Rings Raising?

A

astandrich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Good morning all - How common of an issue is it for metal rings to raise with time? I have a cue with this issue that I've only had for about 3 months now, and I'm not sure what to do. I can also feel where the joint collars meet the forearm/shaft, so it's not just the metal rings that seem to have an issue.

It was pretty much perfectly smooth when I received it, and I know I could expect this type of thing if I had exposed it to extreme temperature variations etc.. However, I've kept this cue indoors at a consistent temperature at all times.

Advice?

Thanks all!
-Anthony
 
Your ring did not raise.
The finish outside of the ring shrunk. Or the wood outside of it shrunk.
Low humidity dries wood. Drier wood shrinks.
 
That makes sense - I do live in Phoenix, AZ afterall... So, short of ordering a cue from a local cuemaker to avoid humidity variations from creation to playing conditions, is there anything I can do?
 
astandrich said:
That makes sense - I do live in Phoenix, AZ afterall... So, short of ordering a cue from a local cuemaker to avoid humidity variations from creation to playing conditions, is there anything I can do?
Click to expand...

Not much you can do. It's the nature of the beast.
The maker can seal the faces and bottom of the butt but nature eventually wins imo.
Phenolic bands up and below the metal rings help a lot imo.
I never put metal rings rings right next to wood. And I only use .015 thick ones if at all.
 
metal rings will basically always "raise" tho they do no such thing..........as the wood gets older it loses more moisture and becomes denser to a degree.........wood moves as we all know, METAL DOES NOT expand and contract nearly enough to be the cause.

But theres more than just that. The rings could also not be concentric to the center to the cue as would be the case if the tennon were cut too small the rings would then have lateral play with only glue/epoxy to secure the bond..........that bond can shift over time and the rings will feel higher than the cue surface but usually in this instance its more pronounced on one side of the cue and not on the other.


Joint connections of steel, phenolic and the like can also seem to be raised over time for the same reason the wood contracts a few thousands..............OVER TIME

One "fix" for raised rings is to undercut the rings leaving them a hair below the top surface of the wood and then applying the finish. Another trick is to use a phenolic sleeve under the rings on the tennon, and lastly you can finish the cue and wait 4-6 months and sand the finish down and add a few more coats.

The raised berm is why makers like Southwest and DPK don't use plastic or metal rings in their cues, only wood.


IMOP tho if you have had the cue for just 3 months and the joint collars are showing very noticible O.D. differences compared to the wood then I would go out on a limb to say that the wood in the cue was not properly seasoned prior to construction.

Like eventually most of those cues will one day develop an actual crack in the finish in the area of the raised berm.........but that takes basically at least a few decades on good equipment that was properly seasoned...........hell you see it alot with old cues that are jam up but the ferrulle is very loose.....the tennon shrunk over time in diameter and it eventually broke the glue bond on the compression fit.


So a slight raising of the ring is acutally very common with in the first year, but finish degredation in the form of a crack or something should take forever and then some to take hold. The collars are another story as there isn't much wood to shrink in the joint with a collar and a pin inserted...........I can't even remember the last cue that I owned that the collars were like that unless if it were just another ring set issue.

I'd talk to the maker and tell him your issues first off.


-Grey Ghost-
 
AZ is a very dry place. In fact, it's like a natural kiln. I'd say that just about any cue you get with metal rings will have this issue shortly after arriving to you.
 
Hi,

The best thing to do is avoid using metal ring and you won't have a problem. Personally I don't thing they do a lot for a cue anyway.

I like silver stitch ring epoxied into phenolic and glued between phenolic. You won't have a problem with them and they look real cool floating in a sea of black.

Rick
 
JoeyInCali said:
Your ring did not raise.
The finish outside of the ring shrunk. Or the wood outside of it shrunk.
Low humidity dries wood. Drier wood shrinks.
Click to expand...

Wood moves and metal doesn't go with it. Some cue makers don't like to use metal rings because of this problem.

James
 
This would make a good movie title "Rise of the Rings" a cuemakers nightmare
 
If you undercut the rings slightly it helps eliminate the problem . Sometimes the cue gets left in a hot car and that changes wood ... never for the better . Automotive clear shrinks a bit when off gassing . I let mine cure a while before wet sanding , when I used the stuff . It all adds up ... Your problem is only cosmetic and doesn't diminish the performance in any way .:cool:;)
 
Thanks all for your replies - I feel both educated and relieved now. One of those unexpected consequences of living in the desert! :)
 
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