Shaft wood

Race2-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
:mad: Anybodu out there know where I can find some GOOD curly maple for shaft making? Any help appreciated.
 
ask the cuemakers at "ask the cuemakers" forum?
it has been my experience, from talking to a cuemaker or two, that these types of woods go unused because clients like the clean stuff, so cuemakers put these and other "darker" shafts aside and stay with the unblemished woods. so they might have a bunch
 
shaft info

Race2-9 said:
:mad: Anybodu out there know where I can find some GOOD curly maple for shaft making? Any help appreciated.

I'm going to assume you are talking about curly hard maple...typically acer saccharum, as I appreciate it. If you find a good source, I would appreciate a PM on it. I have found NO ONE willing to grade for it and have had several brokers try to pass off other (soft) species on me.

It is my opinion that curley soft maple (typically acer saccharinum) is not appropriate for shaft material. The only ways to distinguish is being there when the tree is harvested or working with the material. Either way is a cinch if you have a little experience with the various trees because only one maple has the strength and grain pattern for the cyclical shock loads of pool. Actually, I can tell with my fingernail most of the time.

Hope this helps...
 
I have a little bit of Hard Curly maple that has had a few small passes put on it. I had my shaft guy find these among his shaft wood a few years ago. They are $25 each and I only want to sell maybe 10 of them. They are rare so I never advertised that I had them. I might can get more if you want more and can wait a few months for him to find them for me. In dowel form they will be about $20.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
 
Chris:

What can you tell me about the shaft wood on my old cue? I bought it from the cuemaker in '66.

In comparison, the shaftwood on my new Viking is pretty soft and it dings very easily. Also, the grain is open, and quickly fills up with chalk dust.

JohnnyP's cues
 
JohnnyP said:
Chris:

What can you tell me about the shaft wood on my old cue? I bought it from the cuemaker in '66.

In comparison, the shaftwood on my new Viking is pretty soft and it dings very easily. Also, the grain is open, and quickly fills up with chalk dust.

JohnnyP's cues
Before the craze to obtain wood that was as white as possible, cuemakers just air dired their wood for a while then put it in a normal heat kiln. This produces darker wood, but the wood seems to be a little harder. Another thing that some people used to do is dry the wood in a kiln twice. Supposedly this made the wood much harder. Not sure if they still did that in the 60's as it was used more a hundred years ago or so. Not all hard maple is created equal either. A lot of the Canadian maple and new england maple is softer and lighter than Michigan maple. So for several years I have only used Michigan maple.
Chris
 
Shaft wood info

Thanks for the help. Hard Curly seems to be a rare find at best. But when you get a good curly shaft, the hit is just great. Good luck to all. BTW happy 4th of July and please take the time to remember the troops serving throughout the world.
 
Back
Top