Shaft Taper

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1) could someone show a picture or link to differentate a pro taper shaft vs regular taper. and what are the pros/cons of either? thanks
 
A regular taper I assume is what we call a conical or euro taper. It's the taper used on snooker cues & billiard cues. The taper angle is constant from joint to tip, making it very stiff & rigid while still allowing for a small diameter tip.

A progressive taper is just that, a taper angle that progressively changes from tip to joint. Most have a straight area from the tip back to a particular length & then begin to get progressively larger, progressively faster. The taper is actually curved. The idea is to provide a smooth stroking area for the player. As such, it has much more flex than a euro taper.

There are infinite combinations & variations of these two tapers. Every builder has a unique taper shape they prefer. For me, it's a compound euro taper. My taper has two distinct euro tapers joining at around 11" from the tip. It's just what I found to work well for me. Everybody has something specific to them.
 
One problem you will run into with terms like "pro" or "regular" is everyone has their own idea of what these terms mean.
 
true some say pro taper 14'' 16'' 18'' ect...

for example a 16'' pro taper is 16'' from the tip down is the same size then it starts to increase. like a coke bottle

a regular or straight taper would start getting fat right at the tip straight to the joint. like a house cue
 
thanks all btw dave i like the pic to the left of your reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
dave sutton said:
true some say pro taper 14'' 16'' 18'' ect...

for example a 16'' pro taper is 16'' from the tip down is the same size then it starts to increase. like a coke bottle

a regular or straight taper would start getting fat right at the tip straight to the joint. like a house cue
From what I understood, " pro-taper" was never a NO-TAPER.
It was a gradual taper like 2 thou per inch.

Joey~Thinks they should outlat the term pro-taper~
 
i always thought pro taper was 12" the same or 14" the same.i see lots of cues that have the barrel in the front which is the same.i would also call this a regular taper so i think alot of different guys are going to have different ideas of what's called what even if they are all trying to say the same thing.
 
agree. different ppl have different sayings for the same idea. the term pro taper is used too often. i personally dont use it. i say 12'' taper or 14'' taper or 16''taper. basically when it starts to get fat.

i personally didnt measure out the taper bar. i matched it to a shaft i liked the taper on. i like a longer taper personally. what i do is if a player likes a longer i take any extra off the back of the shaft and if they want fatter i take the extra off the ferrule end. i can sand it a little more in the finishing stage also. i dont mess with my taper much. im not good enough yet.
 
dave sutton said:
agree. different ppl have different sayings for the same idea. the term pro taper is used too often. i personally dont use it. i say 12'' taper or 14'' taper or 16''taper. basically when it starts to get fat.

i personally didnt measure out the taper bar. i matched it to a shaft i liked the taper on. i like a longer taper personally. what i do is if a player likes a longer i take any extra off the back of the shaft and if they want fatter i take the extra off the ferrule end. i can sand it a little more in the finishing stage also. i dont mess with my taper much. im not good enough yet.

Find a taper you like & stick to it. Evolve it as time goes, but don't force it.

You got the Deluxe, right? You can easily make new taper bars. Use plexiglass or formica or whatever & cut them on a bandsaw or scrollsaw. Take shafts you like the taper of, & trace the outline of one side on the material you will cut. This gives you the taper shape. Cut it & mount it where your butt taper bar fits, and you now have access to several tapers without ever having to mess with your shaft taper bar. Heck, catalogue every builder you can. It's cheap & easy & gives you infinite tapers to offer without having to program them into a CNC. This is one of the great aspects of the Deluxe. It's friggin easy to create new taper bars.
 
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