I have a 3/8x10 (Judd style pin) cue and shaft that I want to convert to a Uni-loc Radial thread pitch. I've been told having a phenolic insert tapped creates a really firm hit. Can I get any feedback on this?
Thanks!
Thanks!
What are the pros & cons of having a shaft threaded with a phenolic insert?
- Thread starter Impact Blue
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I've installed a phenolic insert in a shaft and couldn't really tell a difference in the hit from the old wood threads. I also don't think you'll see much of a difference by switching to a radial pin over the 3/8x10. I think any difference that you might notice will be in the balance as the radial may be heavier or lighter than what you have now. Good Luck
Not being a cuebuilder I don't know if I can post in this exclusive forum, but one of my James White shafts (3/8-10) has a phenolic insert and I can't tell the difference.
Some of my really old Ernie Martinez shafts have phenolic inserts and they are incredible playing cues.
In my opinion it won't hurt the way the shaft plays.
I have a 3/8-10 stainless pin to phenolic insert. It used to be 3/8-10 stainless into wood threads. I don't crank my cue so tightly anymore, due to a weakening grip as I grow older. One day, I let someone borrow it for a few minutes and they cranked it way too tight for me... In fact, they over-cranked it. Then, they slammed it into the cue ball. The shaft split. It really upset me, as I have to play with a very lightweight cue of 16 ounces or lighter. I had my husband - a cuemaker - put a phenolic insert in the shaft, so that couldn't happen, again.
WELL... After he fixed it up for me, I noticed I couldn't play my game so well. When my hand started going numb, I knew the cue had gained a good deal too much weight for me. Sure enough, it did. So, we worked hard to lose the extra weight it created. Since it made my cue more front-heavy, we took the weight off the front end, so it might be more like it was, before.
The lightest we could get my cue without going beyond what I will allow finally came down to 16.2 ounces... That's .2 ounces more than I can easily play pool with. But, I love my cue. The hit is slightly different, but mostly because of the location of the weight, not really the "feel" of the hit.
I will not let him fix this shaft further, but I may have him make me a shaft that has no phenolic insert, so I can resort back to it, for those nights when I simply can't play with the added weight.
I don't know if this helped. I can't tell you how a change in the joint pin might affect your game, but the phenolic insert mostly affects the game because of the movement of the weight location.
Good luck!
Thanks for the replies guys, I appreciate the input.
The reason for the change is that my joint is already loose, wood to wood, and it is not a Judd cue, only the 'Judd-style' 3/8x10 pin. I suppose it also could be called an 'Andy Gilbert-style' pin:
(not my cue, just an example of the exact type and pitch of the pin/pilot in question)
It's my understanding that when a shaft is tapped with a phenolic insert, it's less susceptible to any over-torquing, as I like a snug fit when I assemble my cue--I think a good friend of mine caused the damage during a long session. It's not hugely noticeable, but I do feel like it takes just a little more effort each time to get the joint where it doesn't vibrate out after a long night's practice.
Weight isn't a huge concern and I've been hearing good things about G-10 pins.
How about a G-10 in to phenolic? That seems like a real snug fit, seeing how they are both rigid and have high friction coefficients, compared to that of stainless or polished metals.
The reason for the change is that my joint is already loose, wood to wood, and it is not a Judd cue, only the 'Judd-style' 3/8x10 pin. I suppose it also could be called an 'Andy Gilbert-style' pin:
(not my cue, just an example of the exact type and pitch of the pin/pilot in question)
It's my understanding that when a shaft is tapped with a phenolic insert, it's less susceptible to any over-torquing, as I like a snug fit when I assemble my cue--I think a good friend of mine caused the damage during a long session. It's not hugely noticeable, but I do feel like it takes just a little more effort each time to get the joint where it doesn't vibrate out after a long night's practice.
Weight isn't a huge concern and I've been hearing good things about G-10 pins.
How about a G-10 in to phenolic? That seems like a real snug fit, seeing how they are both rigid and have high friction coefficients, compared to that of stainless or polished metals.
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i used to think it didnt make a diffrence but recently on my playing cue i went from wood threads to a phenolic insert and i could really feel the diffrence it hits a bit firmer and kind of has a slightly diffrent tone to it, i believe the only reason i notice it is because ive played with that shaft for so long and i really knew how it felt. but i like the feel, i was considering doing it to all of my cues for multiple reasons.