Shaft alignment

bdragoon

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Question to all cue maker , Does every cue need a shaft alignment after certain period time of play ? And how do you do the allignment ?


Thanks
 

KJ Cues

Pro Cue Builder & Repair
Silver Member
I think you're referring to the surfaces where the shaft meets the handle.
If this is correct, then NO, not every cue will need this done.
It largely depends on how much care is given to keeping those mating faces clean.
This area is one of the most critical in determining the straightness of the cue.
A build-up of as little as .001" on the edge of one of those surfaces can put
the tip off-center as much as .069/.070". In other words, the cue will roll funny.
This is probably one of the most misdiagnosed causes of a cue not rolling true.
Most would immediately assume that the cue is warped when in fact it is not.
Separately, if the handle rolls true and the shaft rolls true yet when connected,
the cue rolls off, it's very likely the mating surfaces may need a slight clean-up pass.

In my work I do this quite often. I did one last evening on a brand-new cue that I
built a shaft for and to my surprise, the handle's jnt collar was out of 'square'
by .0005" (1/2 of a thousandths of an inch). The roll-off was noticeable to the
extent that we decided not to ship the cue until I made the correction.

It should be also noted that once a cue is built, if the forearm were to 'move'
ever so slightly, it can cause the same condition. It's more common than what one
would think. Couple that with the fact that most wood will move on a daily basis,
someone who is anal about their cue rolling straight could worry themselves into a frenzy.
In reality, the only time this is a concern is when the amount the tip is off the center-line
of the cue exceeds the deviation of the player's stroke.
In other words, if a player's stroke is off by as little as 1/2" from being true,
the cue's tip being off by 1/16" really doesn't make much difference, does it?

Facing the joint of a cue is easily done by a competent repair-person ON A LATHE.
This is not a DIY operation. Leave precision to those who deal in precision everyday.
 
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