Ringwork on a full splice cue???

poolhalljnkie

poolhalljnkie

House cue conversionist
Silver Member
I have several old oversized Valley Supremes that I am going to start practicing with & hopefully actually converting into playing cues.

Here is my question.....I really like the classic, traditional look and like the "Bushka" ring look. Well, I dont want to cut the cue in half below the points and put a tenon in for the rings, so has anybody experimented with making a ring groove, cutting the ring in half and gluing it in, or even possibly just cutting the ring in one spot and sliding it over onto the ring grove. (Not sure if it would be flexible enough without breaking the other side or not...just thinking out loud)

If so, what is the down fall if any, I understand the mating surfaces where you cut the ring in half with have to be perfectly square, will you be able to see the cut line after the finish is put on?

I have used the search function for....ring groove, split rings, full splice rings, etc......and havent found anything on it, so I was just wondering about anybody else experimenting with it and the results.

Thanks,
 
poolhalljnkie said:
I have several old oversized Valley Supremes that I am going to start practicing with & hopefully actually converting into playing cues.

Here is my question.....I really like the classic, traditional look and like the "Bushka" ring look. Well, I dont want to cut the cue in half below the points and put a tenon in for the rings, so has anybody experimented with making a ring groove, cutting the ring in half and gluing it in, or even possibly just cutting the ring in one spot and sliding it over onto the ring grove. (Not sure if it would be flexible enough without breaking the other side or not...just thinking out loud)

If so, what is the down fall if any, I understand the mating surfaces where you cut the ring in half with have to be perfectly square, will you be able to see the cut line after the finish is put on?

I have used the search function for....ring groove, split rings, full splice rings, etc......and havent found anything on it, so I was just wondering about anybody else experimenting with it and the results.

Thanks,
Click to expand...

The reason the search function did not reveal any results is probably that most of us established cuemakers agree with you that the dark line which would be evident negates the value of adding the ring at that location.

I am pretty much happy with the white ring next to the butt cap.

Good Cuemaking,
 
I read somewhere that Burton Spain got annoyed at George Balabushka for cutting his full splice blanks in half to put in the Bushka rings; supposedly, he said something like "if I'd known you'd do that, I'd have saved myself the trouble and just built you half splice forearms"...!

As a player (not a builder) I'd think the compression/pressure would make joined half rings unstable...wouldn't it? Not only would you get the inevitable raising of rings in the finish, but maybe separation between the half-rings themselves?
 
West Point 1987 said:
I read somewhere that Burton Spain got annoyed at George Balabushka for cutting his full splice blanks in half to put in the Bushka rings; supposedly, he said something like "if I'd known you'd do that, I'd have saved myself the trouble and just built you half splice forearms"...!

As a player (not a builder) I'd think the compression/pressure would make joined half rings unstable...wouldn't it? Not only would you get the inevitable raising of rings in the finish, but maybe separation between the half-rings themselves?
Click to expand...
Burton actually started making full splice short blanks that were just a couple inches longer than a normal forearm. I bought some from him before he passed away. I liked the look of them and the fact I could put my ring work and handle with them. I made a tribute cue out of one of them the year he went into the ICA International Cuemakers Hall of Fame.
march2005cues006.jpg

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Hi,

I had a cue I was building and my ring work started disappearing at the A-Joint Area because the customer ordered the cue thinner because she had very small hands. I thought I had enough depth in the ring geometry but alas the disappearing stitch occurred.

To fix it I took a parting tool and machined a groove .250 wide on each side of the handle and made cocobolo simple rings to match. After making the rings I split the on the grain line and they broke nice and clean.

When I glued them on the cue and clamped them they looked perfect after the next turn.

After that screw up in the math, we now we refer to ring stitch disappearance with the term "McFlying". It's derivative was from the movie "Back to the Future" when Marty McFly's brother was disappearing in the photo because he changed the coarse of time.

Back to the topic of rings on a full splice. Any cue maker who builds full splice cues has two options:

1) Show off the bottom where your veneers meet the crotch.

2) Bury the bottom under a wrap.

If you put a ring there you might as well have built a half splice cue.

Rick
 
Cool story Chris, I would like to have met Burton. Hell, only just getting into pool about 5-6 years ago, I missed a lot of builders I would like to have met, but I certainly hope to meet as many current & up & comers as I can also.

Thanks for the info guys, I was just brainstorming on getting rings at the A-joint without compromising the integrity of the full splice, but like I said I have a bunch of these old house cues so I will just play around with them, cutting some in half, trying the ring groove thing & who knows what else!!! :thumbup:
 
If you just have to do it, do it like rick did, or you will lose the characteristics of a full splice cue. I kinda like your idea because it's different. It may make them more marketable to some. If it does, let me know so i can copy it:thumbup: Might as well stain the handle a different color too while you have the grooves there, then you'll have a 2 piece, that looks like a 4 piece:thumbup:
 
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