The real problems with cheap cues such as the really crappy qualtiy house cues and junker2pc cues at a brand new price around "might as well be free" is not that they constructed it wrong
.... i bet that cue was straight for a little while
(one second at least lol) just like the new house cues are for a moment. Then they warp drastically b/c of moisture exchange and lower quality/improperly processed wood....
The natural qualitys of the wood isn't omnipotent in regards to how straight it'll stay
(High GPI guarantees nothing in maple shafts, nor does high figure mean it will move necessarily for example)How it was cut,dried,de-stressed is what matters. Old growth wood is better b/c its naturally more stable right off the tree b/f cutting/drying etc its been sitting there and its "memory" and orientation was set long long ago. Newer wood is younger and hasn't even stopped growing and moving, its still not set in its ways. Not to mention growth chemicals used to up production may make the trees grow bigger more quickly and are too close to each other creating a type of malnourishment
(sort of a specialized super miracle grow ) its bonds and structure are much weaker than their centuries old forefathers. This is especially obvious by the fact that invasive boring insects affect mostly younger trees as opposed to very old ones....the wood is too dense for many of them to do enough damage to kill the tree, but younger ones can be wiped out.
You can season cheaper wood and it'll hold, but when you just buy some bulk wood good or bad quality and just throw them in a lathe and turn out a cue in a new york minute then ship it to places with differient climates the wood FREAKS THE HELL OUT!
Its may not be bad construction but its always bad craftsmanship. A cue can keep its straightness if it wasn't quite seasoned really well/destressed IF you were patient in turning down the wood as long as the climate is relatively stable especially in regards to humidity swings. Wood is really sensitive to its surroundings if it still has any internal stress what so ever, IT WILL SHIFT when subjected to sudden climate and again especially humidity changes.
Wood has to have water to be able to move, it is a rigid set structure without it. The higher the % of moisture the greater its ability to shift to relieve its internal stresses. The better sealed the cue is the more shift proof it is. I make especially sure to seal the wrap groove on the cue, and more importantly the end grain under the bumper and inside the joint if any is exposed to the atmosphere. Water giving wood the ability to move is what wooden ship/boat building (skiffs, old cutter style ships, Pirogues,etc)relies upon.
The wood is dry when the ship is constructed in a tight tolerance fashion, once the boat is complete and placed in water the water SWELLS the pores and the seams of the planks are compressed shut and water proof. Even cedar shingle roofs work off this principle. So as a cue builder we must know that wood wants to move untill its stresses are neutralized so we must take that into consideration when planning to build a cue if any kind of descent success is expected.
I've seen brand new cues from reputable makers of high skill(seriously)go from say the western states such as arizona or cali to down south to Louisiana or say Florida and they are DEAD straight, then it could be a few days or a week or two and the dam cue warps....b/c of climate shock. It'll split Ivory, warp wood, loosen connections etc.
I highly advise those ordering cues from a very diffierent climate than their own to either plan delivery when the climates are in close relation and will be stable for an extended time. Say ordering from the midwest to the swamp of florida i wouldn't want it in the middle of summer. The midwest is dry and florida is as humid as it gets like louisiana. I would get it delivered in the winter when the air is dryer in florida.
This is also a good reason to have stable climate when storing cues. The best storage would come in the form of a humidity controlled box just like cigars...
(maybe I'm wrong but didn't someone build a cue-midor on here some time ago?)
It would be one thing if the crap cue just had a nasty taper style and bad balance or feel. But if it was straight then all that can be overlooked.
People don't realize how much wood the good production companies have to have back stocked and seasoning/drying/stabilizing to do what they do, that even goes for custom makers
(just not nearly as much but still lots and lots are needed to build a good river of wood like deickman says lol) It is very hard to get wood that is not super duper seasoned and old to never move again.
I believe this is the reason why we get new cues from even the likes of Schon or McDermott and other quality productions and some customs that when rolled on the rail the tip moves somewhat, but when rolled on the table flat it doesn't show. The wood moved minutely somewhere in one or more places in the cue. It doesn't take but a hair of movement to make that tip roll a 1/4" off on the rail....thats why its so darn rare to have a cue, that when rolled with the butt on the table and the joint on the rail, the tip does not move at all. Most all cues have moved to some extent...If your lucky enough to have one that flatlines and is perfectly perfect then i suggest you take the best of care of such a rarity.
I've owned McDermotts, Schons, Hueblers, Palmers, Adams, Predator in production and customs from over a dozen makers...total cues I ever had is around 40 I'd say. ONLY ONE OF THOSE NEVER MOVED AND IS THE PICTURE OF LINEAR PERFECTION, straight is not even a good enough word. When I include all the cues I've seen/held/borrowed/owned etc...and rolled like I described that number has to be close to a thousand and I may be underestimating. Of that huge group only one other cue stayed perfect
(I mean 100% perfect too), so 2 out of 1000+/- :yikes:
Most of the cues when rolled flat on the table surface rolled straight tho. And when rail tested many moved within reasonable tolerances which I consider to be definately 3/8" or under and rather see just an 1/8 of movement on the tip. The less it moves the more perfectly concentric it is from end to end.
But basically so long as the tip doesn't jump off the table bed when the cue is rolled flat, then its not going to be an kind of issue. The rail roll test is just a finer test thats just more accurate and precise at showing you a more detailed result on the condition of the cue.
Rolling flat on the table is better for checking the individual sections for warpage, rolling the cue with the butt on the bed and joint on top the cusion is better suited to check the total package.
there's straight and then theres straight,
Grey Ghost:nanner:
. Nothing says Class like selling a product called "Dirty *****." Seriously though, It took me 30 seconds of looking at that page to realize they were a scam. The site looks like a 3 year old designed it.
......and I expect to get $20 worth, which is what I paid.....anything after that is a bonus....as a self proclaimed cheapskate, I have learned to always investigate the merchandice and realize that sometimes I take a flyer when I expect $150 worth of value out of a $20 product......but I shouldn't be surprised when I get disappointed...
