Temperature controlled case

M

mpex

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a backup cue that I would like to leave in my car trunk. The cue is not of a value that I am concerned about it being stolen, nor would I be heart broken if it did. I live in the Midwest. Temperatures range from -07F - 100F, but likely in any extreme temperatures I wouldn't attempt this. A better range for the purposes of this discussion would be 20F-85F.
On a given day, the temperature might fluctuate +/-15degrees.

I am trying to think of ways that I can do this and MINIMIZE my risk of warping the cue. There are a couple hard cases on the market that are air tight, but I don't think that is going to do it. Pelican and SKB cases are what I have access to, at dealer cost.

I did find this:
http://www.aedsuperstore.com/philips-temperature-controlled-hard-case.html
I'm considering making a case sized properly for a 3x6 cue case. I'm not crazy about the idea of having to plug it into my car battery via cigarette outlet. Any ideas on what to do and how to proceed? Is there a potential market if such a case could be produced in quantity? I would guess the price of the product would retail around $350.

In addition, there are a couple ways that may make this work as a product offering.
1.Being able to bolt it inside your vehicle trunk.
2.Offering a battery option for shipping cues or travel on airplanes.

Thoughts?
 
Perhaps one of those dorm room refrigerators would work. You could keep a few beverages and a couple of flatmeat sandwiches along with it. :smile:
 
what about a home made box utilizing layers of Styrofoam insulation
 
An insulated sleeping bag would keep the temperature inside cooler/warmer than the outside for many hours.

But my personal experience has been that I leave my cues in the car all seasons with no problems and have done this for the past 25 years.

Basically I think that if you made an insulated box you'd be fine. But I also think you'd probably be fine without it as well.
 
Mnay of us have left a cue in a car...some accidentally...some intentionally.

I won't do it intentionally. Back in college when I was shooting every day I forgot my cue in my car a few times and went to class. Several times when I realized it I left class to get my cue.

You can do it many times and have no problem...but the one time it causes a problem can be a disaster.

Expansion and contraction at different rates by different materials glued together. Finish softening. Plastics softening. Warping. More. All are potential hazards.


Temperature control is only one factor. Humidity is a concern as well. By creating a temperature controlled environment without humidity control you can cause condensation which could actually make the situation worse.

I have thought of doing something like this before actually but trashed the idea.



.
 
If you are going to do it on a regular basis, I would recommend getting sneaky without inlays so you don't have to worry as much about different materials expanding and contracting with temperature extremes.
 
Cues will survive just fine

JB Cases said:
An insulated sleeping bag would keep the temperature inside cooler/warmer than the outside for many hours.

But my personal experience has been that I leave my cues in the car all seasons with no problems and have done this for the past 25 years.

Basically I think that if you made an insulated box you'd be fine. But I also think you'd probably be fine without it as well.
Click to expand...

I too have left all kinds of cues in my car year round for 30 years. Zero problems with warping or anything else, including ivory ferrules, inlays, and joints.
 
Where to leave your cue in the car

DO NOT store the cue in the trunk! It will cook it in the summer and humid conditions in that truck chamber are NOT good for moisture. If it must be brought in the car/truck/van, the best place is in the passenger compartment and cover it with a reflective material to keep the sun from cooking it! Air should circulate in and around it, whether in a case or not.
I've done this for years with good results (no warpage).
F.Y.I.

largo said:
I too have left all kinds of cues in my car year round for 30 years. Zero problems with warping or anything else, including ivory ferrules, inlays, and joints.
Click to expand...
 
I leave my cues (one player, one break stick) in the car. Always. The player has been in either in the back seat of the car or in the pool hall for the past 3-4 years. Never goes inside.

It has zero warpage. I dunno if I just got lucky or what. I used to live in new england where it's mostly cold, but seldom hot or humid. Now I'm closer to DC which is pretty swampy. So far, so good.

That's not to say there's no effect at all, you can feel that some of the inlays near the butt cap have popped out a bit. So if appearances are important to you, I wouldn't recommend it.

You also have to consider that I change shafts every year or so, usually due to rage-bashing the old one. Though I've gotten better about that.

I use regular dirt-cheap soft cases, like a 10 dollar sportcraft you can buy at walmart. They're in the back seat rather than the trunk, but I don't know if that matters. I think keeping it out of direct sunlight probably keeps it a lot cooler, and my general impression from what I read on the forum is that heat and especially humidity are the real killers, cold isn't a big deal.
 
I understand the logic of wanting to protect the cue from variations in temperature and materials. Different rates of expansion for different materials and adhesives. That makes sense, but I am just reporting that from practical experience I have had no problems with the cue in the trunk year round.
 
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