SoCalRick
Registered
All,
I decided to turn this into a poll to see how the demographics shake out... Duh, I should have done this in the first place...
I'd like to know what size tips people use on their custom cues, and why. Especially if you have a Tim Scruggs cue.
I've just become the proud owner of the following Tim Scruggs cue (thanks to Guycrunch!), which you may have seen pictures of before;
The specifications are: ivory flat faced joint with radial pin, two identical shafts with ivory ferrules and 13 mm tips. I believe the shafts are in the exact condition as when Tim made the cue new (unaltered since first sold).
I'm going through the usual adjustment period of playing with a new cue, and it's not too bad at all. I really like the soft hit that the combination of radial pin, ivory joint and ferrules provide. It's mostly the change in shafts that is throwing me. The shafts for my other cue are Predator Z2 and 314 (original) with UniLoc joints (on P2 butt). So I am used to a smaller diameter tip and less deflection.
I can hit fine with this cue if I stay up and down on the vertical axis of the cue ball. Draw and follow are a breeze, almost effortless. When I use side english (especially long cut shots), I almost always invaribly miss the shot. Also, I find it's a little easier to get the cue ball to travel greater distances after contact with the object ball with my predator shafts than with the TS original shafts. I don't know if this is because of the tip size, the tip type (I play with Mori or Everest tips on my predator), the softer hit from the ivory on the TS, or just my imagination.
I have a few friends that have TS cues, and most of them play with a smaller tip diameter than 13mm. Most of them say the shaft was that way when they got the cue. I'm wondering how many other folks turn theirs down as well?
When I bought this cue, I originally thought I would try putting a Predator 314^2, or a Z^2 shaft on it, since that was what I was used to playing with, but now I'm not so certain. I'm thinking that it may be smart to stick with the original shafts, with the possibility of turning them down just a bit. However, I don't want to go tweaking with the masters craftmanship
without some serious consideration (and advice).
I've read some of the other threads on this board asking about putting a predator shaft on a custom cue to get that familiar hit and deflection; vs. learning to play with the new "Ferrari" shafts that came with the custom cue. It seems there were a lot of opinions on both sides of the fence, so it's hard to determine the right choice for me right now. Should I leave the original equipment alone, should I make some tweaks to the original equipment, should I put the Predator shaft on the TS butt?
Tim must have a good reason for providing 13mm shafts with the cues he builds. But what is that reason? Is it because it is the optimal diameter for a shaft for playability? Is it a good starting point because it allows room for downsizing/customization? How about allowing room for adjustments to the shafts taper (and how often do folks mess with this aspect as well)?
Also, if I do decide to turn down the shafts a little, are there any things to be warry of? How delicate/risky of an operation is it? Will it make a noticable difference in the balance of the cue?
[Sorry this turned into such a long post, but I do have a lot of questions about this]
Rick
I decided to turn this into a poll to see how the demographics shake out... Duh, I should have done this in the first place...
I'd like to know what size tips people use on their custom cues, and why. Especially if you have a Tim Scruggs cue.
I've just become the proud owner of the following Tim Scruggs cue (thanks to Guycrunch!), which you may have seen pictures of before;
The specifications are: ivory flat faced joint with radial pin, two identical shafts with ivory ferrules and 13 mm tips. I believe the shafts are in the exact condition as when Tim made the cue new (unaltered since first sold).
I'm going through the usual adjustment period of playing with a new cue, and it's not too bad at all. I really like the soft hit that the combination of radial pin, ivory joint and ferrules provide. It's mostly the change in shafts that is throwing me. The shafts for my other cue are Predator Z2 and 314 (original) with UniLoc joints (on P2 butt). So I am used to a smaller diameter tip and less deflection.
I can hit fine with this cue if I stay up and down on the vertical axis of the cue ball. Draw and follow are a breeze, almost effortless. When I use side english (especially long cut shots), I almost always invaribly miss the shot. Also, I find it's a little easier to get the cue ball to travel greater distances after contact with the object ball with my predator shafts than with the TS original shafts. I don't know if this is because of the tip size, the tip type (I play with Mori or Everest tips on my predator), the softer hit from the ivory on the TS, or just my imagination.
I have a few friends that have TS cues, and most of them play with a smaller tip diameter than 13mm. Most of them say the shaft was that way when they got the cue. I'm wondering how many other folks turn theirs down as well?
When I bought this cue, I originally thought I would try putting a Predator 314^2, or a Z^2 shaft on it, since that was what I was used to playing with, but now I'm not so certain. I'm thinking that it may be smart to stick with the original shafts, with the possibility of turning them down just a bit. However, I don't want to go tweaking with the masters craftmanship
without some serious consideration (and advice).I've read some of the other threads on this board asking about putting a predator shaft on a custom cue to get that familiar hit and deflection; vs. learning to play with the new "Ferrari" shafts that came with the custom cue. It seems there were a lot of opinions on both sides of the fence, so it's hard to determine the right choice for me right now. Should I leave the original equipment alone, should I make some tweaks to the original equipment, should I put the Predator shaft on the TS butt?
Tim must have a good reason for providing 13mm shafts with the cues he builds. But what is that reason? Is it because it is the optimal diameter for a shaft for playability? Is it a good starting point because it allows room for downsizing/customization? How about allowing room for adjustments to the shafts taper (and how often do folks mess with this aspect as well)?
Also, if I do decide to turn down the shafts a little, are there any things to be warry of? How delicate/risky of an operation is it? Will it make a noticable difference in the balance of the cue?
[Sorry this turned into such a long post, but I do have a lot of questions about this]
Rick
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Now if I can just settle on a shaft option I'll be all set.
