Shafts can be straightened

manwon

manwon

"WARLOCK 1"
Silver Member
:eek: Hello out there, I have seen this question asked many times and the only answer I can give is shafts can be straightened.:D First, you must separate shafts that have warped due bad materials (wood). The only shafts I will straighten are shafts that have warped due to abuse, ie left in car summer and winter, left leaning on the wall attached to a cue, or left standing in a cue rack for years assembled. All wood has memory, and can be returned to its original state if the wood was properly dried / seasoned, properly turned down and properly sealed after sanding. The way I have found to release tension in a shaft is to first roll the shaft on a flat surface to find the high point and the center of the high point. Then mark the high points center with a pencil and make a cold bend on the marked high point. Billiards Direct sells a block that can be mounted to a fix table, that has a hole through it, and is lined with soft plastic tubing. They market this item as a shaft tuner / straightener and sell them for about $17. After you make a cold bend, do not be surprised if the tension/ warp appears to have moved. This is because in many cases a shaft will warp in more than one place if abused. If you find more than a single warp use the procedure above in each case. After, you have completed making cold bends on the warped areas and have gotten the shaft partly straight you will need to heat the warped areas. First erase all previous marks and again roll the shaft on a flat surface and mark the high spots. Then plug in a electric single burner stove and allow it to get red hot. Next take the shaft and rotate the marked area above the burner until it gets hot to the touch, during this step be careful not burn the shaft. By heating the wood tension is released, and by bending the shaft at the marked location against the warp the shaft will return to normal. The shaft must then be reattached to the cues butt and hung for 12 to 24 hrs. Depending on how long the shaft has been warped and how many individual warped locations are found on the shaft this process may take from 2 to 5 attempts. My success rate is around 70%, and of those in some cases there may still be a slight roll out. This procedure is great for old collectible cues with shafts that are warped because in most cases the wood used was quality in the first place and by correcting a problem in a shaft due to warp-age can greatly increase the value of a collectible / rare cue.

If you would like any additional information or if I have not been clear please contact me.

Thanks Craig
 
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manwon said:
:eek: Hello out there, I have seen this question asked many times and the only answer I can give is shafts can be straightened.:D First, you must separate shafts that have warped due bad materials (wood). The only shafts I will straighten are shafts that have warped due to abuse, ie left in car summer and winter, left leaning on the wall attached to a cue, or left standing in a cue rack for years assembled. All wood has memory, and can be returned to its original state if the wood was properly dried / seasoned, properly turned down and properly sealed after sanding. The way I have found to release tension in a shaft is to first roll the shaft on a flat surface to find the high point and the center of the high point. Then mark the high points center with a pencil and make a cold bend on the marked high point. Billiards Direct sells a block that can be mounted to a fix table, that has a hole through it, and is lined with soft plastic tubing. They market this item as a shaft tuner / straightener and sell them for about $17. After you make a cold bend, do not be surprised if the tension appears to have moved. This is because in many cases a shaft will warp in more than one place if abused. If you find more than a single warp use the procedure above in each case. After, you have completed making cold bends on the warped areas and have gotten the shaft partly straight you will need to heat the warped areas. First erase all previous marks and again roll the shaft on a flat surface and mark the high spots. Then plug in a electric single burner stove and allow it to get red hot. Next take the shaft and rotate the marked area above the burner until it gets hot to the touch, during this step be careful not burn the shaft. By heating the wood tension is released, and by bending the shaft at the marked location against the warp the shaft will return to normal. The shaft must then be reattached to the cues butt and hung for 12 to 24 hrs. Depending on how long the shaft has been warped and how many individual warped locations are found on the shaft this process may take from 2 to 5 attempts. My success rate is around 70%, and of those in some cases there may still be a slight roll out. This procedure is great for old collectible cues with shafts that are warped because in most cases the wood used was quality in the first place and by correcting a problem in a shaft due to warp-age can greatly increase the value of a collectible / rare cue.

If you would like any additional information or if I have not been clear please contact me.

Thanks Craig
Click to expand...

What about butts. I have a collectable Tim Scruggs that is warped pretty bad, no fault of Tims. It was in a flood for a couple of days and after drying out it was okay for a year, and then came the warp.:( :(
 
Craig, Here's an ad for a straightener from a 1941 Brunswick catalog:
 

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This has always worked for me.

Put the cue together and hang it from a rubber band. Best if in a humid place. You can even put a weight on the bottom if you want. Leave it alone for a couple of weeks.

TY & GL, OHB
 
I did it once to an old snooker shaft

I did it once to an old snooker shaft that I sold 6 months after "fixing". Apply tape to ferule for protection. Use fine wire to tie noose tightly around taped area. Thread spare pin/stud into shaft and hang 20-40 pounds from stud. Soak wrapped area and hang in closet for 30 days.

This worked better than I imagined. Played with cue for 1/2 a year until somebody wanted it and thus it is gone. I can't speak to whether it lasted but I couldn't believe how well it worked.

Nick
 
manwon said:
:eek: Hello out there, I have seen this question asked many times and the only answer I can give is shafts can be straightened.:D First, you must separate shafts that have warped due bad materials (wood). The only shafts I will straighten are shafts that have warped due to abuse, ie left in car summer and winter, left leaning on the wall attached to a cue, or left standing in a cue rack for years assembled. All wood has memory, and can be returned to its original state if the wood was properly dried / seasoned, properly turned down and properly sealed after sanding. The way I have found to release tension in a shaft is to first roll the shaft on a flat surface to find the high point and the center of the high point. Then mark the high points center with a pencil and make a cold bend on the marked high point. Billiards Direct sells a block that can be mounted to a fix table, that has a hole through it, and is lined with soft plastic tubing. They market this item as a shaft tuner / straightener and sell them for about $17. After you make a cold bend, do not be surprised if the tension appears to have moved. This is because in many cases a shaft will warp in more than one place if abused. If you find more than a single warp use the procedure above in each case. After, you have completed making cold bends on the warped areas and have gotten the shaft partly straight you will need to heat the warped areas. First erase all previous marks and again roll the shaft on a flat surface and mark the high spots. Then plug in a electric single burner stove and allow it to get red hot. Next take the shaft and rotate the marked area above the burner until it gets hot to the touch, during this step be careful not burn the shaft. By heating the wood tension is released, and by bending the shaft at the marked location against the warp the shaft will return to normal. The shaft must then be reattached to the cues butt and hung for 12 to 24 hrs. Depending on how long the shaft has been warped and how many individual warped locations are found on the shaft this process may take from 2 to 5 attempts. My success rate is around 70%, and of those in some cases there may still be a slight roll out. This procedure is great for old collectible cues with shafts that are warped because in most cases the wood used was quality in the first place and by correcting a problem in a shaft due to warp-age can greatly increase the value of a collectible / rare cue.

If you would like any additional information or if I have not been clear please contact me.

Thanks Craig
Click to expand...

whats a "cold bend"
 
OldHasBeen said:
Put the cue together and hang it from a rubber band. Best if in a humid place. You can even put a weight on the bottom if you want. Leave it alone for a couple of weeks.

TY & GL, OHB
Click to expand...
I've done this, I've hung a badly warped cue I got on E-bay (go figure) on the outside of my shower curtian for couple of weeks. It worked. I was carefull to take it to a less humid room in my house and leave it hanging for a month after that. The cue is 99% straight now.
 
scottycoyote said:
whats a "cold bend"
Click to expand...

Hello, a cold bend is locating the high point of the warp and bending the shaft without applying heat first.

Craig
 
I've used steam to expand the wood fibres in shafts on the low side as I call it...or direction the shaft warps...then I bend it towards the high side...this has dad the most consistent results for me....
________
 
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no-sho said:
What about butts. I have a collectable Tim Scruggs that is warped pretty bad, no fault of Tims. It was in a flood for a couple of days and after drying out it was okay for a year, and then came the warp.:( :(
Click to expand...

You will have to use your imagination for what I am describing. Maybe I'll post a pick of the one I made...

Make a jig out of 2x4's, screws, and clamps. It helps if you hae a planer and table saw...

Anyways, put one 2x4 on the bottom. Two on the sides to hold the butt straight. Warped side up. Now place a loose 2x4 between the two sides with the butt already between them. Clamp down the loose 2x4 on the top with some c-clamps or bar clamps. Just make sure they are threaded adjusters, not trigger grip adjusters.

Tighten the clamps just a little bit every day for a couple weeks, a couple days, a couple months, whatever works.


I've done this and it works. I straightened one after leaving it in the jig for a couple weeks and it is still straight. I did another and left it in for 6 months (I forgot about it) and it is still straight...
 
Jk!

I had a real nice cue once that had a warp. An old guy from the pool hall told me to hang it by the tip outside my back door for a couple weeks. Said the cool moist air at night would help and all...
Someone stole it after a couple nights so I dont know if it worked...:confused: :p :cool:
 
pooldogue said:
I have a feeling he means this is b$llsh*t..................:D
Click to expand...

I suspect you are right on target, but I wondered how many people would say the same thing without a computer to hide behind. Well, I will see him in the near future and ask him then.:p
 
manwon said:
:eek: Hello out there, I have seen this question asked many times and the only answer I can give is shafts can be straightened.:D First, you must separate shafts that have warped due bad materials (wood). The only shafts I will straighten are shafts that have warped due to abuse, ie left in car summer and winter, left leaning on the wall attached to a cue, or left standing in a cue rack for years assembled. All wood has memory, and can be returned to its original state if the wood was properly dried / seasoned, properly turned down and properly sealed after sanding. The way I have found to release tension in a shaft is to first roll the shaft on a flat surface to find the high point and the center of the high point. Then mark the high points center with a pencil and make a cold bend on the marked high point. Billiards Direct sells a block that can be mounted to a fix table, that has a hole through it, and is lined with soft plastic tubing. They market this item as a shaft tuner / straightener and sell them for about $17. After you make a cold bend, do not be surprised if the tension appears to have moved. This is because in many cases a shaft will warp in more than one place if abused. If you find more than a single warp use the procedure above in each case. After, you have completed making cold bends on the warped areas and have gotten the shaft partly straight you will need to heat the warped areas. First erase all previous marks and again roll the shaft on a flat surface and mark the high spots. Then plug in a electric single burner stove and allow it to get red hot. Next take the shaft and rotate the marked area above the burner until it gets hot to the touch, during this step be careful not burn the shaft. By heating the wood tension is released, and by bending the shaft at the marked location against the warp the shaft will return to normal. The shaft must then be reattached to the cues butt and hung for 12 to 24 hrs. Depending on how long the shaft has been warped and how many individual warped locations are found on the shaft this process may take from 2 to 5 attempts. My success rate is around 70%, and of those in some cases there may still be a slight roll out. This procedure is great for old collectible cues with shafts that are warped because in most cases the wood used was quality in the first place and by correcting a problem in a shaft due to warp-age can greatly increase the value of a collectible / rare cue.

If you would like any additional information or if I have not been clear please contact me.

Thanks Craig
Click to expand...


It works but the shaft get soft, I guess it is breaking the fibers in the wood and that is why it stays. Sigel use to break and bend the heck out of the shaft of his break cue. He would look down it and just straighten it out for the next break with his hand. It stayed it seemed in what ever place he bent it to it got so soft. What you propose is what a lot of guys do to sell cues with warped shafts but it doesn't last and the buyer gets screwed. Nothing new about it, there used to be a thing mounted on the wall in the pool room to stick the house cues in to straighten them. It isn't really any good for the shaft it loses its resilience and starts to play poorly. If it isn't too bad I would rather play with the shaft as it is with a little warp then begin bend it all over the place.
 
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macguy said:
It works but the shaft get soft, I guess it is breaking the fibers in the wood and that is why it stays. Sigel use to break and bend the heck out of the shaft of his break cue. He would look down it and just straighten it out for the next break with his hand. It stayed it seemed in what ever place he bent it to it got so soft. What you propose is what a lot of guys do to sell cues with warped shafts but it doesn't last and the buyer gets screwed. Nothing new about it, there used to be a thing mounted on the wall in the pool room to stick the house cues in to straighten them. It isn't really any good for the shaft it loses its resilience and starts to play poorly. If it isn't too bad I would rather play with the shaft as it is with a little warp then begin bend it all over the place.
Click to expand...

Hello, and thanks for the reply. I really do not agree that what I am proposing will break down the fibers of the shaft if done properly. The heating process is what takes and releives the tension at the warp not the use of a great deal of force while bending. The fact that wood has memory has been known by wood workers throughtout history. By releiving the tension at the warp and giving a slight bend presure at the warp the wood memory will take over. Again this will not work everytime, and I only recomend it on shafts that have warped due to abuse not bad turning or materials. I have done this procedure on cues and played with them, they played fine and the warp did not / has not returned. Again thanks for your reply all opinions are good.

Craig
 
KingCarom said:
I had a real nice cue once that had a warp. An old guy from the pool hall told me to hang it by the tip outside my back door for a couple weeks. Said the cool moist air at night would help and all...
Someone stole it after a couple nights so I dont know if it worked...:confused: :p :cool:
Click to expand...

I bet that old guy from the pool hall has your cue. :D
 
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