Cue Weight and Grip

[itsnoteasy]

Cheers Ghost, I thought that's why they have tables in their shops lol.

[Big Splash!]

It's actually pretty easy to make a forward weighted cue; you just do it the old and proper way by making a bearth just under the front of the splices. The only problem with this technique is that it requires a good estimate of how much the cue will weigh when the splices are added and once it's been shaved down. Some would say this is guesswork but an experienced craftsmen will be able to say, ok, the customer wants a 30mm butt with these hardwoods, ash shaft and such and such a taper. In my past experience, that cue will weigh XXoz before weighting. He's asked for 18oz with XXBP, so I need to bearth a 2oz weight under the splices at XX inches. Bingo.

My cue balances at 18.5. This is a little bit to do with the shaft but mostly the position of the weight under the front splices. I don't have a one-piece and when I remove the leather bumper I see a square of ash untouched by a drill. Short cutters won't go to this trouble. Plane the ash and slap the ebony on. Then chuck it on a lathe, drill it and screw a weight it to bring it up to that specified by the customer, BP doesn't matter too much to those makers as they don't have to play with the cue. Ok, if folk like handle heavy cues, fair enough. But it ain't craft and it ain't worth a grand to me. Had them cues off JP. Called some mates, and yeah, their JP cues are around 16" BP.

I wonder how many of those JP's, MW's, TW's end up on ebay because the player couldn't get on with it because the feel of the cue wasn't right because the weight was placed in the wrong place and the BP not to the customer's liking? I wonder how many customers failed to think about this when placing an order, more concerned with how purple heart will look against curly maple? If the cue makers aren't going to bother then go to a showroom fellas! You've got more chance of finding the one that way.

It wasn't the intention of this thread to discuss weighting of cues but while we're on the topic, which cue makers will build a cue with a specific BP in everyone's experience?

[ghost121]

TP, MW and Andy Travis all nailed my requested balance point exactly. And all three achieved it while still getting to within 0.1oz of my requested weight, a difference that is insignificant and can be explained by different scale calibrations.

[Big Splash!]

TP, MW and Andy Travis all nailed my requested balance point exactly. And all three achieved it while still getting to within 0.1oz of my requested weight, a difference that is insignificant and can be explained by different scale calibrations.

Thankyou for that. Fair play to all three for doing what you asked for. That Ton Praram and Andy did this at their prices is proof you don't need to spend a grand to get the best cue possible, the way you want it. What was your BP?

[ghost121]

Balance point is always 17 inches for me. And since I prefer a lighter cue, it's not always easy to get right.

[Big Splash!]

My cue is only 17oz and has a 18.5 BP, so that was a tricky one to do, but not impossible, they just did it the old way.

[ghost121]

My Black Bone from TP is 17.4oz and spot on 17 inches. It feels beautifully neutral through the stroke.

[Big Splash!]

Good descriptive word; 'neutral'. Does this mean; not handle heavy, not handle light, not shaft light, not shaft heavy?

[ghost121]

Yes it does. I think the cue you never have to think about is the right cue.

[Big Splash!]

^ 2 good posts. Cheers for those bud. That's exactly how I feel too but your word neutral really sums it up succinctly. I think there is a weight and specs for everyone that is neutral. Finding what it is is the tricky bit. For me, a BP at 18ish seems neutral, I think my cue is actually half an ounce light, but I'm not having my butt drilled, ruining the square ash end at the back, a weight inserted, it may affect feel. I did consider removing a splice and making a bearth for a weight but when face with the task I thought I'd rather just accept the lighter weight than go down that road. I like a fatish taper that glides over the bridge and feels neutral. None of these things would be neutral for others. I have another cue, 19oz, smaller tip, thinner taper, narrower butt, heavier hit, lower BP. I'm always thinking about whether the cue feels right, non-neutral. Wrong cue.

*All I would add to neutral is feedback. It can't be a dead shaft, it needs to be lively for me, not ridiculously lively, that doesn't work, as Aurora pointed out very well, but lively, plenty of resonance and information.