threads visible outside of the butt end.
Joint pin thread specification is based on the larger diameter of the pin and the number of threads per inch. For example 3/8 is the larger diameter and 8 is the thread count per inch.
As many people mentioned earlier, the Uni-loc radial pin is very expensive and it's not practical for Asian cue makers to use it in their cheaper cues. Asian companies manufacture their own version of Radial pin which is by no mean a copy right infringement. Uni-loc brand name is copy righted not the radial pin. One cannot get a patent of the Thread size.
I found below main differences between Asian and Uni-loc Radial pins.
[1] Uni-loc Radial got the better shiny finishing on the surface. Asian pins comes with matte finish which does not look as good as uni-loc pin but it does not have any effect on the effectiveness of the joint.
[2] Uni-Loc radial comes in many materials such as brass, aluminium, stainless steel, and phenolic. Asian radial comes only in stainless steel. At least I have not seen any other.
[3] Asian radial pin's specification is 3/8x8. Uni-loc does not mention their specification but I measured it and it's roughly the same as Asian one. Here comes the MAJOR issue with the Asian pin. Their threads are slightly shallower than uni-loc pin because the Asian pin's smaller diameter is a hair thicker than the Uni-loc Radial. So inspite of the same joint specification of both the pins, their shafts are not interchangeable. The shaft with Asian Radial threads can fit on uni-loc radial cue butt but it does not work the other way. That's exactly what happened in my case.
WHAT I DID TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
Predator shafts comes with the Phenolic insert which is a hard material that almost does not contract at least not good enough so that my shaft can fit on the new cue. So I bought a Balance rite extension with Uni-loc Radial pin that comes with no insert (wood to wood) on the female end. This extension fits fine on the Asian Radial pin with a little force at the first time because the wood around the threads gets compressed. BOOOM. Now I can use Predator Z-2 shaft with uni-loc pin on my beautiful cue made in Phillipines.
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I do not see this as a 'problem'
I'm in a rush to miss.
Lol
Those import radial copies have short pilot and is prone to crossthreading.
And their diameter is all over the place.
Radial is a trademark owned by Predator