Why don't all cuemakers line up ring work at the joint?

[Impact Blue]

Please don't mistake this question as a testament to any remote understanding to a resolve or a found solution, but, I don't understand why not all cuemakers don't line up dashed ringwork to butts and shafts when assembled.

For all the amazing examples out there, why is this so exclusive to high end cuemakers?

 

[JoeyInCali]

B/c most thread the hole after the rings have been installed.

 

[Impact Blue]

B/c most thread the hole after the rings have been installed.

Is there a reason for this? A higher risk in construction?

(ohh...learning so much)

Thanks Joey.

 

[patrickcues]

Please don't mistake this question as a testament to any remote understanding to a resolve or a found solution, but, I don't understand why not all cuemakers don't line up dashed ringwork to butts and shafts when assembled.

For all the amazing examples out there, why is this so exclusive to high end cuemakers?

There is a lot of us they do take the time to align the ring work. I know I align all of my ring work in all places in my cues. As far as alignment on the shafts goes. I face them off until they align with the joint rings on the butt end. This is just something that I have always tried to do. Doesn't look right to me if they are not aligned in the entire cue. JMO.

 

[JesPiddlin]

Please don't mistake this question as a testament to any remote understanding to a resolve or a found solution, but, I don't understand why not all cuemakers don't line up dashed ringwork to butts and shafts when assembled.

For all the amazing examples out there, why is this so exclusive to high end cuemakers?

I'll give you another answer. I'm one of those who can't tighten the cue very well and I don't like my cue so tight I can't disassemble it, later. A lot of guys crank it together as tight as possible. (I used to.) If the cuemaker built my cue to be lined up when put together, it's not going to be that way for me, usually, due to this fact. I don't know a cuemaker, yet, who can make it match, regardless of how tight you put the cue together.

 

[patrickcues]

I'll give you another answer. I'm one of those who can't tighten the cue very well and I don't like my cue so tight I can't disassemble it, later. A lot of guys crank it together as tight as possible. (I used to.) If the cuemaker built my cue to be lined up when put together, it's not going to be that way for me, usually, due to this fact. I don't know a cuemaker, yet, who can make it match, regardless of how tight you put the cue together.

Jes:

You are absolutely correct! I am like you, I don't crank my cues real tight. I take them just a little past snug. When you crank one down it doesn't make them play any better. So why do that!!

 

[poolplayer2093]

B/c most thread the hole after the rings have been installed.

any chance that, with wood threads, over time the threads might give a little? i mean that the shaft might need to be turned an extra 1/2-1/4 inch?

 

[MVPCues]

any chance that, with wood threads, over time the threads might give a little? i mean that the shaft might need to be turned an extra 1/2-1/4 inch?

Not nearly that large. Something more akin to 1/32 maybe. I remember one particular cue maker mention on here he faces off until the rings are almost aligned...just barely short so after some use they would line up.

Kelly (not vouching for it, just repeating it)

 

[poolplayer2093]

Not nearly that large. Something more akin to 1/32 maybe. I remember one particular cue maker mention on here he faces off until the rings are almost aligned...just barely short so after some use they would line up.

Kelly (not vouching for it, just repeating it)

cool..........

 

[Mase]

Please don't mistake this question as a testament to any remote understanding to a resolve or a found solution, but, I don't understand why not all cuemakers don't line up dashed ringwork to butts and shafts when assembled.

For all the amazing examples out there, why is this so exclusive to high end cuemakers?

Deleted. Misunderstood question.

 

[KJ Cues]

Please don't mistake this question as a testament to any remote understanding to a resolve or a found solution, but, I don't understand why not all cuemakers don't line up dashed ringwork to butts and shafts when assembled.

For all the amazing examples out there, why is this so exclusive to high end cuemakers?

If you were buying a high-end masterpiece and particularly if you requested alignment, then you should expect it.

If you were buying a $500/1,000 player from me and asked why the rings don't align at the joint, I'd first tell you that I don't like them aligned. Then I'd ask you 'how many balls' will this 'defect' cost you?

Do you see the difference?
You didn't buy the masterpiece to play with, you bought it to stick in a glass case to impress yourself and your friends. It doesn't matter that the cue hits like an iron bar. Perfect alignment of every dash may be something that is important to you.

You bought the 'player' because it out-performs every cue that you've ever owned. I don't think that joint ring alignment is high on the priority list of this cue's attributes. When you're thinning the 5 to the side and going two rails to get back down table to the 6, do you really care that the joint rings on your cue don't quite perfectly align? If you do, then you are someone that I would take great joy in playing.
Look, what a lot of players fail to realize is that when you're down on the table, addressing the QB, you can't even see your cue.

Ring alignment is not a difficult thing to do, I just don't like it.
To me, it makes the cue look too 'structured'. In some cases it can actually detract from the free-flow of design. I build cues the way that I do because I'm the builder. To each his own.

At the end of the day, it's up to you what you find to be important in a cue.

 

[RBC]

Impact,

I once built a cue that when assembled, it had the look of a single black collar 3/4" tall with eight spears inlaid into it.

I struggled with how to get everything to line up perfectly. I knew that over time, the joint would wear and then things would not line up properly. My first attempt consisted of making 2 identical collars and taking the bottom from one and the top from the other. This was because you can't just cut one ring in 2 due to that fact that the cutter will remove some of the material during the cut, the kerf, and then the rings certainly would not line up.

I ended up just putting the entire collar and inlays on the butt of the cue, and leaving the shaft just wood like a sneaky pete. I can't tell you how many times people came over to me to ask to see my cue. They wanted to know how I did the joint so that everything lined up.

It was Great!

Just remember, things are not always as they seem!


Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com

 

[MVPCues]

Impact,

I once built a cue that when assembled, it had the look of a single black collar 3/4" tall with eight spears inlaid into it.

I struggled with how to get everything to line up perfectly. I knew that over time, the joint would wear and then things would not line up properly. My first attempt consisted of making 2 identical collars and taking the bottom from one and the top from the other. This was because you can't just cut one ring in 2 due to that fact that the cutter will remove some of the material during the cut, the kerf, and then the rings certainly would not line up.

I ended up just putting the entire collar and inlays on the butt of the cue, and leaving the shaft just wood like a sneaky pete. I can't tell you how many times people came over to me to ask to see my cue. They wanted to know how I did the joint so that everything lined up.

It was Great!

Just remember, things are not always as they seem!


Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com

Yes. Depending on the thickness of outermost black trim sandwhiching the stitch/inlay, when constructing the joint, one can make the black trim on the shaft side half as large as the black trim on the butt side, put a collar on the shaft half size, and one can still create the same look with a small collar on the shaft for strength.

Kelly

 

[macguy]

If you were buying a high-end masterpiece and particularly if you requested alignment, then you should expect it.

If you were buying a $500/1,000 player from me and asked why the rings don't align at the joint, I'd first tell you that I don't like them aligned. Then I'd ask you 'how many balls' will this 'defect' cost you?

Do you see the difference?
You didn't buy the masterpiece to play with, you bought it to stick in a glass case to impress yourself and your friends. It doesn't matter that the cue hits like an iron bar. Perfect alignment of every dash may be something that is important to you.

You bought the 'player' because it out-performs every cue that you've ever owned. I don't think that joint ring alignment is high on the priority list of this cue's attributes. When you're thinning the 5 to the side and going two rails to get back down table to the 6, do you really care that the joint rings on your cue don't quite perfectly align? If you do, then you are someone that I would take great joy in playing.
Look, what a lot of players fail to realize is that when you're down on the table, addressing the QB, you can't even see your cue.

Ring alignment is not a difficult thing to do, I just don't like it.
To me, it makes the cue look too 'structured'. In some cases it can actually detract from the free-flow of design. I build cues the way that I do because I'm the builder. To each his own.

At the end of the day, it's up to you what you find to be important in a cue.

Your kidding right? It doesn't matter if you can feel the inlays through the finish either you will not miss a ball because of it but it shows the cue maker either doesn't know what he is doing or doesn't care. Every cue should reflect the cue makers best effort regardless of the cost.

 

[dave sutton]

1 answer. lack of attention to detail.

i dont care if a 50$ cue a 500$ cue or a 5000$ cue. rings should be lined up. no excuses.

its the first thing i look at next to points

 

[cueman]

If I was building a cue that would get two specific shafts I would face the shafts until the rings lined up. But then after some use the rings will probably compress and they will not be lined up any longer. So it is a waste of time if the cue will be played with a lot. Another reason I rarely do it is that I usually don't build shafts for a specific cue. All my shafts will interchange from one cue to the next with my trademark silver stitch rings. So if you buy a cue from me you can pick your shaft on the spot. The advantage is that you can get custom options as far as your shaft goes without any wait, provided I have one built like you want. Back when I built one cue and one shaft at a time I lined them up and prayed the finish over both pieces together. But now that I make all the shafts interchangeable I don't bother. Another advantage to not worrying about it is if someone wants an extra shaft I do not have to have their cue to make them a shaft. I can just send them a shaft and it will fit.

 

[macguy]

If I was building a cue that would get two specific shafts I would face the shafts until the rings lined up. But then after some use the rings will probably compress and they will not be lined up any longer. So it is a waste of time if the cue will be played with a lot. Another reason I rarely do it is that I usually don't build shafts for a specific cue. All my shafts will interchange from one cue to the next with my trademark silver stitch rings. So if you buy a cue from me you can pick your shaft on the spot. The advantage is that you can get custom options as far as your shaft goes without any wait, provided I have one built like you want. Back when I built one cue and one shaft at a time I lined them up and prayed the finish over both pieces together. But now that I make all the shafts interchangeable I don't bother. Another advantage to not worrying about it is if someone wants an extra shaft I do not have to have their cue to make them a shaft. I can just send them a shaft and it will fit.

The number of stitches is the real factor. If a cue has like 24 stitches it doesn't really matter you won't really notice. If it has say 6 stitches it may look awful.

 

[1pRoscoe]

If you were buying a high-end masterpiece and particularly if you requested alignment, then you should expect it.

If you were buying a $500/1,000 player from me and asked why the rings don't align at the joint, I'd first tell you that I don't like them aligned. Then I'd ask you 'how many balls' will this 'defect' cost you?

Do you see the difference?
You didn't buy the masterpiece to play with, you bought it to stick in a glass case to impress yourself and your friends. It doesn't matter that the cue hits like an iron bar. Perfect alignment of every dash may be something that is important to you.

You bought the 'player' because it out-performs every cue that you've ever owned. I don't think that joint ring alignment is high on the priority list of this cue's attributes. When you're thinning the 5 to the side and going two rails to get back down table to the 6, do you really care that the joint rings on your cue don't quite perfectly align? If you do, then you are someone that I would take great joy in playing.
Look, what a lot of players fail to realize is that when you're down on the table, addressing the QB, you can't even see your cue.

Ring alignment is not a difficult thing to do, I just don't like it.
To me, it makes the cue look too 'structured'. In some cases it can actually detract from the free-flow of design. I build cues the way that I do because I'm the builder. To each his own.

At the end of the day, it's up to you what you find to be important in a cue.

Wow, I had no idea that if the rings don't line up, it has nothing to do wtih making balls.

I learn so much from reading this forum...........

 

[Impact Blue]

Your kidding right? It doesn't matter if you can feel the inlays through the finish either you will not miss a ball because of it but it shows the cue maker either doesn't know what he is doing or doesn't care. Every cue should reflect the cue makers best effort regardless of the cost.

I think I agree most with this statement.

 

[masonh]

i always tap before i cut or install rings,but i have never lined mine up b/c even if you get them lined up perfectly they will not stay that way.i have always had a tendency to really tighten my shafts down and after time the rings go past the mark anyway.

i also never cared about the shaft rings on the cues i collected over the years.of course i like the butt rings to all line up but the shaft was never a concern to me for some reason.

also the cuemakers i tried to emulate when i started did not line their rings up and nobody seemed to care.recently i have had requests for the rings to line up and i have started doing it on some cues.


the process is very easy and lack of attention would never be a reason for me.