The Arnot Splice

This is the best thing that has ever happened to Custom Cue making yet!

When I first started making cues I soon realized that the conventional method of joining a forearm to the handle by use of a round tenon and a hole drilled to receive the tenon left much to be desired. Most cuemakers modified this technique and a metal screw was added to the end of the tenon to hold things together better. That wasn’t the only problem with this technique. If a 3/4 inch tenon was used the remaining thickness of the wall was so thin that less than 1/10 of an inch of wood remained between the edge of the tenon and the outside of the cue. Now I don’t want to hang onto the top of the Empire State Building with just 1/10 of an inch of wood holding me and I want more than that holding my cues together. I considered using a 5/8 diameter tenon but it was not strong enough to suit me. I tried using a 3/8 diameter metal screw to join these pieces of wood together but I did not think there was enough gluing surface to hold things together permanently and the metal screw weighed too much to be used with heavy exotic woods or light cues.

I remembered that I had used a fiberglass threaded rod to hold heavy machinery to the concrete floor at one time and that it was very strong (much stronger than even the most dense and heavy wood), porous (it would glue well), and it machined well too; and because of its strength I could use a much smaller diameter piece than wood and a larger diameter piece then steel. Using a 1/2 inch diameter piece of fiberglass threaded rod would leave a much thicker wall between the edge of the screw and the outside edge of the cue. That would eliminate the problem of the heavy weight of the steel screw and it would solve the gluing surface problem. Every negative had become a positive.

Now that I had solved the screw and tenon problem, I went for the overkill (I’m smiling at this point). I decided to join the forearm and handle together (see the Arnot Splice Forearm Handle above) utilizing the former process and then I cut the pocket for the points (See the Arnot Splice Pocket above). Not just into the forearm (as you see in most cues) but right on down into the handle wood itself. Why in the world would I do that?! So I could perfectly fit the prong (point) across the joint (Much like tongue and grove flooring) (See the Arnot Splice ChacTekoke) and add strength to the cue that had never ever been done before.

Now I am happy with the way the forearm is joined to the handle of my cues. I have over 1/4 inch thick wall between the edge of the screw and the outside edge of the cue. It is reinforced with threaded fiberglass rod (that is so strong that over 100 people who have visited my shop were not able to break a 4-foot long piece). The whole joint is reinforced with 4 prongs (points) inlaid across the entire joint. Enough!