Removing a pin

cueguy

cueguy

Just a repair guy
Silver Member
Someone brought me a cue (old Meucci) that has a bent pin and I am having a hard time trying to get it out. I have one of those little pencil torches (butane) and even holding it on there for a few minutes, i still cannot get that pin to release.
Any other tricks?
Thanks,
Larry
 
Success is achieved by those who try and keep trying

Or If at first you don't succeed, Screw IT! :thumbup:

All kidding aside. Just get it a hot as you can with out damaging the ring work and work it back and forth untill it loosens up. Eventually the epoxy will give and you can back it out. Good luck!:)
 
Enough heat will get it out. If you use vise grips or a vise to un screw the pin. Chris Byrne has an electronic gadget that heats the pin up super fast without over heating the cue. It might be worth getting him to get it out for you if you are afraid of the rings getting too hot. You can also wrap the outside of the cue with a wet wrap to help keep the cue cool. I would love to have one of those electronic gadgets, but not several hundred dollars worth. :)
 
Old Meucci pins are friggin tough to get out. Good luck. Keep on keepin on & you'll eventually get it. Aside from an old Sampaio, Meucci pins have been the most challenging to remove for me.
 
cueguy said:
Someone brought me a cue (old Meucci) that has a bent pin and I am having a hard time trying to get it out. I have one of those little pencil torches (butane) and even holding it on there for a few minutes, i still cannot get that pin to release.
Any other tricks?
Thanks,
Larry
Click to expand...

Larry, I don't think you have heated the pin enough. However, you must also take into consideration that the force that caused the pin to bend may have also caused internal damage to the wood surrounding the pin. When I remove a pin I heat it until the wood where the pin enters the forearm begins to smoke a little. Then I put the pin in a vise, with the cues butt straight up for leverage and attempt to unscrew it. Sometimes it takes a few time before the adhesive and the pin will begin to move, depending upon how bad the pin is bent. Sometimes, with a pin that is very bent, like I stated above it will bind, almost like it was Kiwi-ed.

Once the pin is removed, I normally tap out the pin hole to 7/16 and plug it with a new dowel of Hard wood. This way if there is internal damage the problem in all but the worst cases will be corrected.
 
Another example why I won't use 5/16 pins.
Sorry.
Some use them in the A-joint. Ugh!
Stop heating it as the collar might come loose that'll really open a can of worms.
Use carbide spot drill.
Replug the hole with maple or bocote or phenolic.
I'd run a 1/2 16 tap in there but bore the top 1/4 to exactly 1/2 and leave the dowel unthreaded with 1/2 OD so no glue lines show.
 
I read once that Meucci used to bore the hole just undersized, and pressed the pin in rather than threading it. It was supposed to make it go in straight & center & strong. From what I have seen, it's a good likliness that it's true. I have never pulled a Meucci pin out that brought wood threads with it, just epoxy. If this is the case in your cue, then unscrewing it should still work but I found an easier way to just pull it out.

Heat it up to break down the epoxy, then put a 5/16" hole flat washer on it & a nut threaded down to the washer. You can hold the forearm & use a wrench or socket to turn the nut & this will pull the pin loose. It gives even pressure & with the flat washer you won't damage the joint face or plastic collar. It's easy. You'll be using the power of the threads to do the work for you. Even if the pin is threaded in, it'll pull out bringing the wood threads with it. I'd try the already mentioned techniques first, but if it's not happening then give this a try. It works. You may need to bore & plug the hole to anchor the new pin, but that will likely need done in the case of a bent pin, anyway.
 
Stuck

qbilder said:
I read once that Meucci used to bore the hole just undersized, and pressed the pin in rather than threading it. It was supposed to make it go in straight & center & strong. From what I have seen, it's a good likliness that it's true. I have never pulled a Meucci pin out that brought wood threads with it, just epoxy. If this is the case in your cue, then unscrewing it should still work but I found an easier way to just pull it out.

Heat it up to break down the epoxy, then put a 5/16" hole flat washer on it & a nut threaded down to the washer. You can hold the forearm & use a wrench or socket to turn the nut & this will pull the pin loose. It gives even pressure & with the flat washer you won't damage the joint face or plastic collar. It's easy. You'll be using the power of the threads to do the work for you. Even if the pin is threaded in, it'll pull out bringing the wood threads with it. I'd try the already mentioned techniques first, but if it's not happening then give this a try. It works. You may need to bore & plug the hole to anchor the new pin, but that will likely need done in the case of a bent pin, anyway.
Click to expand...

Thanks everyone for your help! It finally came out - Brent, thanks for the call. That was a great idea. Brent mentioned heating up the vice grips instead of the pin itself to keep from overheating the forearm. I wrapped a damp towel around the joint and put in a vice, then gripped the pin with some vice grips and heated it. Worked like a charm!
Thanks again for everyones help - this is a GREAT forum.
Larry
 
cueguy said:
Thanks everyone for your help! It finally came out - Brent, thanks for the call. That was a great idea. Brent mentioned heating up the vice grips instead of the pin itself to keep from overheating the forearm. I wrapped a damp towel around the joint and put in a vice, then gripped the pin with some vice grips and heated it. Worked like a charm!
Thanks again for everyones help - this is a GREAT forum.
Larry
Click to expand...
.
your welcome, glad it worked for ya
that comes from the experience of installing a pin crooked in the first place :eek:
 
JoeyInCali said:
I'd run a 1/2 16 tap in there but bore the top 1/4 to exactly 1/2 and leave the dowel unthreaded with 1/2 OD so no glue lines show.
Click to expand...

1/2-16 ? Guess I'd stay with standard sizes. Say 1/2- 13 or 20.
 
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