Sacrificial Shaft

SirBanksALot

SirBanksALot

NoMakeANoBallANoMoreA
Silver Member
I have a cue that I like everything about except the shaft is really, really light. Since I love to tinker and have more money than sense plus a lot of time on my hands, I determined that if took a small drill bit and drilled into the center of the shaft, not touching the threads of course, and filled up the hole left by the drill bit with lead tape (I use a lot of that when swingweighting golf clubs), it would definitely make the shaft heavier, move the balance point forward etc etc.

The lead tape is very pliable and I was able to get a nice little amount of the tape into the hole. I was able to use a small screwdriver to push the tape all the way into the hole and, since the tape is pliable, the screwdriver deformed the tape so its wedged in there pretty good.

The lead tape definitely increased the weight of the shaft and it moved the balance point of the cue noticeably forward. I really like the way the cue feels as compared to before.

Its possible that the lead weight will work loose but I really doubt it. If it does, I'll syringe some super glue in there and that'll surely hold it in place.

Certainly I'm not the first person to think of doing that.
 
SirBanksALot said:
I have a cue that I like everything about except the shaft is really, really light. Since I love to tinker and have more money than sense plus a lot of time on my hands, I determined that if took a small drill bit and drilled into the center of the shaft, not touching the threads of course, and filled up the hole left by the drill bit with lead tape (I use a lot of that when swingweighting golf clubs), it would definitely make the shaft heavier, move the balance point forward etc etc.

The lead tape is very pliable and I was able to get a nice little amount of the tape into the hole. I was able to use a small screwdriver to push the tape all the way into the hole and, since the tape is pliable, the screwdriver deformed the tape so its wedged in there pretty good.

The lead tape definitely increased the weight of the shaft and it moved the balance point of the cue noticeably forward. I really like the way the cue feels as compared to before.

Its possible that the lead weight will work loose but I really doubt it. If it does, I'll syringe some super glue in there and that'll surely hold it in place.

Certainly I'm not the first person to think of doing that.
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You probably should have been a little more scientific about it. You should have weighed the shaft BEFORE your expieiment. You should have found the balance point pryer to adding the tape. THEN you could have definatly stated that INDEED, the balance point & weight had shifted...JER
 
You could also do what a friend of mine did, and do it on the other end of the shaft, under the ferrule. It's really funny watching people try to make a ball using that thing. It's also a great way to see how close to center ball you can hit, which I would bet is nowhere near as close as you think.
 
desert1pocket said:
You could also do what a friend of mine did, and do it on the other end of the shaft, under the ferrule. It's really funny watching people try to make a ball using that thing. It's also a great way to see how close to center ball you can hit, which I would bet is nowhere near as close as you think.
Click to expand...

Years ago, when Predator first started selling their low deflection shafts, Jim Buss experimented and placed a brass rod in the end of the shaft. I was told that when you aimed at a ball using english the cue ball might miss the object ball by 18".

Dick
 
rhncue said:
Years ago, when Predator first started selling their low deflection shafts, Jim Buss experimented and placed a brass rod in the end of the shaft. I was told that when you aimed at a ball using english the cue ball might miss the object ball by 18".

Dick
Click to expand...

Very true, if using a tip or more of english, it is hard enough just to avoid miscueing, let alone to hit an object ball from more than a foot away. I think the one I saw had a 5/16 - 14 steel joint pin in the end of the shaft. I would lay bets that people couldn't make a hanger the length of a 9' table using that shaft. The only way to do it is to hit exactly center ball, and as it proved to me, that is much more difficult to do than most people think.
 
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I have a break shaft that i had made with an extra 2 ounces put in to move the weight forward. It breaks really well. I'm not sure how it would be for a playing shaft, but whatever works.
 
There is this guy in my area who is a tinkerer...he took a Predator shaft and put 5 oz. of poured lead into the joint end of it down a 5/16" hole....:eek:
 
Mr. Eick

BLACKHEARTCUES said:
You probably should have been a little more scientific about it. You should have weighed the shaft BEFORE your expieiment. You should have found the balance point pryer to adding the tape. THEN you could have definatly stated that INDEED, the balance point & weight had shifted...JER
Click to expand...

Since I'm not a cuemaker and was just dinking around I didn't feel compelled to make my post longer than it already was. However, I DID check the balance point before and after and it moved forward just over 1/2". And, since I use lead tape when building and swingweighting golf clubs, I can say that the amount of lead tape I used weighed approximately 2 ounces. I didn't not weigh the shaft since it was not a shaft that I played with. BUT since the shaft is now a little bit heavier and the weight is a little more forward and I like the balance of the cue and the way it now hits - I will perform a "shaftectomy" again if the need arises.:) Sorry if I somehow offended you.
 
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