need some cue work done - who would you recommoned

[perpetualboredom]

How would a cuemaker make a 1pc cue more forward weighted ?
I would imagine it's only possible by reducing the butt weight which would make the cue lighter ?

You drill a small(ish) hole drectly through the centre of the cue, Craftsman have done this several times for me and weight 1pce cue beyond the splices, no problem.

[MikeWooldridge]

Hi,

I have a 1pc maple cue, about 15yrs old, from let's say a very renowned cue maker.
It's 58", 17.1oz, BP around 16.5"
I want to have some work done on it
- BP 17.5 or slightly above, 18oz or so, 3/4 conversion
- mini butt to match the rosewood butt of the cue
- general check-up/refinish

I contacted the original cuemaker but it's a bit of a pain to be honest. Got one reply, asked some (reasonable) questions, didn't hear back. Sent another mail a week ago, no reply, so I am fed up and looking for someone else to do the job.

Anyone you would recommend ?

we've been talking about an old ash cue so i can't be guilty

Getting a lighter joint will shift the balance forward... Less weight on the back. True that altering the cue will make it a different cue but that's the point of modifying it right? To get a different feel, spec change

yes, a little, but probably not enough and probably not the desired end result/feel.

How would a cuemaker make a 1pc cue more forward weighted ?
I would imagine it's only possible by reducing the butt weight which would make the cue lighter ?

remove the joint without damaging it, bore out the butt, remove all the old weight, add new weight where required, reset the joint.

of course, this is after you've invested thousands pounds in the right equipment, and thousands of man hours experience perfecting the process...

this cannot be done without a suitable lathe nor can it be done safely with normal drills.

or do this:

You drill a small(ish) hole drectly through the centre of the cue, Craftsman have done this several times for me and weight 1pce cue beyond the splices, no problem.

if you're not precious about your cue this is a quick and easy way to change balance.

but bear in mind you will make the cue heavier as well.

[Master Blaster]

Thanks for the replies guys



That's a fair point. Most important is the BP which I would like a bit more forward. I am not sure if this is possible without a joint - if possible, then I will keep it as a 1pc, just do a refinish and have the mini butts made. It has a rather heavy butt joint now though.

I've been saying this for years, butt joints ruin the feel of the shot. Horrid things, big bits of brass in exactly the wrong place. Sell your current cue on here and buy another cue that is more suited. Lots of friends have added weight, shifted this and that and the cue is never the same no matter who alters it. Drilling a butt out ruins feel because a new piece of timber has to be added to the butt foreign to the original shaft; you end up making a hybrid cue. Buy a cue without a butt joint and use a push on and learn to use the rest for shots that you would usually use a mini-butt. Someone called Ronnie O'Sullivan does this. He's never had a butt joint in his life. A few joints yes, but not screwed to his JPU.

3/4 Joints. Don't even go there. Again, it will ruin the feel of the cue. If you've got a really nice maple 1-piece, then sell it so someone else can appreciate the cue as it is. If you ruin this cue, you will regret it. Buy another one if you must with a butt joint and 3/4 joint.

But my own view would be to buy another 1-piece you're happy with. Go to Parris and try some cues or go to GBL and do the same, or both maybe.

[guernseygooner]

Buy a cue without a butt joint and use a push on and learn to use the rest for shots that you would usually use a mini-butt. Someone called Ronnie O'Sullivan does this. He's never had a butt joint in his life. A few joints yes, but not screwed to his JPU.

I've seen plenty of shots of him cueing from behind and there is clearly a butt joint there

[RogiBear]

I've seen plenty of shots of him cueing from behind and there is clearly a butt joint there

Just about to say the same, the picture of his cue on JP's facebook account also confirms this

[jono*]

There are plenty of videos online that show Ronnie using a mini extension on the end of his cue. Up to around 2009 did he stop using screw in extensions altogether but the cue definitely has a joint

[Master Blaster]

Just about to say the same, the picture of his cue on JP's facebook account also confirms this

Fair point, yikes. But he never uses it, so there's no reason for it to be there. No-one needs one. I just get a feeling that a lot of players and pros are chickening out from the rest. Look at Stevens, he's go no more cue ball control with all those contraptions than Jimmy with a rest in his heyday. Practice with the rest and you won't need mini-butts.

The other thing is, you won't need a huge case to cart everything around. My one piece cue and tube weighs less than most 3/4 alternatives.

[jrc750]

. Someone called Ronnie O'Sullivan does this. He's never had a butt joint in his life. A few joints yes, but not screwed to his JPU.

There you go again talking jibberish with an air of authority as tho you are right ha ha ha

[strobbekoen]

I can't find any logical reasons why a butt joint would ruin the feel of a cue if the cue suits the player. Seems a mute point to me. And there are light joints these days, like the ones Mike uses. The one in the cue now is indeed old and chunky.
I am not selling the cue since it's part of a small collection of cues I have which are keepers. I would imagine a good cue maker can adjust the weight/balance without ruining the feel of the cue if done right. Of course the weight/balance would be different but that's the whole point of having it done. Let's not make this a debate of "this famous snooker player does this or that so it must be the way to go", okay ? thank you
@Mike: yes, you are not guilty lol - the cue is still coming to you, probably next month as I need it now.