Whether it is the laminated maple ferrules on the OB-1 and OB-2 or the white thermoplastic ferrules used on the OB Classic and OB Pro, ferrule replacement is very much like that of most conventional shafts. Please note that we do not sell our ferrules to the general public so if you need to have a ferrule replaced you can either contact us to arrange for us to do it or you can contact one of the cuemakers or cue repair pros listed on our website.
If you are a cuemaker or cue repair pro and are authorized to work on our shafts then here are our suggestions for ferrule replacement:
Start by turning down the ferrule to remove from the tenon. Leave the tip and pad in place if possible. The tenon diameter on the OB-1 and OB Classic shafts is .404″ and the tenon diameter on the OB-2 and OB Pro shafts is .354″.
The replacement ferrule will need to be drilled and bored to fit the tenon as they are shipped with a small hole in the center so they can be used on either tenon size. First, drill the ferrule with a 3/8″ drill for the larger tenon and a 5/16″ for the smaller one. Follow this with a small boring bar and bore the ferrule to .002″ to .004″ larger than your tenon. Make sure you face the bottom of the ferrule as well. It’s always best to bore and face without removing the ferrule from the chuck so that the bore and the face will be square to each other regardless of any runout. The ferrule should fit slightly snug, but not loose on the tenon.
Glue the ferrule in place with polyurethane glue such as Gorilla Glue, and allow it to dry. Take care to prevent any of the glue from getting on the shaft surface as it’s hard to clean off. Keep it off your hands too, it will turn black, and won’t come off very easy.
When it’s dry, face the ferrule down to expose the end of the shaft tenon and glue the new carbon fiber pad in place with CA. Then install the tip using the same CA.
Trim the tip and pad together down to the same diameter as the cue shaft. Always cut towards the lathe chuck, or right to left. This will help to ensure that the pad is not loosened by the cut load on the carbon fiber.
On the wood ferrules used on the OB-1 and OB-2 shafts, many customers like to “seal” the ferrule with CA to prevent it from picking up chalk. The CA polishes nicely, and keeps the chalk out very well.
The minimum recommended diameter for our shafts is as follows:
OB-1 and OB Classic 12.25mm
OB-2 and OB Pro 11.25mm
OB Break Shaft 12.5mm
OB shafts below these specifications will not be considered for warranty and could experience premature ferrule failure.
Call with any repair questions. Our office hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday Central Standard Time and please note that we close for lunch every day between 12:00pm and 1:00pm.