I have a cue that is less than one year old. I ordered it from a custom cuemaker. The butt now has a slight warp. The shaft is fine. I prefer not to mention the cuemaker. Is this a big deal? How much does a warp in the butt of a cue hinder the playability of that cue? I do not have a lot of money tied up in the cue. But this is the first time any of my cues have warped in the butt. Thanks.
Warped Cue Butt
- Thread starter Avenger
- Start date
Avenger said:
Before you come here to discuss this problem, you should contact the cue maker. Most any cue maker would correct this problem if it means building another matching butt. This is how business is conducted, unless the damage is the result of some form of abuse.
To answer your question, yes the warp is a big deal and it could get worst with time depending upon the problem that is causing it.
Hope this helps
I agree with both the above.
Last edited:
dave sutton
Banned
i also agree. contact the maker. wood is organic and will move. nothing any of us can do to prevent it. we can use as much precaution as we want take our time and sometimes pieces still move. most makers have guarantees against warpage. if its in the handle its an easy fix. and the cue can be saved. the forearm is a different story. ive had 20 year ols cues that were straight here and warped in shipping. ive also worked on a few southwest cues here in nj that arent straight.
id say yes its a big deal but no it may not be the makers fault the should stand behind his work
id say yes its a big deal but no it may not be the makers fault the should stand behind his work
I agree too. Contact the cuemaker. There are alot of cues with warped butts. I have worked on alot of high end cues that had a warp in the butt of the cue. Wood can move no matter how many precautions you take. The majority of the cues with warped butts that I have seen have been warped in the handle. Some cuemakers don't clear coat the handle area. the handle is covered by a wrap in alot of cases, but this is constantly taking on moisture from your hands, and just the enviroment. Any time that you allow wood to go unsealed, you take the risk of it taking on moisture which can lead to it moving. It is the same with shafts, if the sealer is sanded off the shaft has a greater chance of moving than a shaft that has been sealed. But it all depends where the cue is warped. It is important to remember that would is a natural thing. You don't see many trees growing perfectly straight. This is just another downside to using the natural materials that a cuemaker has work with. But again, a cuemaker can take every precaution imaginable to prevent against this, but it still doesn't mean the wood won't move in time. These are just some examples of why and how a cue can warp. I hope this helps a little.
Avenger said:
I didn't see anyone answer your question. A warp in the butt should not hinder the PLAYABILLITY of the Q...JER
I agree with Jer
A slight warp in the butt may bother our aesthetic need to have a perfect cue, but it will not be noticed in play as long as the shooter does not spin the butt in his fingers as he holds the butt and does his stroke. I have seen shooters that do that as a habit though.
Now a shaft is another matter. The shaft slides in your bridge so precise tip contact on the cueball will change as the warped area moves through the bridge during a stroke.
I usually only see serious warped butts in cues that are kept "safely" in the trunk of the car all day. The temperature changes play havoc with wood, glue, and veneers.
A slight warp in the butt may bother our aesthetic need to have a perfect cue, but it will not be noticed in play as long as the shooter does not spin the butt in his fingers as he holds the butt and does his stroke. I have seen shooters that do that as a habit though.
Now a shaft is another matter. The shaft slides in your bridge so precise tip contact on the cueball will change as the warped area moves through the bridge during a stroke.
I usually only see serious warped butts in cues that are kept "safely" in the trunk of the car all day. The temperature changes play havoc with wood, glue, and veneers.
Thank you for your responses. I did talk to the cuemaker and he told me to send the cue back to him. He will look it over and make it right. He does not make that style anymore. So if he cannot rectify the problem he will give credit towards a new cue. It is a merry widow style cue with a instrument grade piece of curly maple for the handle. I hate to change out cues. But I will see what happens.