[jviss]

I have a relatively new snooker cue, the shaft of which has developed a slight warp. I think it's made of Ash.

Can this be straightened, I mean, is this something a cue maker can do for me?

Thanks,

jv

[Snooker Theory]

Originally Posted by jviss

I have a relatively new snooker cue, the shaft of which has developed a slight warp. I think it's made of Ash.

Can this be straightened, I mean, is this something a cue maker can do for me?

Thanks,

jv

Who made the cue?

I have a couple cues that I hung up with those rubber hangers, and after a very long time they straightened back up. Also used that Jacoby shaft straightening tool, although it grooves your shaft so I wasn't the biggest fan(although maybe I did it wrong). Shaft stayed straight though.

[heinosuke1]

You can avoid the grooving by placing a material between the tool and the shaft. A hand towel is what I’ve always used.

[KenRobbins]

Originally Posted by jviss

I have a relatively new snooker cue, the shaft of which has developed a slight warp. I think it's made of Ash.

Can this be straightened, I mean, is this something a cue maker can do for me?

Thanks,

jv

Roll the cue on a flat surface until you see where it's bowed, with the ferrule pointing down. Put one hand where it's bowed and take your other hand and grip the joint end lightly pull up. Make sure you check each pull and repeat until it's straight. If you put to much pressure, you could snap it like a twig.

[jviss]

It's a Woods cue. After I posted this, I found this:

How to straighten a bent cue stick shaft

Figuring I had nothing to lose, I followed step 3, "Bend It Back." It worked! Holy cow. It's still not perfect, I will continue to tweak it a bit, than hang it up for a week or so. But, amazing.

I would appreciate any other advice on caring for a snooker cue, like oils, and ho to re-fill the grain.

Thanks,

jv

[Seth C.]

Here is an earlier thread on this subject:

https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=271161

[TATE]

The short answer is no. Eventually no matter what you do, shafts prone to warpage will warp back. Messing around with it could also cause a double warp. There are many reasons why shafts warp, but be assured it's at the cellular level. Oftentimes the wood was not properly dried and transported before turning. Experienced, quality cuemakers discard wood prone to warpage in the curing process.

[Snooker Theory]

Originally Posted by TATE

The short answer is no. Eventually no matter what you do, shafts prone to warpage will warp back. Messing around with it could also cause a double warp. There are many reasons why shafts warp, but be assured it's at the cellular level. Oftentimes the wood was not properly dried and transported before turning. Experienced cuemakers discard wood prone to warpage in the curing process.

I am not a cue maker and know jack shit about making them, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, with that disclaimer being said, and I am basing this off a very limited sampling pool of only 1 shaft.

I think I might disagree slightly with you on this one, simply because the shaft I straightened is still straight, I guess it's been 15 months or so since I did it, it may warp in the future again, but as of now, it looks pretty stable. I have read other's accounts that the shaft would warp again shortly after straightening, so maybe I was lucky in that sense.

[MattPoland]

Originally Posted by KenRobbins

Roll the cue on a flat surface until you see where it's bowed, with the ferrule pointing down. Put one hand where it's bowed and take your other hand and grip the joint end lightly pull up. Make sure you check each pull and repeat until it's straight. If you put to much pressure, you could snap it like a twig.

I’ve had a cuemaker demonstrate this approach to me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[KenRobbins]

Originally Posted by MattPoland

I’ve had a cuemaker demonstrate this approach to me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

An old friend of mine that passed away showed me this years ago. He was a carpenter and built cues as a hobby. He recommended as soon as you get it straight, sell it and buy a new one. LOL


Jviss, if we see a shaft in the for sale section, we'll know what's up. lol

[asbani]

We have a cue repairman who's very good at what he does and he's from the Philippines, anyhow he can straighten any warped shaft in the world except for mezz products, just give it to him and leave it for a day, come back the next day and it's straight as an arrow, I don't know how he does it though.

But here's the kick, he says he can straighten any warped shaft except for Mezz shafts, he cannot fix any Mezz shaft, he says if you have a Mezz shaft and it's warped, just throw it and buy another one.

[Seth C.]

Originally Posted by TATE

The short answer is no. Eventually no matter what you do, shafts prone to warpage will warp back. Messing around with it could also cause a double warp. There are many reasons why shafts warp, but be assured it's at the cellular level. Oftentimes the wood was not properly dried and transported before turning. Experienced, quality cuemakers discard wood prone to warpage in the curing process.

I claim no knowledge here, but this thought occurred to me: if a warped shaft of wood (pool cue, dowel or other) will always return to that warped state after being subjected to some force that temporarily alters its shape and makes it straight, then shouldn’t it also be the case that a straight shaft of wood - think of one which has remained straight for many years post-curing - will always return to that straight shape notwithstanding its having developed a non-straight shape as a result of force (e.g., a weight placed on its mid-point for an extended period of time). But is that always the case? Or do some shafts of cured wood that were straight until put under stress stay curved (to some degree) after the stress is relieved? I’m guessing that some of these shafts stay at least somewhat curved. If they do, it would suggest that at least some pool cue shafts can be permanently straightened. To refine the question, I guess we should really be talking about maple.

[ShootingArts]

I am probably in the linked thread saying the same thing but the real question is why is the shaft warped? If it is warped because of basic flaws of the wood Tate is 100% correct, the shaft will always have a tendency to warp again. You can straighten it but it isn't likely to stay straight.

Then there is the cue shaft that was warped due to neglect of some sort. An example, somebody propped the cue in a corner of your home pool room and the sun shined on it for hours a day. The stick developed a warp over time. Odds are pretty good that a shaft warped due to something like this can be straightened and stay straight.

If you like the shaft it is worth trying to straighten, once. If it warps again, odds are the shaft is a natural stinker and the garbage can is the best place for it. I have cut wood over a hundred years old that appeared straight and flat in the plank. When I started cutting a 1"x1" blank off of the side, the wood which wasn't known for warping curled like a shaving from a knife. Incredible internal pressures on that seemingly straight piece of wood after over 100 years of aging, most inside a wall. That was an extreme example but illustrates my point.

Some warps are caused by relieving internal pressures of the wood when the slaft blank is cut. These shafts will always want to warp. Other shafts are warped by outside pressures and the warp is not a natural feature of the wood. These shafts can be straigtened with an excellent chance of staying straight if they are sealed and not abused.

Is the warp caused by pressure or pressure relief? Makes all the difference in the world if the shaft is going to stay straight after it is straightened. There are some things worth trying if a shaft you like warps that involve steam and a master woodworker. The average shaft isn't worth the time and money spent on it to try to relieve natural pressures.

Edit: I see Seth gave the short version of what I was saying while I typed the long version!

Hu

[TATE]

Originally Posted by Snooker Theory

I am not a cue maker and know jack shit about making them, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, with that disclaimer being said, and I am basing this off a very limited sampling pool of only 1 shaft.

I think I might disagree slightly with you on this one, simply because the shaft I straightened is still straight, I guess it's been 15 months or so since I did it, it may warp in the future again, but as of now, it looks pretty stable. I have read other's accounts that the shaft would warp again shortly after straightening, so maybe I was lucky in that sense.

So what causes warpage is tension at the cellular level. One side of the wood is pulling the other side, causing a warp. Moisture causes the cells to expand and contract like small sponges. If those cells don't expand and contract at the same rate, for whatever reason, the wood warps.

I have seen it where a shaft pops back to straight under tension and stays that way. I have always believed that the tension was relieved by causing microscopic tears in the cellular fibers, relieving the tension. Not sure if this is a good way to fix a shaft from a playability standpoint. When I say the short answer is "no they can't be straightened", it really means that it's not necessarily practical. It might be worth a try though, you never know. I usually just order replacement shafts.

Ps. the future is carbon fiber. Really, it is.

[JoeyInCali]

Originally Posted by jviss

I have a relatively new snooker cue, the shaft of which has developed a slight warp. I think it's made of Ash.

Can this be straightened, I mean, is this something a cue maker can do for me?

Thanks,

jv

Leave it alone .
It might move back to it's former self.
It's still acclimating where you are .
It is winter. It might be too dry or too wet where you are compared to where it was made .
Let it go through summer before doing anything.
It is a straight as you can stroke now.