Cleaning Shafts... Alcohol any negative effects?

Jsut make sure to use the 99% and not the 50%...


I use it as well and does good for a quick fix before a play night at League or tourney or jsut plain practice......I dont see how peeps keeps theres so clean and bright!!!!!!!

The only thing I could see it doing is removing the polish, cleaner or wax the shaft may have on it.
I took all my wife's and my shafts last week and applied a nice thick coat of carnauba cleaner wax on them, laid them on the floor and let them dry for 30 mins or so. Came back and took a terry cloth towel and buffed em clean.
Slicker-N-Snot

I have used Mothers Carnauba in the past, simple automotive stuff.

This time however, a guy was telling me about Johnsons household cleaner/wax. Picked it up at Lowes.

cajunbarboxplyr said:

Jsut make sure to use the 99% and not the 50%...


I use it as well and does good for a quick fix before a play night at League or tourney or jsut plain practice......I dont see how peeps keeps theres so clean and bright!!!!!!!

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I'll tell you; They keep their cues clean by not using them. Badda boom!

I Have been using alcohol on my 314 Predator shafts about once a week for over a year, with zero problems.

Also, if you use any type of cue conditioner, I would recommend Slip Stic, many guys around here on the AZ use it, and it holds up and works, IMO.

One thing about the use of alcohol, Id watch about getting it on the tip if you use a laminated one. Might have some effect on what they use to layer it.

You could test this I guess on your own if you want. Just drop your $25 tip in the bottle and see what happens.

PlynSets said:

Well I've used everything from Cue Dr. and Cue Wiz to a kind of combination of the two, a damp rag, the inside of my shirt for a quick fix etc..

It seems when I use Cue Dr. It's almost tooooo slick for awhile and then it gets "gummed" up with dirt and requires cleaning again. The more you use it the faster it gets gummed up. etc..

The other day I put some Isopropyl Alcohol into a little spray bottle, and sprayed some on a rag. I wiped the cue down with it, and (shafts are burnished already) whallah, a nice clean smooth cue. The alcohol evaporates so fast that it's dry and ready to play again in between shots!

I'm paying 7 bucks for a tiny bottle of Cue Dr. and it doesn't work half as well as the alcohol which is roughly 3 bucks a GALLON..

I guess my question here is, anybody think that Alcohol could possibly have any negative effects on a cue? I've been using it for 2 - 3 weeks now and haven't noticed any and I sure can't think of any, but my roomate asked if it could it "dry" it out too much or something? So I figured I'd ask on here.

DJ

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Alcohol will dry out the wood sucking out protective oils. And yes, just as you stated, most the stuff you put on your cue will get gummed up which is why players are always screwing around with their cue shaft.

If you are looking for the best cheap solution here it is..

To clean the shaft use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser with a little water. This will clean the cue shaft making it look brand new leaving only tiny fibers behind which is better than cleaner residue. It is the fibers that do the cleaning and nothing else.. The fibers are the magic not the mild cleaners in the Magic Eraser.

Next buy some cheap lighter fluid, pour some on a towel and wipe the cue shaft to eliminate the fibers. Lighter fluid will not dry out and suck out protective oils.

Finally, with any piece of leather burnish the shaft. Do not use abrasives or plastics to burnish. Abrasives will wear down the shaft and plastics also work like abrasives plus cause particles to embed into the shaft that will pop up during play becoming annoying.

Do nothing else and do not use anything that polishes or you will forever be dealing with gumming-up.
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I have used all types of cleaners, burnishers, waxes, but the best investment is the *new* SlipStic, it come with a leather pad to burnish. Just keep it out when playing and use it after every rack if you feel your hand oils get it to be too sticky.

PlynSets said:

Maybe I'm retarded here... but what "protective oils" are in a shaft? Does the wood naturally have oil in it? Or does the shaft mfg run oil when they are cutting them or something?

The lighter fluid kinda threw me for a loop as well? I have a pretty extensive lighter collection ranging from Zippo's to WWI Trench lighters etc.. so lighter fluid isn't hard to come by for me.. But I'm wondering why it would be any better to put on a shaft then alcohol? Lighter fluid evaporates pretty quickly as well, which would lead me to believe the effects would be atleast similar to alcohol?

That and there's one more downside I can see to it, being that I smoke, I'm a little hesitant to be putting lighter fluid on a rag and wiping my cue with it while smoking a cigarette.. LOL Not that alcohol is not flammable, but it's nothing like lighter fluid. That would definately make a threadworthy story for some random pool player that witnessed that routine. Ole DJ running around the room with his hair on fire... Literally.

In all seriousness though, can you give some more details on the lighter fluid vs alcohol? Or does that kinda start to pry into industry secrets?

RD

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I have used it before, compared to alcohol, I would say it buffs out smoother & removes grease & oils well, but that is just My opinion. It does seem to still evaporate quite quickly, but does'nt seem to leave open fibres as much as the alcohol, so you could use it as a final finish if you wanted, altough I take more steps Myself, and not sure how I feel about the sealing proccess when using these methods, but I'm able to produce a smoother feeling shaft for a player cue. The use of sealers & waxes seems to require more maintainence IMO, but may be better suited for collectables. I do both, so I'm not knocking any other methods, just feel they require more cleanings If the shafts are played with alot, and sees alot of use. That's not a bad thing If you do regular cleanings, and seal the shaft well before hand, and If a good sealer was used then it is keeping dirt and oils out of the pores, so It can be cleaned easier later down the road.

Like anything As far as the shaft catching fire, That could always be possible I suppose, especially If smoking while applying it, so you have to be carefull, and figure out if it's something you even want to risk, but it seems to evaporate well, and have yet to see It happen personally. I have not stuck an open flame to a shaft that It had been used on, so don't know if it would ignite that way or not. I do remember owning many zippos though, and those darn things were bad about the fluid evaporating, and not lighting If you did'nt constantly keep them Filled.

To Me there are different methods I use depending on the persons needs, the cue, or how bad off the shaft is when I first get My hands on it. I like the idea of trying start out with the milder methods first, and work My way up until the desired results are achieved, in general the fluid is on the lower side, and usually cleans well, if It does'nt work, I sometimes have to result to to other methods, but still may finish off with the fluid after that. For me it just depends on the situation. Greg

I take a towel and get it damp then microwave for 3 minutes. Next I apply the steaming towel to the shaft and clean the chalk off and also bring out any minor dents. I then lightly sand the shaft with a microburnishing film. I haven't had any problems and I like the outcome. I like the above solutions and might just have to try them!

i think this is a great post and i'd like to interject my philosophy.

years ago i was working on my 84 toyota and i did something other than what it said to do in the factory repair manual. i found out later that the chinese engineers who designed my truck wrote that damn manual. i'll be damned if from then on im ever going to listen to anybody but the guy who designed the product in quesion from now on. i mean, these engineers sweated over every last detail in that damn car, you know they are gonna know better than anybody what advice to give.

with that said, i have a 314, on the predator website it says use alcohol to clean the shafts. even though i was a bit worried at first, them saying that is enough for me.

PlynSets said:

Maybe I'm retarded here... but what "protective oils" are in a shaft? Does the wood naturally have oil in it? Or does the shaft mfg run oil when they are cutting them or something?

The lighter fluid kinda threw me for a loop as well? I have a pretty extensive lighter collection ranging from Zippo's to WWI Trench lighters etc.. so lighter fluid isn't hard to come by for me.. But I'm wondering why it would be any better to put on a shaft then alcohol? Lighter fluid evaporates pretty quickly as well, which would lead me to believe the effects would be atleast similar to alcohol?

That and there's one more downside I can see to it, being that I smoke, I'm a little hesitant to be putting lighter fluid on a rag and wiping my cue with it while smoking a cigarette.. LOL Not that alcohol is not flammable, but it's nothing like lighter fluid. That would definately make a threadworthy story for some random pool player that witnessed that routine. Ole DJ running around the room with his hair on fire... Literally.

In all seriousness though, can you give some more details on the lighter fluid vs alcohol? Or does that kinda start to pry into industry secrets?

RD

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The best oils are those from your hands.

There is no question that alcohol will dry out the wood, suck out the cuesmith sealers and oils captured from your hands. These oils are what enables the wood to become strong and inhibit warping. With that said it's like anything else, most may never have a problem and then a few do. I think the softer the wooden shaft the more likely the problem.

If you were preparing the wood for a finish, alcohol would work well but to use regularly might be to much.

Lighter fluid has an oily base to it that will clean up fairly well without drying out the wood. It breaks down greases picked up that other cleaners do not. Both evaporate fast which is what you want.

Using alcohol on a piece of bare wood on a regular basis will cause it to start to splinter more easily because the wood is dried out. Remember a there is a lot of flexing on a cue shaft during play.


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this my sound stupid but I rub my hands with antiperspirant and wash my hands really good before I go out to play and I clean I only have to wipe down my shafts once a week.I live on an island with 90% humidity this is my only defense.

I would not recommend using alcohol to clean your shafts. I don't know what it would do to the wood over time, but it will remove the protective oils that resist moisture (sweat) and allow it to buff to a smooth luster.

Many cue makers, including South West, use tung oil to finish a new shaft. You'd want to find a pure tung oil, not one that includes lacquer or varnish. The stuff for finishing gun stocks is ideal. To be effective, you'd have to lightly sand down the shaft to clean it and open the pores, then apply tung oil, and buff after it dries. The disadvantage of tung oil is it will slightly yellow after a few years. Otherwise, it's a great sealer/finish. After treating with tung oil, for daily maintenence, you can wipe it down with a wet rag (water) to clean, then burnish.

I've recently stumbled upon a product that has been amazing. It's simple carnuba car wax, with polymer additives. The brand I tried is Kit Hard Gloss, but I would think any car wax with polymers added to produce a hard gloss shine would work equally well. It is far better than cue wax or plain carnuba wax. I'm extremely fussy about the feel of my shafts, and this stuff blew me away. It's better than anything I've tried, and believe me, I've tried everything. I bought a lifetime supply (16 oz) at Big Lots for about $2! Anyway, I apply it ever couple of weeks. In between, I wipe the shafts down with a damp paper towel and burnish. The shafts remain clean and slick and incredibly smooth without feeling sticky, which is a problem with many glossy surfaces. Ahhh, modern science!

tedkaufman said:

I would not recommend using alcohol to clean your shafts. I don't know what it would do to the wood over time, but it will remove the protective oils that resist moisture (sweat) and allow it to buff to a smooth luster.

Many cue makers, including South West, use tung oil to finish a new shaft. You'd want to find a pure tung oil, not one that includes lacquer or varnish. The stuff for finishing gun stocks is ideal. To be effective, you'd have to lightly sand down the shaft to clean it and open the pores, then apply tung oil, and buff after it dries. The disadvantage of tung oil is it will slightly yellow after a few years. Otherwise, it's a great sealer/finish. After treating with tung oil, for daily maintenence, you can wipe it down with a wet rag (water) to clean, then burnish.

I've recently stumbled upon a product that has been amazing. It's simple carnuba car wax, with polymer additives. The brand I tried is Kit Hard Gloss, but I would think any car wax with polymers added to produce a hard gloss shine would work equally well. It is far better than cue wax or plain carnuba wax. I'm extremely fussy about the feel of my shafts, and this stuff blew me away. It's better than anything I've tried, and believe me, I've tried everything. I bought a lifetime supply (16 oz) at Big Lots for about $2! Anyway, I apply it ever couple of weeks. In between, I wipe the shafts down with a damp paper towel and burnish. The shafts remain clean and slick and incredibly smooth without feeling sticky, which is a problem with many glossy surfaces. Ahhh, modern science!

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For cleaning, MR. Clean Magic eraser is the most effective and safest method for cleaning a cue shaft. I think billiard retailers should buy bulk and resell for players convenience. Until you've tried it, your just missing out. The cleaner in SlipStic Conditioner-Cleaner is a puroflorinated polymer that will remove the tiny fibers left behind by Magic Eraseer. The cleaner portion evaporates as fast as lighter fluid and alcohol though it is not flammable and leaves the conditioner behind to protect and repel grit.

I agree, wax is a grit collector. Additionally moisture is #1 cause for hassles. Everyone has their favorite though SlipStic Cue Shaft Conditioner is a highly effective conditioner formulated by DuPont without additives and can be used with other products, though no other product is needed. No need for sanding either unless the cue shaft has a finish which is only meant for protection to keep it looking new before it's sold. This conditioner has many added benefits; helps the wood become naturally stronger over time to resist warping, maintain a consistent flex and remain smooth. It's moisture free, resists moisture and repels grit without hassles for a long time. (it is a liquid) So you do not need to sand and clean so regularly.



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pete lafond said:

For cleaning, MR. Clean Magic eraser is the most effective and safest method for cleaning a cue shaft. I think billiard retailers should buy bulk and resell for players convenience. Until you've tried it, your just missing out. The cleaner in SlipStic Conditioner-Cleaner is a puroflorinated polymer that will remove the tiny fibers left behind by Magic Eraseer. The cleaner portion evaporates as fast as lighter fluid and alcohol though it is not flammable and leaves the conditioner behind to protect and repel grit.

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He's not lying. Its cheap. Its ridiculously easy to use. And it is by far the most effective cleaning product (for shafts) out there. Safe, easy to use, and cheap. What more do you need to know? Where to get it? Ok. You can get it in any most supermarkets or drug stores out there.

Just a note that I don't think anyone else has mentioned in this thread. When I use the Magic Eraser to clean a shaft, I use denatured alcohol instead of water or other water-based cleaners. From what I've been told and have experienced in my shop is that the water content of denatured alcohol is pretty low, so it doesn't raise the grain as much as other products. After I clean with the Magic Eraser, I make sure to hit it with some light (1000 grit or finer) sandpaper on the lathe to remove anything left behind by the Magic Eraser/denatured alcohol. After that, it's a quick burnish with a piece of leather.

I usually don't like to put a wax on the shaft as it eventually becomes gummy and attracts more dirt. I'm going to give the SlipStic product a try since it receives such great reviews around here. I do wax my ferrules to seal them and help keep them clean. The wax I use is Butchers White Bowling Alley Paste Wax. I saw somewhere that this is the wax 'ol Gus used to use in his shop so I figured if it's good enough for him......

what about laminated shafts?

i just bought the Q cleaning kit and used it on my dufferin.worked great.
but do i want to use those micro slips or the powdered cleaner on a laminated shaft?