Cue Care: How do you maintain the finish on cues?

mamono

mamono

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I used to wipe down cues with a slightly damp rag and a 100% cotton cloth. This was about 8 years ago. I don't do that anymore, I wash my hands enough times now where I don't need to do that. But, to help prolong the finish on cue, what do you all recommend? I know that there are various special clothes, sprays, and wax. I personally use a microfiber cloth, same one I would use on my photo lenses. I have some cues that I consider to be investments and would like to take care of them to maintain their top notch condition.

Suggestions are greatly appreciated for both the playing cue and for investment cues.
 
Don't use Magic Eraser on the butt - it can take the finish off. You know how the last few inches of the shaft are usually finished with urethane or something like that? I got a little too enthusiastic when cleaning a shaft with ME and went down too far. Now that finish is mostly gone. I assume the same thing can happen to the finish on the butt.

I'm no expert, but I doubt if you have to do anything to the finish on the butt. It's permanent and, I would think, waterproof. A damp rag should clean it as well as anything else and would be safe. But I'm no expert.

The most important thing is to avoid bumping it into stuff because the finish can chip. It's hard to avoid bumping the table occasionally with your playing cue. So when it comes to your playing cue, the best thing is to think of it as a older car. Accept that dings will happen and don't get upset when they do.
 
Since the most common cue finishes are automotive clearcoats, I treat my cues like my cars: A mild abrasive such as Meguiars "Scratch-X" or 3M "Finesse-it" to clean the surface and handle light scratches, a glaze such as Meguiars "Show Car Glaze" to really bring up the shine, and a good wax to protect it. Yeah, I know it's three separate steps, but polishing a cue is a lot less work than detailing my cherished El Camino.

Bill
 
mamono said:
I used to wipe down cues with a slightly damp rag and a 100% cotton cloth. This was about 8 years ago. I don't do that anymore, I wash my hands enough times now where I don't need to do that. But, to help prolong the finish on cue, what do you all recommend? I know that there are various special clothes, sprays, and wax. I personally use a microfiber cloth, same one I would use on my photo lenses. I have some cues that I consider to be investments and would like to take care of them to maintain their top notch condition.

Suggestions are greatly appreciated for both the playing cue and for investment cues.
Click to expand...

A good coat of wax. Not wax like Pledge or waxes with silicone in them. Just something like a paste was. It will not only make the cue shine but it is resistant against abrasions. I use Butchers wax on my cues.
I originally found this information at the Smithsonian for care of fine furniture.
 
I clean mine with a little bit of Qclean powder on a damp rag then allow to dry and finish with Qwax to protect
 
mamono said:
I used to wipe down cues with a slightly damp rag and a 100% cotton cloth. This was about 8 years ago. I don't do that anymore, I wash my hands enough times now where I don't need to do that. But, to help prolong the finish on cue, what do you all recommend? I know that there are various special clothes, sprays, and wax. I personally use a microfiber cloth, same one I would use on my photo lenses. I have some cues that I consider to be investments and would like to take care of them to maintain their top notch condition.

Suggestions are greatly appreciated for both the playing cue and for investment cues.
Click to expand...

Wax is the best thing to use on the cues butt, but keep it off the wrap area. Any automotive wax with Carnuba and that is Clear Coat Safe, however, others posters mentioned using Scratch X or other like product, I would not use them. Every time you use these products, which by the way are mild abrasives, you are also thinning out the finish and over time you will wear through the finish.

Wax will serve two purposes on the other hand, it will protect against minor bumps by allowing the surface to be more resistant to scratches and dents, and it will protect the surface from handling and other contaminates.

Good Luck, and you certainly asked a good question.
 
cowboyup200560 said:
I clean mine with a little bit of Qclean powder on a damp rag then allow to dry and finish with Qwax to protect
Click to expand...

Partner, Qclean powder is abrasive, and it has a high concentration of bleach, I would not continue doing that if I were you.:nono:

Take Care
 
cue care

I treat my cue just like my car.After several sessions of playing I'll spin it up with some light compound to get the minor surface imperfections,scratches and so on out of the finish then top it off with nice Meguiars or any other products of the same caliber.Really nice when you do it on the lathe.Just be careful and cautious if you have no experience turning stuff in a lathe.
 
wish i knew that, i took off part of the finish of my old fury when trying to make it look nice for a potential buyer! oh well, i ended up giving it to my brother. now i just need to get him a lil 1x1

I use either a damp towel and then a dry one, or put a little rubbing alcohol.

Rich93 said:
Don't use Magic Eraser on the butt - it can take the finish off. You know how the last few inches of the shaft are usually finished with urethane or something like that? I got a little too enthusiastic when cleaning a shaft with ME and went down too far. Now that finish is mostly gone. I assume the same thing can happen to the finish on the butt.

I'm no expert, but I doubt if you have to do anything to the finish on the butt. It's permanent and, I would think, waterproof. A damp rag should clean it as well as anything else and would be safe. But I'm no expert.

The most important thing is to avoid bumping it into stuff because the finish can chip. It's hard to avoid bumping the table occasionally with your playing cue. So when it comes to your playing cue, the best thing is to think of it as a older car. Accept that dings will happen and don't get upset when they do.
Click to expand...
 
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manwon said:
Wax is the best thing to use on the cues butt, but keep it off the wrap area. Any automotive wax with Carnuba and that is Clear Coat Safe, however, others posters mentioned using Scratch X or other like product, I would not use them. Every time you use these products, which by the way are mild abrasives, you are also thinning out the finish and over time you will wear through the finish.
Click to expand...

OK Craig, I'll clarify my first post. I use an abrasive product only when needed, such as the initial treatment of a dulled or scratched finish, or spot treatment when necessary. Otherwise it's wax only, or a glaze followed by waxing, depending on need. I prefer the "Meguiar's Show Car" glaze followed by a high carnuaba-content wax for the best gloss, but a clearcoat-safe cleaner wax is fine too.

Bill
 
Don't do anything. The oil from your hands is the best thing for the shaft. If you get ding open the grain in that spot only and wet that specific spot till it pops out. Lightly sand (600 and finer) that area then burnish with a piece of paper.
 
I maintain my cues' finishes with a product called Martin & Co Guitar Polish made by Guardsman.

Nowadays, guitar makers use similar finishes to cue makers. This stuff is excellent for both!! It is wax-free. It uses a blend of natural and organic oils with cleaning emulsifiers...very safe for your cues' finishes. It has a nice wood scent as well.

Comes in a 6 FL OZ pump spray bottle for under $7.00, and can be found at most any guitar shop/music store. You don't need much, so it lasts a long time too. I highly recommend it!!

Again, make sure you do not get it on your linen wraps, and definitely not for the shafts...use to maintain your butt's finish only!

Lisa
 

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So pretty much anything that is automotive paint/clear coat safe is good to use? I know that is true for the newer cues, what about the older cues that don't use a automotive clear coat finish?
 
Bingo!

ridewiththewind said:
I maintain my cues' finishes with a product called Martin & Co Guitar Polish made by Guardsman.

Nowadays, guitar makers use similar finishes to cue makers. This stuff is excellent for both!! It is wax-free. It uses a blend of natural and organic oils with cleaning emulsifiers...very safe for your cues' finishes. It has a nice wood scent as well.

Comes in a 6 FL OZ pump spray bottle for under $7.00, and can be found at most any guitar shop/music store. You don't need much, so it lasts a long time too. I highly recommend it!!

Again, make sure you do not get it on your linen wraps, and definitely not for the shafts...use to maintain your butt's finish only!

Lisa
Click to expand...

We have a winner. Martin's Guitar Polish is the NUTZ!

MM
 
I used water and a paper-towel on my butt a few times, but once I used a bit of pledge, I said forget just water. I wipe the butt down with a mirofiber cloth and after that, I use pledge on it.

I thought the finish on butts were like the clear coat on cue butts were like the clear coat on regular wood furniture, so I use pledge, but if what some of you say that the clear coat is like the clear coat on a car, than I'd recommend using some quick detail on it. Quick detail lifts off dirt and has wax in it, so you get the cleaning agent and wax all in one.

So far, pledge works great and it smells clean :)

Chino
 
After every session i wipe my cues down with a callaway golf towel, and every once in a while i wax it with mothers caranuba car wax its safe for clear coats, but after hearing about this guitar polish (and having a music shop next to my homeroom) never again.
 
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I agree 100%.

ridewiththewind said:
I maintain my cues' finishes with a product called Martin & Co Guitar Polish made by Guardsman.

Nowadays, guitar makers use similar finishes to cue makers. This stuff is excellent for both!! It is wax-free. It uses a blend of natural and organic oils with cleaning emulsifiers...very safe for your cues' finishes. It has a nice wood scent as well.

Comes in a 6 FL OZ pump spray bottle for under $7.00, and can be found at most any guitar shop/music store. You don't need much, so it lasts a long time too. I highly recommend it!!

Again, make sure you do not get it on your linen wraps, and definitely not for the shafts...use to maintain your butt's finish only!

Lisa
Click to expand...
 
ridewiththewind said:
I maintain my cues' finishes with a product called Martin & Co Guitar Polish made by Guardsman.

Nowadays, guitar makers use similar finishes to cue makers. This stuff is excellent for both!! It is wax-free. It uses a blend of natural and organic oils with cleaning emulsifiers...very safe for your cues' finishes. It has a nice wood scent as well.

Comes in a 6 FL OZ pump spray bottle for under $7.00, and can be found at most any guitar shop/music store. You don't need much, so it lasts a long time too. I highly recommend it!!

Again, make sure you do not get it on your linen wraps, and definitely not for the shafts...use to maintain your butt's finish only!

Lisa
Click to expand...

I'm no expert, but this makes a lot of sense to me if you're going to do anything other than a damp rag. A guitar is like a cue in that it's a wood product that used indoors and stored lovingly.

Just because a cue has an automotive finish doesn't mean you have to care for it like a car. After all, a car is exposed to blazing sun and heat, frigid cold, rain, mud, snow, salt from the roadways, flying pebbles from construction trucks, etc. A cue is exposed to your hand, hopefully not right after eating a greasy cheeseburger.
 
What do you do when you ding the finish right through the clear coat? Suggstions appreciated. I paid $150.00 last year to have it refinsihed and then dinged it two months later. I'm sure Paul Mottey would be ticked!
 
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