weight bolt/balance point question

E

evergruven

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
wondering how much removing a weight bolt
might affect the balance point of a/this cue?

cue is 56" long, balance point is 40" from tip
and it weighs 18.8 oz., wood pin

I'm not sure how heavy the weight bolt is
I checked it with a magnet and guess it's
5 inches long and 1.5 inches from bumper

just looking to get a general idea
to figure out if it's worth it for me to mail some cue person
the thing is stuck, I can't get it out
but if it can be safely removed
and maybe replaced by a shorter/lighter one
I would be interested in that
thanks
 
Sean
Common sense says if you take the weight bolt out the balance has to be more forward
( and lighter)
A cue maker might be able to drill deeper into the handle to move the weight bolt more forward
I am not a cue maker so I don’t know for sure
 
bbb said:
Sean
Common sense says if you take the weight bolt out the balance has to be more forward
( and lighter)
A cue maker might be able to drill deeper into the handle to move the weight bolt more forward
I am not a cue maker so I don’t know for sure
Click to expand...
Yep. Cue will be lighter and less butt heavy. I wouldn't jack with it. Could easily ruin the vibe of the cue.
 
Can look for a heavier shaft, and if you want it enough to change, can get a heavier pin material.
 
evergruven said:
wondering how much removing a weight bolt
might affect the balance point of a/this cue?

cue is 56" long, balance point is 40" from tip
and it weighs 18.8 oz., wood pin

I'm not sure how heavy the weight bolt is
I checked it with a magnet and guess it's
5 inches long and 1.5 inches from bumper

just looking to get a general idea
to figure out if it's worth it for me to mail some cue person
the thing is stuck, I can't get it out
but if it can be safely removed
and maybe replaced by a shorter/lighter one
I would be interested in that
thanks
Click to expand...


i know one way you can find out
 
Look into getting a cue-max extension.

Will reduce the need for so much of a back weight bolt, give you more overall weight & move the balance point forward.
 
The issue with weight bolts is if the cue maker relies on that bolt to hit the desired weight of the butt, how close did the cue maker come to producing the butt’s original target weight without using any bolt?

Some cue makers often build the cue the same way regardless of what the customer ordered by just adjusting the weight using a bolt. Now when the bolt is not heavy to start with, for example 7 grams, a 1/4 oz isn’t going to alter the weight much. And the cue maker can use headless bolts and position the bolt in the butt where the balance isn’t affected. The cue maker could insert 1/2 oz of weight by using two headless bolts and place them at different positions in the butt for the best balance of the assembled cue.

I see lots of cue that have used a single bolt inserted in the butt and the bolt weighs an ounce and even heavier. Now that absolutely affects the balance of the cue, especially when it is at the very bottom of the butt rather than positioned within the butt where it works best. A good cue maker can build the cue to the weight you want without using any weight bolt and the butt can be cored for one too.

Bob Owen built my last cue without any weight bolt. I ordered the butt to be 14.5 ozs. and shafts that weighed at least 4 ounces. It’s important for the weight relationship for the two halves of a cue I wanted built. To my way of thinking and cue makers I have met, matching the weights works best when you do not rely upon the weight bolt to compensate for the shortfall in the cue butt target weight they missed. Bob built my cue’s butt within 1.5 grams tolerance w/o any bolt.

Some cues use bolts weighing more than an ounce...OMG...that is just atrocious in my opinion. A 15.5 oz cue butt with a 1 oz weight bolt with 3.5 shafts will weigh 19 ozs. However, build that cue with a 14.7 oz butt with 4.3 oz shaft without any weight bolt and it will still be 19 ozs. Folks, the two cues will feel different to you. Now change the joint from piloted steel to flat faced wood or flat ivory where there isn’t any brass in the shaft & the top half of the cue is better weight proportioned since it is all wood, except for the ferrule and tip. There are subtle considerations that get shortcut by some cue buyers but not by the best cue makers. So if you own a cue that has a anchor shoved up its ass, you might want to remove the bolt and check it’s weight.

Yes, weight bolts can absolutely make the cue weigh exactly what you want but it can affect the balance and in turn, the overall feel of the cue. People will say this and that about feel of a cue but it is a real thing. You will come to understand it better when you get to test play cues made by top named cue makers. The weight of the cues seems different and so much better. I played with a 19.5 oz. Ginacue that felt like it was a ounce lighter like my cues were built. Indeed, it was heavier than my cues but the balance really just extraordinary and the shafts weighed 4.3 ozs and the butt was 15.2 ozs. If you build the cue with specific target weights, the cue maker doesn’t need to rely upon any weight bolt or else use the lightest weight bolt in the butt.
 
Bavafongoul said:
I see lots of cue that have used a single bolt inserted in the butt and the bolt weighs an ounce and even heavier. Now that absolutely affects the balance of the cue, especially when it is at the very bottom of the butt rather than positioned within the butt where it works best.
Click to expand...

hey bava, appreciate the detailed reply
what I've quoted from you above I think is the deal..

the cue is a generic one I picked up for its shape
to test with the idea that if I liked it
I could commission a custom job with similar dimensions
I like it so far, but using an open bridge, and having short levers
I'm finding it difficult to be as comfortable as I would like with the cue
the balance point is just too far back

as I mentioned above, I tried removing the bolt myself
but with only a wrench+elbow grease, and a soldering iron, I failed
so, I thought if the balance point might change enough with the bolt removed
I figured I could mail it to somebody with a lathe
and maybe get a tip change while it's convenient
that's what I'm working with

thanks again, and all for the replies-
 
You presently have an 18.8 ounce cue with a weight bolt. A five inch long weight bolt - unless it is aluminum, which I doubt, probably weighs between 1 and 2 ounces. Just removing the weight bolt is only the START of making your cue feel more forward and PROPERLY balanced. Once removed, the bolt has to be weighed-assuming you want your cue to continue to weigh AT LEAST 18.3 ounces ( anything less is very rare as far as being desirable) - and let's just say the weight bolt is 1.5 ounces.

Now, minus any weight bot you are at 17.3 ounces - too light - so if you REALLy want more forward balance cue and- let's just say 18.5 ounce cue- total- if you presently don't have any metal in the joint area- ideally here is how I would alter the cue- .6 ounce rear weight bolt and .6 ounce metal joint sleeve. Now you are at 18.5 total cue ounces and a nicely balance forward weighted cue.

If you already have a metal joint- ( I doubt that if you are only at 18.8 now with a five inch rear weight bolt); then just go with a new rear weight bolt at half the weight of the present weight bolt- but the first option is much more ideal- a bit more expensive.

I have about 20 years experience ( personal, not commercial) adjusting cues to desired weights and balances- After years of trial and error, I find that adjusting the joint material TOGETHER with adjusting any existing rear weighting on a cue produces the very best results in maintaining overall desired cue weight AND the desired overall cue balance.
 
Last edited:
mikemosconi said:
You presently have an 18.8 ounce cue with a weight bolt. A five inch long weight bolt - unless it is aluminum, which I doubt, probably weighs between 1 and 2 ounces. Just removing the weight bolt is only the START of making your cue feel more forward and PROPERLY balanced. Once removed, the bolt has to be weighed-assuming you want your cue to continue to weigh AT LEAST 18.3 ounces ( anything less is very rare as far as being desirable) - and let's just say the weight bolt is 1.5 ounces.

Now, minus any weight bot you are at 17.3 ounces - too light - so if you REALLy want more forward balance cue and- let's just say 18.5 ounce cue- total- if you presently don't have any metal in the joint area- ideally here is how I would alter the cue- .6 ounce rear weight bolt and .6 ounce metal joint sleeve. Now you are at 18.5 total cue ounces and a nicely balance forward weighted cue.

If you already have a metal joint- ( I doubt that if you are only at 18.8 now with a five inch rear weight bolt); then just go with a new rear weight bolt at half the weight of the present weight bolt- but the first option is much more ideal- a bit more expensive.

I have about 20 years experience ( personal, not commercial) adjusting cues to desired weights and balances- After years of trial and error, I find that adjusting the joint material TOGETHER with adjusting any existing rear weighting on a cue produces the very best results in maintaining overall desired cue weight AND the desired overall cue balance.
Click to expand...

thanks mike
I think your instincts are true
1-2 oz. weight bolt seems likely to me
and I admire how you might deal with the thing
I'm pretty curious to see where the balance point would be
once that bolt is out

I have this idea that I can get away with a lighter cue
if the balance is far enough forward
that may or may not apply to this particular cue
but I really think for me (and quite possibly other folks)
if the cue's balance is truly personalized
weight becomes less important
anyway..thanks again!
 
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