When does ebony butt swell?

J

jpsauve

Registered
Hi,
I bought a snooker cue from a (very) famous London cue maker about 6 months ago.
Since I bought it, the ebony butt has been swelling slightly and the joint has now actually unglued completely!
And this is from a cue costing over $500!
I live in Brazil (hot, humid) and maybe that explains it.

Any thoughts?

thanks.
 
My first thought is you should pack it up and send it back to the (very) famous cuemaker you bought it from and ask his thoughts on the matter.

Second I would look for a cue maker in your country that uses some of that famous Brizilian hard wood we all know and love to make you a new cue.
 
glues

JoeyInCali said:
cheap glue?
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Or not the correct one for those materials.
If the person who made it is any good, they will want to know about the failure . Then they will be able to take corrective measure to ensure that this does not happen again.
If the cue maker does not know of the failure, He /She will think everything they are doing is going fine. And in your case this is not so. Returning the cue to the maker , is doing the maker a favour , and helping you out as well.
Neil
 
conetip said:
Or not the correct one for those materials.
If the person who made it is any good, they will want to know about the failure . Then they will be able to take corrective measure to ensure that this does not happen again.
If the cue maker does not know of the failure, He /She will think everything they are doing is going fine. And in your case this is not so. Returning the cue to the maker , is doing the maker a favour , and helping you out as well.
Neil
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My guess is the ebony was not seasoned enough.
 
probably kiln dried to 6% or so,maybe it's dry where the cuemaker s and then he sends it to Brazil with 100% humidity and it is taking on water.
 
masonh said:
probably kiln dried to 6% or so,maybe it's dry where the cuemaker s and then he sends it to Brazil with 100% humidity and it is taking on water.
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Ebonies are not kilned as far as I know.
 
Solid ebony butts on snooker cues are notorious for moving, I have had them swell or shrink years after build. The problem is most UK cue makers don't put a finish on the wood, leaving it prone to moisture change and they don't usually use stabilizers. This coupled with the cue being in a totally different climate and you will have issues. i would send it back and make sure the new cue is properly finished.
 
Ebonies are not kilned as far as I know.
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yes they do kiln dry.i have a bunch that is kiln dried,but i still don't trust it completely.like slasher said it is notorious for moving.i like the Madagascar and the Macassar the best.they seem to be more stable.
 
masonh said:
yes they do kiln dry.i have a bunch that is kiln dried,but i still don't trust it completely.like slasher said it is notorious for moving.i like the Madagascar and the Macassar the best.they seem to be more stable.
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I'd core them.:D
 
yes,but if it is good Ebony it will be OK,plus it makes for a nice hitting cue.very stiff.
 
JoeyInCali said:
I'd core them.:D
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They sorta do as they laminate four pieces of ebony around the ash, mind you ash is not much better at staying straight :D
 
Slasher said:
They sorta do as they laminate four pieces of ebony around the ash, mind you ash is not much better at staying straight :D
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Problem is ebony and ash expand and contract at much different rate I think.
Ebony is so much more volatile.
That's why it really needs to be sealed .
 
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