Wood Core Question damage?

phinmole

phinmole

www.phinmole.com
Silver Member
Hi, need some expert opinion.

I just got a brand new Tony Gill custom cue with a Amboyna Burl wrapless handle. The Burl has a few cracks in it under the finish. One being completely around the entire handle. Rough enough to feel at one section. Now, the question is, the cue is hard maple cored, and the crack is under the finish. I am going to attach a pic, but am concerned about the integrity of the cue. Should I use it? Not sure he will take it back and he has not contacted me for several days after the sale. Maybe he is out of town, no clue, but I am concerned, any advice?
 

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My opinion/.5 cents is to not use it, and keep trying to contact him, give him a chance to respond and rectify. Ambonya is a weird animal unto it's self and from what I've heard can move alot even after being cored. I'm assuming you have sent an email about these cracks and your concerns, so just give him some time to respond, it is a weekend. Good luck with it.
Dave
 
While that may or may not be a manufacturing defect, it's certainly a materials defect. If you look just to the right of the crack that you're illustrating, you'll see what looks to be another one in the process of showing itself.

How did this cue come to you? Was there any damage to the pkg/box?
Specifically, did the box appear to have been bent?

Another indicator would be the finish itself. Is the finish cracked as well?
If yes, then the cue was bent.
If no, then the crack was present before the finish went on.

Given the way I've seen these types of threads go in the past, I'm hesitant to go any further until you've contacted the builder. This is between you and him and there's no sense creating suspicion without just cause. Too many unanswered questions.
 
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phinmole said:
Hi, need some expert opinion.

I just got a brand new Tony Gill custom cue with a Amboyna Burl wrapless handle. The Burl has a few cracks in it under the finish. One being completely around the entire handle. Rough enough to feel at one section. Now, the question is, the cue is hard maple cored, and the crack is under the finish. I am going to attach a pic, but am concerned about the integrity of the cue. Should I use it? Not sure he will take it back and he has not contacted me for several days after the sale. Maybe he is out of town, no clue, but I am concerned, any advice?
Click to expand...

Contact the builder and send it back, but it is difficult to say that this did not happen in shipping. However, the cue is not structurally sound if you can feel the cracks through the finish. In order for you feel the cracks the wood has moved since the finish was applied and the finish is stressed. At some point the finish is going crack and when that happens the wood under it will have no structure and it will separate from the maple core where it is cracked.

Just my thoughts
 
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phinmole said:
Hi, need some expert opinion...
Click to expand...

Not to refocus this thread, because it is a very serious issue and I've seen Amboyna do awful stuff like this, too...

But, I have to ask...

Did you have any particular reason for taking the photo on a background that says, "Unpleasant Ways to Die"?? I mean, is there a hidden meaning, here? :confused:
 
Unpleasant ways to die.. and the cue...

No reason, the book just happened to be there :)

Funny tho.

I have sent 3 emails in the last two days to the cue maker. No response and that is what I am waiting for, a response. Hopefully he will take it back.

It was packed very well, in a sleeve, and bubble wrapped and sent in a large triangle shipping tube. I do not think it got bent in shipping, but you never know what goes on behind closed doors. But the box was fine when I got it.

Oh well. Hopefully I will get my 229.00 back.

Sheesh.
Felix
 
phinmole said:
No reason, the book just happened to be there :)

Funny tho.

I have sent 3 emails in the last two days to the cue maker. No response and that is what I am waiting for, a response. Hopefully he will take it back.

It was packed very well, in a sleeve, and bubble wrapped and sent in a large triangle shipping tube. I do not think it got bent in shipping, but you never know what goes on behind closed doors. But the box was fine when I got it.

Oh well. Hopefully I will get my 229.00 back.

Sheesh.
Felix
Click to expand...

Hey Felix, I think he might be hangin' with Chaz this weekend.

Sorry man, I just couldn't resist. Hope your luck changes soon.
 
Yep...

229.00 plus ship.. :)

That is what I paid.

And I heard back from Tony today. Only took countless emails and a Paypal filed complaint.

Let's just say. No money back and he won't take the cue. This is the 2nd inferior cue he has sold to me and won't make it right. You do the math on his cue career. I hate to say it, but some people really suck.

Felix
 
phinmole said:
229.00 plus ship.. :)

That is what I paid.

And I heard back from Tony today. Only took countless emails and a Paypal filed complaint.

Let's just say. No money back and he won't take the cue. This is the 2nd inferior cue he has sold to me and won't make it right. You do the math on his cue career. I hate to say it, but some people really suck.

Felix
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Felix, after all you have said don't you think that it may be a good idea to post the guys name, and his ebay user name so others no to stay clear?

Just my thoughts
 
Brand new for $229?
You had to have wondered if it was either stolen or, *SURPRISE!* a piece of you-know-what. :D

I don't think any decent custom cuemaker would build that for less than twice what you paid. Most of us would charge more like triple.
 
EW comes to mind looking at that ring work,(sharpied) but it can't be his, as he couldn't afford the Ambonya in the first place.....

Sorry Felix for your loss, hope you can recover on the other thread. After being burn twice from him, hopefully you won't deal with him, or anyone else like him again.

Does he post/sell here? I did a google search with his name and nothing came up for a website, etc. Maybe he would man up if he is aware of the bad publicity he's getting.
Dave
 
phinmole said:
....

It was packed very well, in a sleeve, and bubble wrapped and sent in a large triangle shipping tube. I do not think it got bent in shipping, but you never know what goes on behind closed doors.
Felix
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about that bad deal. Just chipping in , I send my products in the
triangle cardboard tubing and one customer received his OB2 shaft broken in two...
God knows how the mail boys managed that, but I replaced it with a new and
still waiting to hear from the Post-refund-office.....

So the triangle wrapping might not be that protective. Anyway, you should of
course have a refund...

Kent
 
Insurance?

Someone else asked if there was no shipping insurance. I'm inclined to think like him. If there was shipping insurance, I'd be trying to collect it, since you're the owner of the cue. There IS shipping insurance on it, right?
 
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