What is the point of spliced shafts?

T

tomker

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
For a long time, I thought "low-deflection" shafts were super rigid and that they themselves did not deflect much. I also assumed that the spliced construction of e.g. Predator shafts was the thing that improved rigidity, by somehow having the different deformation characteristics of each piece of wood cancel each other out.

Thanks to the many posts by Dr. Dave and his many insightful web pages and PDFs, I have now learned that LD shafts actually deflect MORE than regular shafts, and that's what reduces cue ball deflection. And this deflection is accomplished by lightening the front of the shaft, by e.g. making it more narrow and/or hollowing it out and/or shortening or lightening the ferrule. All very interesting, even though I find it disappointing from a physics standpoint that a better pool cue isn't necessarily one that behaves as an ideal rigid body.

The problem is that now I don't understand how spliced construction figures into low deflection. If it doesn't add to the LD qualities of a cue, why do e.g. Predator and OB make such a big deal about it? Is it supposed to improve radial consistency? Increase durability? Prevent warpage? Why should I care?

Thanks for any insights!

Oh and while I'm posting about this--it seems that some cue "technology" would actually make a cue higher-deflection. For example, McDermott's G-Core shafts don't seem to have any design aspects that would reduce effective endmass. Instead they apparently use carbon fiber to make the front of the shaft more rigid, which seems like it would INCREASE squirt.

Similarly, the Cuetec R360 has a hollow composite tube in the middle of its shaft, which seems like it would reduce weight because it's hollow, but at the same time also increase effective endmass by making the shaft more rigid. So does that balance out and result in a super high-tech shaft that has the same amount of squirt as any regular maple shaft?
 
I don't think it directly has anything to do with LD. It is used to help with increased radial consistency and possibly to prevent warpage....especially on a shaft with the front end drilled out. You can have LD without it and you can have laiminated shafts that aren't LD.
 
I think the marketing raz-ma-taz far exceeds whatever marginal stability gains you get from a laminated vs. solid shaft. That's assuming the laminated shaft is well made.


tomker said:
For a long time, I thought "low-deflection" shafts were super rigid and that they themselves did not deflect much. I also assumed that the spliced construction of e.g. Predator shafts was the thing that improved rigidity, by somehow having the different deformation characteristics of each piece of wood cancel each other out.

Thanks to the many posts by Dr. Dave and his many insightful web pages and PDFs, I have now learned that LD shafts actually deflect MORE than regular shafts, and that's what reduces cue ball deflection. And this deflection is accomplished by lightening the front of the shaft, by e.g. making it more narrow and/or hollowing it out and/or shortening or lightening the ferrule. All very interesting, even though I find it disappointing from a physics standpoint that a better pool cue isn't necessarily one that behaves as an ideal rigid body.

The problem is that now I don't understand how spliced construction figures into low deflection. If it doesn't add to the LD qualities of a cue, why do e.g. Predator and OB make such a big deal about it? Is it supposed to improve radial consistency? Increase durability? Prevent warpage? Why should I care?

Thanks for any insights!

Oh and while I'm posting about this--it seems that some cue "technology" would actually make a cue higher-deflection. For example, McDermott's G-Core shafts don't seem to have any design aspects that would reduce effective endmass. Instead they apparently use carbon fiber to make the front of the shaft more rigid, which seems like it would INCREASE squirt.

Similarly, the Cuetec R360 has a hollow composite tube in the middle of its shaft, which seems like it would reduce weight because it's hollow, but at the same time also increase effective endmass by making the shaft more rigid. So does that balance out and result in a super high-tech shaft that has the same amount of squirt as any regular maple shaft?
Click to expand...
 
The point of a spliced shaft is called the tip. The other end is called the butt, or screw together place.
I thought we all knew that? :thumbup:
 
Thinner slabs reach equilibrium faster.
If you had 4 pieces of 1/4 thick boards, they will reach equilibrium faster than a 1" board. You can glue those 4 pieces and turn them faster than the 1" board
Radial consistency is a snake oil. Multiple pieces with opposing grain direction and different density is not going to more radial consistent. Please!
And if you drill the front of the shaft, it will deflect to it's softest spot.
Does it matter where that is?
 
Cost of production. Imagine having 10,000 shaft dowels and throwing away 5,000. because they are have discoloration in certain spots or other various quality control reasons. Splicing allows for utilization of all the wood. You can also raise the price simply because you market radial consistency and warpage prevention. A specific brand of shaft markets well with people.
 
What is the point of spliced shafts? To separate you from more of your money.
It's crazy to spend $200+ on a shaft.
Also $20+ tips or chalk.

It's all smoke and mirrors. Just learn how to play.
Rant over,carry on.
 
Guys the answer is black boar ferule less shafts! No hype try to believe! Amazing players best of all worlds! African blackwood cues are the gems!
 
So what do those big name players know that we don't know when they rave about their LD shafts except they get them for free?
 
I'm just guessing, but I wonder if one piece wood shafts can be drilled out as well as laminated shafts. Maybe they would often be too weak after the drilling.
 
I had a 31" hueblershaft with a 1" ferrule. Ferrule was cut off, shaft taken from 13mm to 12. Drilled 1/4 "hole 3 1/2 inches down OB carbon fibre pad put on and it plays as well as anything out there.
 
My Mezz WD700 is one piece wood and considered a Lower Deflection shaft.

Here is a link to the inside of a Mezz WD700. As you can see, they lighten the end mass by drilling.
https://www.pooldawg.com/article/blog/post/inside-the-mezz-wd700-shaft

Lamination is one approach to consistency, and river of wood is another. Cue builder Dennis Dieckman came up with 'River of Wood' to label the selection process of going through tons of shaft wood.

Saturated Fats said:
I'm just guessing, but I wonder if one piece wood shafts can be drilled out as well as laminated shafts. Maybe they would often be too weak after the drilling.
Click to expand...
 
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Shaft stiffness has very little to do with CB deflection (squirt) - it's all about the end mass.

"Splicing" (laminating) has nothing to do with low squirt. That's all about cost of material.

pj
chgo
 
This is a great thought out post,

I would like to know if you were to recommend a New cue or shaft what would you consider to be a low deflection cue or a cue that could improve on the game.
 
Thepip said:
This is a great thought out post,

I would like to know if you were to recommend a New cue or shaft what would you consider to be a low deflection cue or a cue that could improve on the game.
Click to expand...

Not sure which post you're referring to but there's a table of shafts and cue ball deflection amounts about halfway down this page:

http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/squirt.html

A lower-squirt ("low deflection") shaft can improve your game, especially if you hit a lot of long shots with side spin. You will have to spend some time playing with it to get accustomed to the different amount of squirt of course.

The table is interesting... the Predator shafts are hollow at the front and the OB shafts are filled with foam core, so it's no surprise that these are the lowest squirt shafts.

The McDermotts, though, WTF? They have carbon fiber tubes running down them to improve "stability," whatever that means. Seems like the carbon fiber would make them more rigid and thus increase effective endmass (as Dr. Dave calls it) and thus increase squirt, but they do well on the squirt test. I guess the i3 is pretty skinny at the end.
 
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