Schon Weight bolts

[jwe711]

Here are the details...

I've recently bought a Schon STL 1.
The cue is simply too heavy.
I know that I can change the bolt.
I know that you can cut the bolt down to reduce the bolt weight.
I know that you can get shorter bolts.
I know that they have an aluminum bolt available.
I was told it was a 19.4...this just doesn't seem right to me...it's gotta be atleast 20+...I'm going to get it weighed this afternoon.
I understand that less weight in the butt end...will move the balance point forward a bit, I'm OK with that part.

Here's the question...

What I don't know is what are the effects of changing the bolt, to the hit of the cue?

The cue hits and shoots beautifully right now...nice and stiff and crisp, with a lot of good feedback.
I don't want to change the feel of the hit or it's playability...but it's just too heavy.
My goal would be to bring it down to a 18 to an 18.5.

Thanks for the information...but
I found a new problem...The weight bolt was aluminum...so it's about as light as it can be.

Any suggestions on any possible ways to lighten it up?

 

[socks]

*disclaimer: i'm not a cue maker, cue assymbler or even a cue repair man. this is just what i have found from my personal tinkering and from reading the information all the great cue men on this forum are willing to share with us. However, i did stay at a holiday inn express last night.*

on average the balance point will move 1" per oz. so if its really 20-21 oz, you will be looking at the balance point moving a good 2-3 inches with that weight change, which is a significant amount.

it also could really be 19.4 oz. sometimes when a butt has more weight in it than in the shaft, say the butt is 16 oz and the shaft is 3 oz, it will feal heavier in your hand than if the butt is 14.5 oz and the shaft 4.5 oz. i have that with acouple predators i have.

as stated many times, 90% of a cues performance is in the tip, ferrule, and taper. no matter what you do with the weight bolt, it wont change those aspects or how the cue ultimatly plays. all it will change is the balance point and thats just how it feals while your stroking and that is 100% subjective.

 

[hotrod]

hit change ?

The cues feel of hit should be the same. Cue will be slightly more forward balanced. Sometimes a cue is so perfectly balanced it seems to feel heavier than what its actuall weight is. I have experienced this with different cues. Custom and production.

 

[RiverCity]

And just an FYI, Schon considers it an assembly bolt. Meaning its primary function is not to add/subtract weight; although they do use steel vs aluminum to achieve a weight/balance preference.
Chuck

 

[billyjack]

Here's the question...

What I don't know is what are the effects of changing the bolt, to the hit of the cue?

I found a new problem...The weight bolt was aluminum...so it's about as light as it can be.

Any suggestions on any possible ways to lighten it up?

If you have an aluminum bolt already, your choices are limited. You can: 1) eliminate the bolt, 2) replace it with a shorter one, 3) replace the bolt with a piece of threaded aluminum tube.
None of the choices should change the hit significantly. If it were mine, I'd get an accurate weight as a baseline, and start experimenting. In my limited experience, different woods, joints and balance points make cues feel "lighter" or "heavier" in spite of the actual weight. Only way to find out is to experiment.
Bill