Is it possible? Just a though

[Snookered]

Hi all,

I was having a though that can a snooker cue be made with a maple shaft cored with a piece of ash? This technique has been used by Pool cuemakers quite commonly inorder to strengthen cue, controlling weight/balance point and sort of achieving certain type of hit, etc.

This idea run across my mind as I alway like the smoothness of maple shaft but the playability of Ash. In the high humility environment I lived in, Ash shaft normally get sticky rather faster than maple. A seasoned maple snooker cue also get smoother over time compared to Ash.

Will any current snooker cuemaker able to make one? Is the works too difficult in a cuemaker standpoint?

Thanks,

[MattCash]

that is unnecessary for snooker, the cues do not need to be strengthened.

[Snookered]

Strengthening was one of the many reason that why pool cues are cored. I was more concern was the smoothness as Ash has coarse grains compared to maple. I believe the feel/hit of the "cored" cue will also be much different to a "pure" cue. It just an idea. I just want to know if there's a possibility to do it for Snooker cues. Thanks for your opinions.

[bongo]

There's some information on how they do it here: www.predatorcues.com

[KeithinFrance]

Technically speaking, in theory I don't see why it couldn't be done but I don't know what the result'd be like! Why don't you send an email to one of the cuemakers and ask them directly?

[MattCash]

it would be interesting to see what cue makers think of this

[cueman]

Cues are expensive enough without adding to the cost. Why change something that has worked for over 100 years? Wouldn't make for a good quality playing cue IMO. Pool cues basically are used for bashing bigger balls into even bigger pockets. With snooker you need more feel and touch so I can't imagine the feel from a cue with a heavier core would help in that.

[poolqjunkie]

I am not sure, but I think for one thing, the coring of another wood might help to reduce the chance of warpage of the shaft.

[RGCirencester]

Good point. As Ash and maple warp in different ways, (i think maple warps into an s shape doesnt it?) this may well help. If you were really mad, buy two identical cues, one ash one maple. Cut them right down the centre, and make the top half ash and bottom half maple. You then have 2 (i was going to say one of a kind, but i suppose its two of a kind ) cues, probably play aweful but you could flip it one way or the other depending if you want ash or maple on any given day

[poolqjunkie]

Actually, you can also insert some other material into maple, like a graphite core or something like that. Since graphite will not warp, the shaft will stay straight and the hit should be quite stiff.
Another idea would be to pie laminate the shaft with alternate ash/maple, that woudl definitely turn some eyes.

[Snookered]

Graphite core was not a new thing in Pool cues. But I still yet to see anything similiar in snooker cues. I guess is because Snooker cues are small in tip diameter and putting a piece of core(Woods) will be harder compared to the bigger diameter pool cues. I really hope Mike or trevor will chip in their opinions whether this is a good method to do. It will be good if it really help warpage.

Snookered <=== see too many bent snooker cues