rant, shaft warpage

ctyhntr

ctyhntr

RIP Kelly
Silver Member
About five months ago, I rented a locker at my local poolhall so I can have my cues there for convenience. I keep two cues in the locker at my local poolhall, both are full spliced sneaky petes. When I pulled them out of the locker this past week I noticed that the shafts on both are now visibly warped, and when you roll them they will settle on the low spot. One cue, which could pass as a predator sneaky pete with a high ring count shaft was only purchased less than two months ago. The butts on both appear fine.

Why cues warp? Especially house cues, I know one pool hall that uses cuetecs as house cues, and even those are warped. Is it an industry wide conspiracy?

I'm kinda bummed out, any suggestions other than going out and buy new shafts.
 
Wood is a lot like my 3 year old. It doesn't listen, does whatever it wants, and has a mind of its own. Tomorrow, they may be straight again.
 
ctyhntr said:
About five months ago, I rented a locker at my local poolhall so I can have my cues there for convenience. I keep two cues in the locker at my local poolhall, both are full spliced sneaky petes. When I pulled them out of the locker this past week I noticed that the shafts on both are now visibly warped, and when you roll them they will settle on the low spot. One cue, which could pass as a predator sneaky pete with a high ring count shaft was only purchased less than two months ago. The butts on both appear fine.

Why cues warp? Especially house cues, I know one pool hall that uses cuetecs as house cues, and even those are warped. Is it an industry wide conspiracy?

I'm kinda bummed out, any suggestions other than going out and buy new shafts.
Click to expand...

I assume you stored your stick without a case. If so, you probably had it leaning and that is what your problem is. Think of all these other house cues you mentioned. How do people treat them? They lean the against the wall, the table, etc.

Do everything in your power to store your cue in a clean, moisture-free, airtight case and if at that point it still warps, blame it on the wood.
 
Hang the shaft

Some people have replied in other threads to hang the shaft (by the tip) to see if it self adjusts.

Using a sock like device that slides on the tip and grabs to hang it.
 
Something better than wood?

Maybe one day we will use an engineered synthetic wood substitute, with similar mechanical properties, that does not warp.

I can hear the arguments now: "Doesn't hit the same! Only wood is good!"

Traditionalists always slow down progress and innovation. If we stuck with tradition, we would still be playing with out-of-round ivory balls, on warped wooden table beds with rag-stuffed cushions, hitting the ball with the fat end of the stick with no leather tip.

I think there is something better than wood out there, sooner or later, maybe even now. But -- would it sell? I'm not too sure.
 
Zud said:
Some people have replied in other threads to hang the shaft (by the tip) to see if it self adjusts.

Using a sock like device that slides on the tip and grabs to hang it.
Click to expand...

Someone here said that you can get racks with clamps at the top for your cues, and said that he had actually pulled out some warps that way, hanging the entire cue and using the weight of it. I know that's not an option for you at the pool hall, though...

I have my extra shaft hanging in the closet on a clothes hanger with a rubber band wrapped about an inch down from the tip.
 
Keep in mind to that most pool halls don't maintain a constant temperature. A lot of them turn off there climate control during closing hours to cut cost. If you were keeping the cues at your house prior to that, was there a big difference in the temperature that they stored in at your house compared to the pool hall? Any change in temperature and climate is going to cause the wood to move, how much it moves depends on a particular piece of wood. I have had shafts warp from taking them form my house, throwing them ion trunk, driving to the pool hall and pulling them out. It's really a crap shoot and unless you get to personally pick out your shaft for your cue and know what you are looking for when you do, you are really rolling the dice on whether or not it will warp.
 
Surly said:
Someone here said that you can get racks with clamps at the top for your cues, and said that he had actually pulled out some warps that way, hanging the entire cue and using the weight of it. I know that's not an option for you at the pool hall, though...

I have my extra shaft hanging in the closet on a clothes hanger with a rubber band wrapped about an inch down from the tip.
Click to expand...

I've heard that this will work, but it takes about forever.
 
Pushout said:
I've heard that this will work, but it takes about forever.
Click to expand...
I wonder... how long is forever? My tiny little mind imagines about... 2 years? Or at least as long as it took to warp.
 
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I keep the huebler in a porper style styrofoam case, and the other in a predator/lucasi velvet fabric case. Nearly everyone that I know who keeps a house locker store their cues in the velvet fabric case. At home, my cues are stored vertically in my small collection of cue cases, while at the poolhall they're stored horizontally.

Going through the 12 steps of dealing with cue warpage, denial, grief, anger, bargaining, and depression. How do I move on acceptance. What can I do to continue playing with these cues. I'm still a beginner, self evaluating at D-, so at my skill level warpage wouldn't matter. However, I'm still annoyed (not yet fully done with the anger phase), it will alway be in the back of my mind.
 
ctyhntr said:
About five months ago, I rented a locker at my local poolhall so I can have my cues there for convenience. I keep two cues in the locker at my local poolhall, both are full spliced sneaky petes. When I pulled them out of the locker this past week I noticed that the shafts on both are now visibly warped, and when you roll them they will settle on the low spot. One cue, which could pass as a predator sneaky pete with a high ring count shaft was only purchased less than two months ago. The butts on both appear fine.

Why cues warp? Especially house cues, I know one pool hall that uses cuetecs as house cues, and even those are warped. Is it an industry wide conspiracy?

I'm kinda bummed out, any suggestions other than going out and buy new shafts.
Click to expand...
Were the cues new when you bought them? Sometimes if the shafts are turned out to quick and not left for periods of time between the turning down process this will happen. I bought a new Action sneaky pete one time and about a week later the butt was so warped you couldnt play with it. I had a shaft get a mior warp to it once and I took it and layed it on a flat surface and placed several heavy books on it, where the wobble was. I left it for a good while and when I removed them it was fine. Mind you the warp was not visible to they eye but when you rolled it on the table you could see it, so it might not be as bad as what you have but its worth a try.
 
Do yourself a favor and stop checking for straightness. The last thing you want is having doubts about your equipment. It only takes a little roll out for a shaft to be not perfectly straight. I only check my cues once and that's when I first get the cue. I never bother to check again after that. I just assume it's all good. :thumbup:
 
rocky said:
Keep in mind to that most pool halls don't maintain a constant temperature. A lot of them turn off there climate control during closing hours to cut cost. If you were keeping the cues at your house prior to that, was there a big difference in the temperature that they stored in at your house compared to the pool hall? Any change in temperature and climate is going to cause the wood to move, how much it moves depends on a particular piece of wood. I have had shafts warp from taking them form my house, throwing them ion trunk, driving to the pool hall and pulling them out. It's really a crap shoot and unless you get to personally pick out your shaft for your cue and know what you are looking for when you do, you are really rolling the dice on whether or not it will warp.
Click to expand...

This is good advice. I would also check to see if the lockers are on an "outside" wall. If so, there's a good chance that the drastic change in the temperature outside would also help warp a shaft. It the lockers are on an outside wall, I would not store the cue in one, but that's just my opinion. if it's warped from change in temperature, try taking it home and let it sit under better conditions...it may just find it's way back to straight (or straighter).

Dave
 
Thank you for all the comments. These were brand new cues when I purchased them. The poolhall has two banks of lockers, and mine is adjoining the inside wall.

After tonight's league match, I'll take the cues home to 'rest' for a couple of weeks. Getting rid of the locker isn't an option, as keeping a cue in the poolhall makes it easy for me to comply with last minute requests to sub so a team wouldn't lose games on a forfeit because a team member couldn't make it that particular night.
 
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