Fixing Pool Cue Joints
By Mick Turner
Date: Fri, May 2, 2003 @ 00:00:00 CDT
Topic: Maintaining your Pool Equipment
(I used to work on furniture...so wood, dowels and metal pins etc are very famaliar to me)
There are various types of Epoxy. The best one to fix metal to wood is a product called "JB Weld". You can buy it most anywhere in hardware stores etc. It is in 2 parts, cream colored and black...the cream is the hardner and both mix in equal amounts to form a med. dark grey epoxy. If you use it be sure to put equal parts of each on a slick surface (piece of glass works well) and stir it up very well leaving no trace of either part un-mixed (no streaks of single color...) JB Weld sets up (begins to harden and become unworkable) after 15 minutes...or less time if very hot., so get prepared, and work fast, but accurately).
The reason it is good is that it never gets too hard or brittle as some epoxy's do, it stays hard yet barely pliable so it holds better. It mixes very thick so it doesn't run unless you put on globs (too much).
If the part of the cue where the insert came out is still in good shape, you can use JB Weld to fix it. Hopefully it simply unscrewed from the insert threads and you can put it back in with JB Weld to hold it.
Be very careful not to get JB Weld on the other parts of the cue...if so, wipe it off immediately as it may damage the surface (chemical stain). Put some in the "hole" and make sure it is on every surface...(I would use a blunt toothpick to rub it inside threads etc.) Also coat the outside of the insert. (a small stiff brush works well here too.) Then screw or put them together, being careful to catch/wipe excess off as it oozes out of the insert joint...(it should ooze out as you should have enough to take up all space inside...no air bubbles gives you the best glue joint).
You can do this process with either male or female threaded inserts that have come out...
After it sets to moderate hard -- about 30 min (it is quick setting) you can "gently" screw the other part of the cue on the repaired piece to allign the cue and assure it is straight. Don't tighten down as it will pull the insert loose...and DO NOT under any circumstances leave the two parts together ...if any JB Weld squeezes out and gets between, you will have a worse problem than stuck...it will be a permanent 1 piece cue. Only screw them together to allign, then take back apart. Suggest some vasoline or other jell oil substance on the threads to make it easily go on/off...
Let sit for 24 hours after allignment to harden.
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On a related subject, some Cues, like my Cuetec have shafts with a hard plastic or melmac insert with the cue butt having a metal threaded shaft.
There are some plastics that JB Weld won't stick to but most used for threaded inserts are hard enough to hold JB Weld...
You can, on these types of cues "rebuild" the female threads if they become loose or damaged.
The process is similar to the above JB Weld fix process, but here you are putting a small amount of JB Weld into the threads of the cue shaft, or female threaded part. Then put some light oil (won't mix with JB Weld) on the male threads and screw them together. This forces the JB Weld into all the threads inside the shaft hole. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then unscrew slowly...it might be somewhat stiff, but carefully unscrew it anyway. Don't leave it longer than 30 min. or even with the oil, you may have a very difficult time getting the two cue parts apart...
What happens is that the JB Weld is forced into the female threads and around the threaded male part sealing up all the areas and tightening up the joint.
The oil keeps them from sticking together, you just want to "form" the threads inside the shaft. Once another hour has passed, (total of 1 hr 20 min) put more oil on male threads, screw together carefully again...make sure not to cross thread or you will mess it up... tighten the two parts together, then unscrew, then clean male threads (metal) if any JB Weld got in grooves, (this is to assure the threads are still in proper allignment)...then let the cue shaft sit for 24 hours to totally setup and harden.
Then before using, put a little vasoline or other light (non stinky) oil on the threads and screw them together, clean off any excess, and you are ready to go with a "tight" joint.
I rebuilt my cuetec shafts threads this way and it is now very tight yet goes together nicely...
Of course those of you that enjoy a metal insert and pin have the best, but as Kez found out, sometimes those also come loose......
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