Turning down a butt

S

Scott Lee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a student who owns a McDermott, but the size of the butt is too fat for his hand. McDermott wanted almost $200 to turn the butt down to make it slimmer. Is this reasonable, and if so, is there anyone who can do this job for less?...or should he just look for a cue with a slimmer profile? Are there cuemakers who specialize in slimmer cues? I know 30 years ago, I bought a Valley Supreme and had a woodworker friend of mine turn it down a bit, and put a joint it it. Cost me $30. I still have the cue, and it's still dead straight! I posted this in the Ask A Cuemaker forum too.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
 
Turning the butt down will probably require re-cutting the wrap groove and a refinish. $200 sounds very reasonable.
 
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Robinson cues normally have a smaller than usual diameter butt. On a cue with a wrap, this is a big job and $200 does indeed seem reasonable. A wrapless cue should be easier to deal with. However, one really big problem is that most custom cues these days are cored...meaning what you see is just a thin sleeve of wood over a central core of maple. This could simply be impossible to with a lot of custom cues. I doubt the McDermott is cored. Who knows though...it could be.

KMRUNOUT
 
$200 is more than reasonable at todays prices.

USA price for a wrap is approx $45. That leaves $155 for the butt reduction and sanding, prep work and finishing. Cutting a new wrap groove.

Labor plus materials, $155 is a steal.
 
deleted ... sounded funny when I posted it, BUTT may have been in bad taste.
 
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200 is reasonable for what has to be done, turn down, wrap groove and refinish. However you have to balance out what the cue is worth, with what it is going to cost in modification. It may make more sense to look for a cue that has a slimmer handle and sell the McDermott.
 
Str8PoolPlayer said:
deleted ... sounded funny when I posted it, BUTT may have been in bad taste.
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Didn't see the original post, but from this, I think I know what you might've been pining at. Did it have anything to do with the thread title, and the theme, "rebellious Greek" or anything like that? :p

-Sean
 
I like McD's for the bigger handle!
Get a diff cue as the old one won't play the same anyway.
Try almost any other brand-Find something you like.

200 is reasonable<if it "ever" gets done.We are talking cue-makers right?:wink:
 
Dan Heidrich's cues have a slim butt. He had a booth at Turning Stone and I was impressed with the quality of his cues. You can check them out at www,Heidrichcustomcues,com.
 
Scott Lee said:
Thanks everybody...think I will suggest a different cue.

Scott Lee
Http://poolknowledge.com
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For $200ish he could probably have a custom (but basic) sneaky pete built to what ever diameter he wants and have a superior hitting cue...just play with the McDermott until the sneaky pete is finished and then maybe offload it to help offset the cost of the new cue....just a thought.
 
DJ62 said:
Dan Heidrich's cues have a slim butt. He had a booth at Turning Stone and I was impressed with the quality of his cues. You can check them out at www,Heidrichcustomcues,com.
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Fixed the URL (commas aren't used in URLs, and the old "dubya dubya dubya" notation isn't used anymore):

http://heidrichcustomcues.com/

I agree, though -- Dan's cues are beautiful and well made!

-Sean
 
I got it... You said:
Gee, Scott. First time I ever read about you turning down a butt.

That was it ,wasn't it?!:clapping::rotflmao:
 
Most cues without a wrap are smaller. I know schon has one that is pretty small. I had mine made small for the same reason.
 
sfleinen said:
Didn't see the original post, but from this, I think I know what you might've been pining at. Did it have anything to do with the thread title, and the theme, "rebellious Greek" or anything like that? :p

-Sean
Click to expand...

Thread title ... and I'm still chuckling inside. I gotta mind my tongue sometimes.
 
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