Cue joint alteration

Morning all,
Just signed up, thanks for having me.
I'm looking for some advice about possibly getting an alteration done to my cue.
I have a 59in Maximus cue, bought from Green Baize before the Covid lockdown. Firstly, i love the cue, perfect weight, length and balance for me. However, I've always played with the chamfer on the inside, I'm right handed so it's at 9 o'clock. What I'm finding recently is the grain/ arrows are getting in my sight line and distracting me. I've had eye problems the last few years and started wearing snooker glasses about 18 months ago, maybe it's just picking the arrows up more clearly now.
Anyway, i was wondering if anyone knew if it was possible to rotate the joint so as the arrows are still at the top, but the chamfer was inside.i believe rotating it 90°anti clockwise would do this. Is it possible, and more importantly, would it be recommended, would it put the balance etc off ?
Thanks for any help in advance.

Greetings Taz

I think this is Prop’s area of expertise

SnookerEd25 wrote:Greetings Taz

I think this is Prop’s area of expertise

But is he ready?

Yes, it’s possible, and should be a straightforward job for any decent cuemaker, as long as the cue isn’t a one-piece.

The distinctive arrows/chevrons in the grain of an ash cue will almost always align with the chamfer of the butt. In theory the ‘correct’ way to hold a cue is with the butt chamfer facing up, which is why those arrows will also face up, and remain visible as you look down the cue, provided you hold it with the chamfer facing up.

Basically it’s part of the manufacturing process to align that characteristic of the grain with the orientation of the chamfer, and therefore possible to align any rotation of the grain with the chamfer. It’s just that traditionally, it’s done with a particular stylistic norm in mind.

You mention “the joint”, so I’m assuming the cue has a three quarter joint? If so, there’s a possibility that a small amount of metal can be machined from the ‘female’ of the two mating surfaces of the joint, to effectively allow an extra 90 degrees of clockwise rotation in tightening the joint. I’m not quite sure whether that’s what you’re looking for, so it might need to be machined to allow an extra 270 degrees of clockwise rotation to achieve what you want. Either way, it should be possible, without having to reset or rotate the joint itself. Nothing invasive, just a tiny amount of brass taken off with a lathe.

Failing that, you might need to start again with a new joint. Again, any decent cuemaker can do this, but they may need to do some light machining of the shaft and butt to ensure the new joint is completely flush with the wood. The bore of any three quarter cue around the joint and butt is ultimately dependent on how much it has been worked in order to create a completely straight and flush finish, from butt to joint to shaft. A new, retrofitted joint will start life slightly proud of the diameter of the cue at that point, and will need to be feathered in to achieve the correct finish. This will inevitably involve a small amount of the butt and shaft being worked along with the joint.

It shouldn’t be a big job, as long as the cue and its joint are in decent condition. In terms of it changing the weight/balance of the cue, it won’t affect it noticeably. The only thing to be wary of is making sure the bore of the butt isn’t reduced so significantly that it feels different in your hand. And that should only be a concern if the joint itself needs to be changed.

The first option - machining a tiny fraction of brass off the joint - is going to be the easiest, quickest and cheapest way of doing it. It’s by far the best way, as well. Done properly, the only perceptible change would be the orientation of the grain. Find a cuemaker that can do it that way and you should be good. Hopefully somewhere local(ish), so you can take the cue in for a chat and explain exactly what you want in person. Good luck.

Many many thanks for all that info. Going to call round now see if anyone would do that.