Shaft Question - how to make slick and remove dry wood feel

capt hook

Registered
We got our younger Son a Action sneaky Pete cue as he is just starting to get into playing. He wanted A black color on the points and butt so that is the only one we could find. The shaft feels really dry. Not slick at all. I normally will go over a new shaft with parchment paper that really glosses up the shaft and ferrule and then follow with a little wood wax. But my method is pretty ancient. Just wanted to see what you guys to slick up the shafts of your cues and if there’s new products out there worthwhile that does the job. Thanks.
I put together polishing clothes ranging from1800 to 6000 grit. Works great. My cue maker likes to finish his shafts with bees wax
 

John R

New member
So was mine. The kid just started getting into pool. He may love it or in a couple of months forget about and not play anymore. It would seem common sense wise to not buy a higher dollar cue than needed to see if the kid continues to play. If keeps playing in a few months then I can sell the cue for what I gave for it and move him up to a better cue. It is like guitars , you don’t buy a Martin right off the bat.
I was told by a wise old man once that if you buy someythat is very cheap as an entry level tool then it will give the person the idea that the new sport isn’t worth their trouble. I’ve seen guys buy their kids the Skoobie Doo rod and reel and in less than ten minutes of trying to unravel the line for the fourth time the kid throws it down and tries to chase a dog with a hickory stick. Spend a little more and let the feel the better side of that two tailed coin. Surely he could try one of your old cues . Nuff said
 

RacerX750

Registered
I’ve had good luck with Tiger S4 sealer. Start with 400 grit, and work your way up thru varying grades to 2000 auto body paper. Then several S4 treatments, and more fine sanding. But even then, a glove would seem mandatory in a world where powder is now banned most everywhere equipment is good.
I did exactly that on a Tiger X shaft - sprayed several coats of S4 sealer sanding in between. I got a nice smooth finish but the S4 is sticky, not terrible but not slick. So I tried a high end automotive synthetic spray "wax" which helped, lasts forever and looks fantastic on the car, but didn't provide a truly slick finish on the S4. Re-finished with Mohawk pre-catalyzed lacquer - same result. Using a glove the slickness seemed acceptable. Then I bought a Cuetec carbon shaft cue - and retired my wooden shaft forever. Even without a glove it's slicker than snot, and it's the best cue I ever owned. It took about a week to adapt to it. I'll never go back to wood for a playing cue. Whatever finish is on the Predator BKII works great, so I'll keep using that.
 

DynoDan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Forgot to add: I use Cue Silk after final fine-sanding of the S4 treatments. Frequent burnishing with my siliconed shammy nicely removes inevitable sticky buildup from sweaty glove, and repeat Cue Silk occasionally is all that’s really needed then. All my Predator shafts roll perfectly true on either butt, so see no incentive to experiment with synthetic materials, though most all the pros apparently have adopted black ones.
 

slach

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A few drops of RainX (for car windshields) rubbed in briskly with a cloth makes your shaft almost too slick.
 

maha

from way back when
Silver Member
old school here, no waxes of any kind. sand with 600 crocus cloth fine or lighter till smooth. than sit down and take the shaft and roll it up and down on your thighs while rubbing with a smooth drinking water glass or better a glass light bulb if you can keep from breaking it. it takes awhile.
its called glassing your shaft.

anything you soak into the wood is there forever.
 

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
Gold Member
Silver Member
The Chevy Nova. That is an awesome looking muscle car. How could it not attract attention? Always loved the style of that car.

The Chevrolet Nova: History, Generations, Specifications (automobilemag.com)
Started life as an economy car with an iron duke four banger under the hood in I think '63. Got up to a pretty nice car, I owned a '67 SS for about six months, made my younger brother mighty sad when I cut it up but that is what I had bought it for! Mom owned a 70, 77, and the rebadged furrin car. The seventy was an economy car with the straight six, take the emblems off of the one with the 396/402 and it was a redlight demon! Nice street sleeper.

About sticks, I treat them nice and wipe them down with alcohol now and then, then hand burnish. I have tried a few slickems, like the wood naked and burnished. Like my cuetec cynergy too, took a few weeks to break in then slick enough with an occasional wipe down.

Hu
 

shojingod

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You can buy what they call cue paper. I had a shaft that what I like to call ruff cut like they just sand it and shipped it. It took time but I worked it with cue paper and it came out very very slick. Cue paper is probably cheaper than buying multiple grain polishing sand paper.

Nicks Edge Cue Papers or​

McMagic Micro Burnishing Papers​

 

Roger Long

Sonoran Cue Creations
Silver Member
We got our younger Son a Action sneaky Pete cue as he is just starting to get into playing. He wanted A black color on the points and butt so that is the only one we could find. The shaft feels really dry. Not slick at all. I normally will go over a new shaft with parchment paper that really glosses up the shaft and ferrule and then follow with a little wood wax. But my method is pretty ancient. Just wanted to see what you guys to slick up the shafts of your cues and if there’s new products out there worthwhile that does the job. Thanks.
Just for the record, Action does not make any cues that have a finish on the full length of the shaft, nor are any of their shafts made from a terrible grade maple or have a terrible taper. In my opinion, there are only two concerns with the purchase of Action cues: 1) I don't believe they take much time in seasoning their woods before turning them into cues and sending them out the door (which may lead to shrinkage and/or warping problems), and 2) the factory tip is probably much harder than what most players prefer. But the low price is what makes up for those two concerns. All-in-all I think you made a very good purchase for you son's first cue.
 

PoolFan101

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just for the record, Action does not make any cues that have a finish on the full length of the shaft, nor are any of their shafts made from a terrible grade maple or have a terrible taper. In my opinion, there are only two concerns with the purchase of Action cues: 1) I don't believe they take much time in seasoning their woods before turning them into cues and sending them out the door (which may lead to shrinkage and/or warping problems), and 2) the factory tip is probably much harder than what most players prefer. But the low price is what makes up for those two concerns. All-in-all I think you made a very good purchase for you son's first cue.
Thank you Sir , I Appreciate that and feel that way myself. I had my guy cut the shaft down to a 12.5 and put a new tip on and he loves it. It plays nice and shoots good. Does a $1000 cue shoot better maybe , but this cue didn’t cost a $1000. He is well satisfied and has been playing with it 3-4 hours a day. I told him we could upgrade to a better cue and he said why there is nothing wrong with this one , I like it. So we are good.
 
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