Why only Stainless Steel joints?

[DAVE_M]

I'm involved in the knife community fairly regularly and have seen all sort of materials being used for different aesthetics on and in knives. I've often wondered why materials, other than stainless steel, have never been used. I have seen a damascus joint pin used and it has been discussed before, but there are more materials than damascus steel that could be used.

The only downside, I could see, is a cuemaker not having the ability to cut the material.

Reference:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=259902
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=353698

Timascus

Moku-Ti

Mokume

 

[JoeyInCali]

SS is much easier to machine.

Thomas Wayne was the first to use a damascus joint collar afaik.
I can only imagine he had to mount a belt sander on his compound .
Or some way to mount a turner on a belt sander.

 

[West Point 1987]

Damascus joints and rings would look awesome...another option that might hold up even better would be case-hardened steel for joints/rings. Awesome look and durable.

 

[MVPCues]

SS is much easier to machine.

Thomas Wayne was the first to use a damascus joint collar afaik.
I can only imagine he had to mount a belt sander on his compound .
Or some way to mount a turner on a belt sander.

Any reason why a stone point/burr in a router couldn't handle it. I have used my normal router setup on my lathe and one of them to grind the chuck jaws.

 

[DAVE_M]

Any reason why a stone point/burr in a router couldn't handle it. I have used my normal router setup on my lathe and one of them to grind the chuck jaws.

I don't see why not.

The fantastic thing about steel is that it can be hardened or softened.
I can have two identical chunks of steel cut from the same billet and be rated at different hardness scales.

 

[JoeyInCali]

I don't see why not.

The fantastic thing about steel is that it can be hardened or softened.
I can have two identical chunks of steel cut from the same billet and be rated at different hardness scales.

Can you have them rolled into tubes too?
Get me a tapered .860 to .875 by 1" long and .675 ID.:grin-square:

 

[Lexicologist71]

Per its application in a cue, stainless should never corrode. Other steels are less resistant to corrosion.

 

[DAVE_M]

Can you have them rolled into tubes too?
Get me a tapered .860 to .875 by 1" long and .675 ID.:grin-square:

They can be rolled.

Per its application in a cue, stainless should never corrode. Other steels are less resistant to corrosion.

Other steels... Timascus is not steel. It's Titanium.
The mokume I have shown is made of silver and copper.

 

[DaveK]

Any reason why a stone point/burr in a router couldn't handle it. I have used my normal router setup on my lathe and one of them to grind the chuck jaws.

The typical solution wound be a "tool post grinder". These guys are one of the standards : http://www.dumorecorp.com/grinders/tool-post-grinders

Now I have a question, are steel joint collars cut to final size after they are glued to the forearm ? If so then grinding a hard/any steel might generate too much heat ... it would break down the glue and ruin the cue. Of course using a standard liquid coolant to save the glue would ruin/damage the wood. You might be able to use compressed air for coolant but that would make an even bigger mess.

Just the thoughts of a non-cuemaker. I do like the idea of a nicer looking joint. I have often wondered about steel joints with some form of ornamental turning done to them. Here is a link to some photos of items with ornamental turning : http://www.roseengineturning.biz/photos/display-album.php?did=12

These guys also make a reasonably priced ornamental turning lathe for those who don't have $100k for a Holtzapffel !

Dave

 

[Paul Dayton]

Yes, the joint collar is turned inside and outside, after gluing to the butt and heat is always a consideration plus how much money does one want to invest in an idea that is a shot in the dark. There have been engraved joints done in the past and they were different but didn't generate any demand. The market for high end cues is a lot thinner than that for knives or cars or guns.

 

[DaveK]

Yes, the joint collar is turned inside and outside, after gluing to the butt and heat is always a consideration plus how much money does one want to invest in an idea that is a shot in the dark. There have been engraved joints done in the past and they were different but didn't generate any demand. The market for high end cues is a lot thinner than that for knives or cars or guns.

Thanks Paul, I appreciate the education on how steel joints are finished.

I an not suggesting that one invests in a $100,000 Holtzapffel, it just seemed to me that with all the embellishment people do to cues that might be another interesting twist.

Truth be known none of my cues even have a steel joint, never met one I like.

Dave

 

[Thomas Wayne]

SS is much easier to machine.

Thomas Wayne was the first to use a damascus joint collar afaik.
I can only imagine he had to mount a belt sander on his compound .
Or some way to mount a turner on a belt sander.

I used progressively finer stones mounted in a tool-post grinder.

The rest of the story of that particular cue: After I had ground to joint collar to finished ID and OD I immersed it in acid for some period of time. Because the steel was actually many layers of different types of steel, the acid etched away certain layers while other layers remained unblemished. This gave the joint an almost surreal appearance of "wood grain".

I then had the joint heavily gold plated by a friend of mine who is a manufacturing jeweler. Finally I re-ground and polished the joint again, leaving gold only in the crevasses left behind when some of the layers were etched away by the acid. The cue itself had numerous 14k gold inlays, so that complemented the joint nicely (and vice versa).

TW

 

[slip]

you like wwod?

 

[DAVE_M]

you like wwod?

Yes, wood and composites are alternatives to a stainless steel joint.
Everyone is aware of that. The point of the thread was to discover alternative alloys.