Weight Bolts for McDermott Cue?

[manwon]

Hehe, Manwon, you obviously stand by your own opinions and that's cool I suppose. I was not stating my personal opinion, I was quoting an email reply that Luke got from Jayme. It was reply number 11 in this very thread, I guess you missed it. This was then later confirmed by Cheapcues, apparently you saw his comments.

Once again, I'm not just tossing comments out my butt here (pun intended). If you email the question directly to the MANUFACTURER you get the response that the weight bolt should be in there. Not only did Luke do it, but Cheapcues did it, and in the other thread I posted that was in the Ask a Cuemaker forum, others received the same response.

Maybe there is a disconnect within McDermott, I have no clue. Maybe you are getting bad info or maybe every single person that emails the question directly to the manufacturer is getting bad info, but you really should not be getting so defensive over it. Maybe your opinion is better than the official response directly from the manufacturer of the cues in question, I'll accept any possibility.

All I was saying, and all I keep saying, is that McDermott recommends keeping a weight bolt in their cues for structural integrity. It's a pretty simple statement of fact, not an opinion and I'm definately not questioning what you have actually experienced in your life. Don't get upset man!

Paul you also stand up for you say, and I also respect that, in fact I hate cowards. Having a difference of opinion is good to go as far as I am concerned as long as it does not hurt anything and in this case it appears there is a great deal of confusion. Paul the gentleman I order all my cues from is the same person I spoke to today his name is John Kittlested. John is Jayme's boss at McDermott, in fact John is the National and International Sales representative for the company McDermott Cue.

Now it simply is amazing that one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing in a company like McDermott. Further more if not having a weight bolt in a McDermott cue is a Warranty Issue that Voids the cues warranty you would think that it would be publicly noted on there website and that McDermott would notify their dealers of the importance which they have never done. When I called and spoke with John today, I point blank asked him if it was a problem and if it was why I had never been notified about it. His response was that it is not a Warranty problem for the customer if the weight was in or out of the cue, and that either way it would take a great deal of force to damage a cue like that. I agree with John that it would take a great deal of force and that under normal circumstances where no abuse takes place that kind of damage would never happen.

So in the end just like you and everyone else I do not want to see people destroy their cues because of bad advice. After my conversation with John I think McDermott is going to put a disclaimer on their website that should clear this up for everyone, so maybe something good will come out of this after all one way or the other and that is all that is important anyway.

So good luck in your quest Paul (He He), and stay true to your convictions I know I will.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!! Oh and don't beat up your cue, when you miss a shot, the fact is you missed because of a lack of your own ability not because of your equipment!!!!!!

Well on second thought go on and beat the hell out of your equipment, I will be glad to repair it for you or sell you something to replace it, so bang away!~

 

[PaulieB]

Hugs all around! I love a happy ending. :grin:

*edit* By the way, if that change on the McD website goes through I'm going to feel pretty cool. Entirely through your contacts and conversation of course, but even still, I somehow had a VERY little something to do with changing something in the billiard world. Probably the only time I'll ever do that!

 

[manwon]

Hugs all around! I love a happy ending. :grin:

*edit* By the way, if that change on the McD website goes through I'm going to feel pretty cool. Entirely through your contacts and conversation of course, but even still, I somehow had a VERY little something to do with changing something in the billiard world. Probably the only time I'll ever do that!

I also think you deserve credit for staying persistent, I doubt much action would have been taken other wise because simple things like this are over looked throughout the course of our days because there are bigger fish to fry. I wish others could also learn something from this thread that is also a small thing but it is also very important. When all players act like adults and no one gets butt hurt because some one doesn't agree with them things can happen that will benefit many others and that is what forums like this are all about.

Have a great Thanksgiving Paul!!!!

 

[PaulieB]

Persistant? That's one way of putting it, heh. My girlfriend would use the term "stubborn pain in the a$$".

Happy Thanksgiving to you also!

 

[cheapcues.com]

Now it simply is amazing that one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing in a company like McDermott. Further more if not having a weight bolt in a McDermott cue is a Warranty Issue that Voids the cues warranty you would think that it would be publicly noted on there website and that McDermott would notify their dealers of the importance which they have never done.

I completely agree, and there are certainly no hard feelings here. As of 2 days ago I was completely on the same page as Craig, having shipped who knows how many cues with no WB installed, and never running across any issues like the one that was documented. Without warning from McDermott there would be no reason to even think that the WB was a structural part of the cue. I'm satisfied with the answer I have been given, I have 3/4" aluminum bolts on order (which I didn't even know McDermott had available until today) and I won't be shipping any more cues without a bolt installed. As you guys stated hopefully McDermott will get the word out publicly. Craig the next time I'm up your way I'll come by and say "hi". Friday is the official start to the busy season for us dealers and it's already looking great- I'm a happy camper. Happy Thanksgiving all!

 

[luke]

I think I'm gonna cry! Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[plhlolelnlilx]

This post appears to be quite old but I'm going to throw a few cents in.

My experience with Jayme (McDermott Service Manager) and answering this question inadvertently, has always lead to me to believe the structural integrity is not compromised since the use of their newer bumper design some 15+ years ago. If you look at the construction and assembly of most cues since about 1997, you'll notice when you pull the bumper off that all the bolt does is add weight and fill a hole.

My question is, is it being said the actual shock or vibration created when a stick is dropped to a horizontal position or otherwise could cause the glue, wood or butt cap to release from the core and butt sleeve? This does seem unlikely but entirely possible. By having the weight in, the vibrations are somewhat dampened rather than resonating as they travel towards the bottom of the cue.

I am from the Milwaukee area and have proudly owned a whole gaggle of McDermott cues. I usually have weight bolts changed at the factory and was told on multiple occasions that it is not necessary for any reason to have the weight bolt in the newer cues.