Cue Joint not flush

[conorhackett]

[conorhackett]

Sorry, i posted the thread instead of previewing the image lol! I have a cue and the joint is an internal one wood-wood. The image I posted illustrates the joint in an exaggerated fashion. There is an even gap all the way round the joint of less than 1/2 mm. Through this I can see clear light. Will this cause any issues or can I just ignore it? The joint mates firmly and the cue hits fine but I'm not sure if this is storing up a problem for a later date.

Thanks for any assistance

[blackballgame]

I am sure a cuedoctor or maker like Mike Wooldridge will come on this thread and give you an answer soon:snooker:

[conorhackett]

I am sure a cuedoctor or maker like Mike Wooldridge will come on this thread and give you an answer soon:snooker:

Fingers crossed

[poolqjunkie]

There must be some contact or else the joint can be turned more until something touches something else. I would say if the hit is firm and solid it should be fine for now. If you feel that you are losing power or hear a funny bad sound then you need to have it looked at for sure. Of course you can always have the joint re-faced but the problem with that is the joint may align a bit off to one side afterward. If you can send it to the original maker he can re-install the joint for you. That should be a better option.
A lot of brass joints I have come across in older cues are not completely flat believe it or not. You can sometimes see some light when holding the cue to the light. This gap is usually around the edge. If you have enough contact it should be fine.
For your cue, I would be more concerned about why the joint would become like that in the first place.. On a wood to wood fit if the ebony shrinks while the metal insert does not, this could creat a lot of stress around the joint area and may cause the wood to crack around that area. As you know the ebony around the metal insert is usually not that thick. So, I would try to look into that, too, if I were you.

[conorhackett]

Thanks for the detailed response. The cue itself is brand new and bar this small issue is pretty much spot on. There is a firm contact throught the brass joint being fully tightened but there is the fine gap I discussed. As the butt is macassar ebony re-facing would spoil the look somewhat if it no longer alligned. I think I may consider sending it back to be redone but am also considering making an insert to ensure a flush joint. Is this something anybody has tried? Funnily enough, when I screw the mini butt into the shaft it fits perfectly so it does seem to be the male end of the joint causing the issue.

[willtyson]

What cue maker made it? I'm sure they will sort it out for you :snooker:

[conorhackett]

Hi Will,

I'd rather not say until I confirm if it's actually a problem and then give them a chance to resolve it.

[willtyson]

Very fair, I'm sure it will get resolved :snooker:

[Neil Taperell]

New Cue.....send it back . Can't be right for daylight to be seen . I had a cue like that a few years ago .....made by a uk cue maker . Whenever i buy a new cue ....one of the 1st things i do is hold the joint up to the light .

[MikeWooldridge]

I assume you emailed or spoke to the maker before coming on here?

What did they say?

If the joints are still solidly in the cue, i.e. not loose, then it does not actually matter too much as the cue still locks. However, you are losing wood to wood contact which I believe improves the feel of the hit slightly.

But not everyone thinks that's important, so for the purpose of just answering your question, let's say that as long as the cue locks, the gaps do not matter at all. Effectively it is just like a normal brass to brass joint contact and is fine.

If it is from a good maker of quality cues, I'm sure they would not willingly choose a gap like this but, depending on joint, they can be very hard to fit right, so it is not uncommon and maybe the maker does not consider it essential or worthy of changing.

If it is mass produced, then it's probably hit and miss as to whether you get one that seats better. You could even get it the other way where the brass is lower than the wood so you can see no gaps at the sides but the brass faces inside do not touch.

Bottom line, personally I do not like this and would rectify immediately. But others may not and there's not really anything you can do to make them if the cue still 'works'.

Apart from never use them again and slag them off rotten

[conorhackett]

Hi Mike,

thanks for the response. I haven't spoken to the maker yet for two reasons. Firstly it arrived on Friday evening and secondly I wasn't even sure if it was really an issue. I didn't particularly want to make a fuss with them if it didn't affect the cue. I've uploaded a few pictures of the actual finish so you can clearly see what I mean.



This is with the joint as tight as it will go without overdoing it. The picture makes it look uneven but it's actually uniform.



This is the male joint on the butt. I believe the small gap here is causing the issue.



This is the male joint on the mini butt which fits perfectly to the the cue shaft.


I've played with the cue and it feels OK. It's hard to say if resolution of this would make it feel "better". Thanks again to all for the advice.

Mike, do you have experience with a small insert resolving something like this?

[stejohn]

yep looks like its the gap where the pin is, heat it up to break the glue twist/pull it out reglue it and bang it back in......just joking but should be a simple enough fix, would send it back to the maker.

[Neil Taperell]

I think you are right . The male joint is the issue .

[Gerry Armstrong]

You should contact the cue maker and raise the issue with them directly.