bending a warped 314 shaft back straight

I got a used predator 314 shaft at a pool tournement....was a very good deal but its "off" a tiny bit...is there any way to straighten it? Would putting it under weights for a month get it straight? Also does turning down the shaft say 1/3-1/2 mm help make a shaft more "true" or would the slight (very slight) curve still be there?....I shoot a 30" predator I got from syberts 4 years ago and I love it and its straight as a needle and would like this one to be straight also......thanks! Billy Russell

[Rick]

Hi Billy, I have heard that if you put a sand bag on the cue where it is warped it will straighten it. I have not had good luck with that method, maybe I am just a little impatient.
I have straightened a few just by applying pressure on the warp physically. Over bending it in the oppostite direction. Not recomended I would imagine because if it is done to much can warp it in different directions. Even with a strightened shaft, the tendencies are that it will go back to its natural bend over time. It is just the way wood is.

[Sid]

Hi all, I asked this question to KJ, our cue maker that does the repairs for us. This is his response.
By the way, the bending of a shaft is something that you do "at your own risk" and should probably be left to someone that has some experience. If you accidentally snap one in half, I doubt that anyone would warranty that one. Here is KJ's response,

In answer to your question about "can a warped shaft
be straightened?". This is a time-old question and there
are considerable variables.
A shaft can remain dead-nuts straight for years and then
for some reason it will decide to 'take a hike'. Some of
the many reasons for this occurence are an abrupt change
in temperature, or an equally abrupt change in humidity,
unnatural physical stresses (leaning in a corner,etc.);
gravity is a killer.
One of the woodworking companies that I deal with also
has a forum of sorts and the phenomenon of wood warping
was a recent topic. Basically, the reader was asked to
imagine wood as a handful of straws all aligned parallel
to one another for the length of the board (the principal
is the same for a shaft). During the drying process, the
straws will gradually constrict (reduce in diameter) and
if the drying was done correctly the straws will all
'shrink' the same amount at the same rate. This is why
wood shrinks as it drys. The straws are losing their
moisture content. OK, so far so good.
The board/shaft has been dryed and has been out in the
world for a while but then something happens. Maybe one
side has been exposed to more light than the other or has
been getting more heat on one side than the other. Some
of the 'straws' on that side start to re-claim moisture
and start to swell while the other side does not. Ergo,
unequal stress is now put on the shaft internally and the
result is a shaft that now is forced to warp. Wood is a
living breathing organism even long after it's been cut
down as a tree and should be recognized as such. Also, it
should be noted that all shafts are capable / suseptible
of warping. That's the nature of the beast. Period.
I know that didn't answer your initial question but in
order to better understand the cure I felt you should also better understand
the cause.
Yes wood can be straightened to a degree and with NO
degree of predictability. I'm sure you've seen me bend a
shaft on a table and because I've done it a lot,I've got
a pretty good success rate. After a period of time the
shaft may want to revert to it's warped condition,in which
case, you bend it again (and again and again and again)
until it has accepted the position you've put it in. It
should be noted that the longer a shaft has remained in a
warped condition, the more difficult (or less successful)
the straightening becomes. The ideal and prefered method
is to use steam. Wood becomes very flexible when steam is
used. Two examples that come to mind are the re-curve bow
and the bent-wood rocking chair. The wood starts out very
straight but through the use of steam, can be bent into a
pretzel if need be.
I don't have steam capabilities but in extreme cases I
use water in the area that I want to bend and give it the
time it needs to soak in and then the bending can begin.
Predator, because of it's laminate construction should
be less suseptible to warping in the first place. However, even Predator can
take a hike depending on it's enviroment.
Predator may be the one you want to talk to regarding
their shaft. Any aftermarket 'repairs' may affect their
warranty.
As always,I hope this helps;don't hesitate to ask, KJ.