Slight wobble on my new cue, what would you do?

Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for the advice.

To answer a couple of your questions (highlighted in RED:

1) Asking Meucci to build 61" cue seemed like it would already be well beyond my budget. That and time was a factor, I waited a while to finally pull the trigger on my cue purchase after researching what I wanted, I didn't want to wait for anyone other than Schmelke to build it since I knew he could do it in a reasonable amount of time for a great price. Plus they are local to my state so I wanted to support that. All-in-all the cues total price was $412. Not bad for a 31" LD shaft that I researched found to be the one I want along with a custom to my specs 30" butt. From order of the shaft to the whole cue on my doorstep was less than 8 weeks.

2) I called Schmelke and they said they roll all cues to test for straightness before they leave their facility. Now maybe I am being too critical and maybe they saw what I did and they let it slide considering the circumstances. I will never know.

3) Oh I know the difference. But IMO beyond paying for expensive inlays, or veneers and whatever else that makes a butt expensive makes the cue no more solid and play better, all major brand cues should roll straight after only 6 days of play, don't you agree?

I understand.

I would say it isn't just fancy inlays and veneers that make a cue expensive.

"All major brands of cues should roll straight after only 6 days" Yes, I agree. That's why the makers often immediately ask questions when that's not true.

I bought one cue cheap that was sold as warped. It hopped around like a rabid kangaroo if you rolled it. I wiped off the joint face with a paper towel and it rolled straight.

I have a Russ Espiritu cue from the early 90's that went through Hurricane Katrina. It was actually in the flood waters. Stunk like you wouldn't believe. But guess what? It was straight. Seriously straight. Still is.

I have a 110 year old Brunswick, ivory joint, 4 points with veneers. It is laser straight.



Your situation is frustrating. But no matter what IMHO the cue needs to get in the hands of the one who made it and put on a lathe to check it out.


.
 

Celophanewrap

Call me Grace
Silver Member
EDIT: Before you assume that after 6 pages (as of 10/2 9:22am CST) that I am complaining of my wobble still, please read this edit.

First off I should have mentioned, the Meucci Pro shaft I ordered from Budget was a blank. So Schmelke was abe to customize it to their custom built but. The cue was made with all new parts.

I have received enough info to realize, it is what it is. I have accepted this slight wobble I have on my new custom 61" cue with a 31" shaft is never going to be resolved unless I try to straighten it myself.

This post is as long as it is because I tried to reply to all those that chimed in with advice and this of course bumps me to the top, thus making new users see it and reply and then the cycle continues.

So to appease some (more like one) user who's initials rhyme with WW, I wanted to make this very clear.


This was a custom cue I had made by Schmelke with a shaft bought from Budget Billiards. I had the shaft direct shipped to Schmelke for the work. The shaft in question is a Meucci Pro. When I rolled it together it has a slight wobble as well as the shaft alone. So it's in the shaft for sure. I contacted Budget and they forwarded the info to Meucci who then emailed me. They asked if Schmelke could verify the cue rolled straight before it left their shop. Schmelke says they test roll all their cues before they leave and they can confirm it rolled straight. They wrote me a letter confirming this which I then sent back to Meucci. I have yet to hear from them.

So don't you think Meucci should have some sort of warranty on shafts that could potentially warp overtime? My fear is that it's going to eventually warp even worse.

What would you do?

TJ

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Fire wood. It's the only thing you can do
 

Kickin' Chicken

Kick Shot Aficionado
Gold Member
Silver Member
I understand.

I would say it isn't just fancy inlays and veneers that make a cue expensive.

"All major brands of cues should roll straight after only 6 days" Yes, I agree. That's why the makers often immediately ask questions when that's not true.

I bought one cue cheap that was sold as warped. It hopped around like a rabid kangaroo if you rolled it. I wiped off the joint face with a paper towel and it rolled straight.

I have a Russ Espiritu cue from the early 90's that went through Hurricane Katrina. It was actually in the flood waters. Stunk like you wouldn't believe. But guess what? It was straight. Seriously straight. Still is.

I have a 110 year old Brunswick, ivory joint, 4 points with veneers. It is laser straight.



Your situation is frustrating. But no matter what IMHO the cue needs to get in the hands of the one who made it and put on a lathe to check it out.


.

Therein lies a big part of the problem.

Meucci is "the one who made it" and their customer service is abysmal, a real crap shoot at best.

If it was a reputable cue company then the worst of it would be who pays the return shipping. Unfortunately, if the op sends the shaft back to Meucci, he may well be inviting a lot more frustration into his life.

If Schmelke sourced the partial for him then it would be on them to get this sorted out. Given that the op arranged for this custom shaft to be sent to Schmelke on his own, it then becomes him vs Meucci, an unenviable spot to be in, indeed.

that's why I suggested with video evidence for him to try to get something from either Budget or Meucci for the wobble. If either co is willing to help him then this may be the easiest remedy for all and allows the op not to have to risk sending his shaft into the black hole that is Meucci customer service.

imo. :smile:

best,
brian kc
 
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tjlmbklr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Therein lies a big part of the problem.

Meucci is "the one who made it" and their customer service is abysmal, a real crap shoot at best.

If it was a reputable cue company then the worst of it would be who pays the return shipping. Unfortunately, if the op sends the shaft back to Meucci, he may well be inviting a lot more frustration into his life.

If Schmelke sourced the partial for him then it would be on them to get this sorted out. Given that the op arranged for this custom shaft to be sent to Schmelke on his own, it then becomes him vs Meucci, an unenviable spot to be in, indeed.

that's why I suggested with video evidence for him to try to get something from either Budget or Meucci for the wobble. If either co is willing to help him then this may be the easiest remedy for all and allows the op not to have to risk sending his shaft into the black hole that is Meucci customer service.

imo.

best,
brian kc
This is precisely my dilemma. I ordered the blank from budget and had it sent to schmelke cues. It has been handled by more than one company and both of them claim that it was straight when it left their facility.

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Celophanewrap

Call me Grace
Silver Member
Forgive me if this has been posted before, I didn't want to read all 6 pages.
It's been my experience that when these things (cues, shafts) go from one climate to
another and back again, from temperature to temperature they may tend to "bend" a little.
If it doesn't bother you then play with it. If it does then these are a few things that have worked
for me. Of course, I live in Denver, where it's probably a slightly drier climate then the one you live in:
leave it for a week or two or longer it may straighten up a bit on it's own. Try and straighten yourself.
If you do that, what I have done is remove the tip and ferrule and stuff it in a copper or iron pipe so it
doesn't have a opportunity to bend. Hang it tip down and leave it sit for a week or two or longer.
Then there is the Jacoby cue straightener, which worked (even for me) surprisingly well.
I feel your pain though. I have a cue I ordered from a cue maker in New York. The shafts were always
straight when it got here, a couple of days later the were a little bowed up, then the wood shrank to a
smaller diameter that the size of the ferrule. I sent back to the cuemaker several times, each time he r
eturns a straight shaft to me, and it stays straight for a few days. I got tired of it so I stopped shipping it out.
Good thing it was never my main player. The bow isn't too big a bother, it just bugs me.
 

tjlmbklr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Forgive me if this has been posted before, I didn't want to read all 6 pages.
It's been my experience that when these things (cues, shafts) go from one climate to
another and back again, from temperature to temperature they may tend to "bend" a little.
If it doesn't bother you then play with it. If it does then these are a few things that have worked
for me. Of course, I live in Denver, where it's probably a slightly drier climate then the one you live in:
leave it for a week or two or longer it may straighten up a bit on it's own. Try and straighten yourself.
If you do that, what I have done is remove the tip and ferrule and stuff it in a copper or iron pipe so it
doesn't have a opportunity to bend. Hang it tip down and leave it sit for a week or two or longer.
Then there is the Jacoby cue straightener, which worked (even for me) surprisingly well.
I feel your pain though. I have a cue I ordered from a cue maker in New York. The shafts were always
straight when it got here, a couple of days later the were a little bowed up, then the wood shrank to a
smaller diameter that the size of the ferrule. I sent back to the cuemaker several times, each time he r
eturns a straight shaft to me, and it stays straight for a few days. I got tired of it so I stopped shipping it out.
Good thing it was never my main player. The bow isn't too big a bother, it just bugs me.
Thanks for the words of encouragement. to be honest I have not checked it since the original time I did which was a few weeks ago already now. I'm kind of person that when I have a pain somewhere on my body I fear going to the doctor for the bad news I don't want to get. So that's why I haven't rolled it again, I fear that I'll see that's going to wobble still and it will just affect me mentally.

That's why I had the cue for 6 days before I first rolled it.

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tjlmbklr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
S C H M E L K E did you get that :)
I have nothing bad to say about Schmelke, I have to believe them when they say it was straight when it left them. But as I stated in one of my many replies, what they consider straight may be different than what I do. Or maybe it did warp in transport

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Kim Bye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Let me get this straight:
- you ordered a 31" Meucci blank?
- You had Schmelke turn down the shaft to what diameter?
 
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Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Therein lies a big part of the problem.

Meucci is "the one who made it" and their customer service is abysmal, a real crap shoot at best.

If it was a reputable cue company then the worst of it would be who pays the return shipping. Unfortunately, if the op sends the shaft back to Meucci, he may well be inviting a lot more frustration into his life.


I don't disagree.

But it was a shaft blank turned by Schmelke.

To me, that puts it in Schmelke's lap to fix this.

The shaft blank was not shipped to the end user, it was shipped directly to Schmelke.

Schmelke then finished the shaft.

For the end user to return the shaft to Meucci does not make sense.

You cannot return to the sender that which did not come to you.




Doing it this way created a complication for sure.

.
 

Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Let me get this straight:
- you ordered a 31" Meucci blank?
- You had Schmelke turn down the shaft to what diameter?

Exactly.


They turned it.

They made the cue.

It's their problem.

I don't like that, but that's the way I see it.
.
 

Meucciplayer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well, since you said that you did not get a shaft but rather a blank I am not so sure who would be responsible. This might be debatable. Either the blank wood was not good enough (Meucci's problem) or the way Schmelke produced the shaft from the blank was not totally perfect (Schmelke's problem). Another reason why I would never order from 2 companies. Chances are, none of the 2 will admit responsibility in this case.

But since that wobble isn't all that bad from what I read I would just live with it. My Black Dot wasn't perfect either and I played it for many years and never noticed a difference to a theoretically perfect shaft. Even if you can't completely straighten the shaft, it is going to play nicely if nothing else is missing.
 

Kim Bye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Exactly.


They turned it.

They made the cue.

It's their problem.

I don't like that, but that's the way I see it.
.
That certainly complicates the situation..
If Schmelke just installed ringwork and threaded the shaft, I would think it's under Meucci warranty. If they in addition turned down/retapered the shaft, then it's most likely Schmelke's problem.
That's why I asked about what tip diameter they turned it to. If it's something crazy like 12mm or less, it's not unlikely they warned the customer about the risks?
 

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
This is like watching the Mission Impossible .
Did not expect that twist and another one .

How thick was the blank before it was turned ?

Then again, why would you have bothered ordering a Meucci ?
Schmelke could have made the same shaft .
There is no secret to Meucci's " low deflection".
Soft ferrule with a gap under the cap.
 

Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
That certainly complicates the situation..
If Schmelke just installed ringwork and threaded the shaft, I would think it's under Meucci warranty. If they in addition turned down/retapered the shaft, then it's most likely Schmelke's problem.
That's why I asked about what tip diameter they turned it to. If it's something crazy like 12mm or less, it's not unlikely they warned the customer about the risks?

Warned?

Maybe, maybe not.

The blank was shipped directly to Schmelke. One would assume a major cue maker knows about turning shafts from the raw lumber or a provided blank.

And it wasn't bought from Meucci, it was bought from Budget.

I have searched a little and cannot find any dimensions of a Meucci Pro blank.

We don't know what work went into the shaft at Schmelke. I don't think we have to. They made the cue and shipped it to the buyer. It goes back to them.

Indeed how this was done introduces a complication. But that's how I see it.

Neither Meucci nor Budget shipped anything to the buyer, hence the buyer cannot return anything to either one of them.

Might seem like semantics, but that is the way I see it.

If Schmelke has an issue with the Meucci materials, they need to take that up with Budget and/or Meucci as they accepted the part(s) for installation from them, not from the customer.

.
 

Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is like watching the Mission Impossible .
Did not expect that twist and another one .

How thick was the blank before it was turned ?

Then again, why would you have bothered ordering a Meucci ?
Schmelke could have made the same shaft .
There is no secret to Meucci's " low deflection".
Soft ferrule with a gap under the cap.

They call it "hydraulic". :wink::rolleyes:
 

L I F D 1

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have nothing bad to say about Schmelke, I have to believe them when they say it was straight when it left them. But as I stated in one of my many replies, what they consider straight may be different than what I do. Or maybe it did warp in transport

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no kidding, what's under the hat, brain surgery?
 

Kim Bye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Warned?

Maybe, maybe not.

The blank was shipped directly to Schmelke. One would assume a major cue maker knows about turning shafts from the raw lumber or a provided blank.

And it wasn't bought from Meucci, it was bought from Budget.

I have searched a little and cannot find any dimensions of a Meucci Pro blank.

We don't know what work went into the shaft at Schmelke. I don't think we have to. They made the cue and shipped it to the buyer. It goes back to them.

Indeed how this was done introduces a complication. But that's how I see it.

Neither Meucci nor Budget shipped anything to the buyer, hence the buyer cannot return anything to either one of them.

Might seem like semantics, but that is the way I see it.

If Schmelke has an issue with the Meucci materials, they need to take that up with Budget and/or Meucci as they accepted the part(s) for installation from them, not from the customer.

.
Yes that's the way I see it too.
I couldn't find what tip diameter the OP's shaft is, but the Meucci Pro is 12.5mm as standard. I saw in another thread that the OP talked about OB2+ wich is 11.75mm.
If it's a 31" Meucci pro shaft with a 16" pro taper and a 11.75mm tip diameter, I think that is asking for trouble.
But I'll wait for more info from the OP.
 

tjlmbklr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I will reply to the other comments when I have a little bit more time to accurately write, but I wanted to state that I made a mistake and I referred to it as a blank when it is actually a collarless/partial shaft. So another words that shaft that I ordered from budget Billiards was already the correct diameter with the tip that I requested from Meucci it just did not have a collar on it..

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tjlmbklr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Let me get this straight:
- you ordered a 31" Meucci blank?
- You had Schmelke turn down the shaft to what diameter?
my apologies, I used the wrong nomenclature I'm not a cue maker I'm just a guy that enjoys pool and thought he knew what he was talking about. They didn't turn down the shaft it was a partial collarless shaft. All they did is put a collar on it to match the butt that I had them make.

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