hour glass shape on shaft

M

mrinsatiable

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've had my playing shaft for roughly 4 years now..and it's begun to give me a slight hour glass shape.

The ferrule was originally 12.5mm but now is 12.3mm at the base of the ferrule. It then begins to taper down to 12mm then increases from the back up in thickness as it normally should.

I tend to use the Q-wiz (disc shaped leather sander) when i play as I don't like a sticky shaft.

Seems like over time the shaft has turned from it's original shape to hour glass.

My question is...

1) Will all shafts eventually become hour glass shape over time?

2) When is a shaft too skinny to be used for all shots? I.E. force follow on 9 footers?


I once met a gentleman who had his playing shaft as skinny as 8mm 2 inches under the ferrule. He told me..his playing shaft was with him for over 20 years..and it looked like a tooth pick. But he even broke with it many times.
 
mrinsatiable said:
I've had my playing shaft for roughly 4 years now..and it's begun to give me a slight hour glass shape.

The ferrule was originally 12.5mm but now is 12.3mm at the base of the ferrule. It then begins to taper down to 12mm then increases from the back up in thickness as it normally should.

I tend to use the Q-wiz (disc shaped leather sander) when i play as I don't like a sticky shaft.

Seems like over time the shaft has turned from it's original shape to hour glass.

My question is...

1) Will all shafts eventually become hour glass shape over time?

Yes, if you insist on using abrasive materials to clean your shaft.
2) When is a shaft too skinny to be used for all shots? I.E. force follow on 9 footers?

When it is...basically when it gets so far out of round that it doesn't react consistently...although, I've seen some shafts out there that were horribly misshapen and still working just fine.
I once met a gentleman who had his playing shaft as skinny as 8mm 2 inches under the ferrule. He told me..his playing shaft was with him for over 20 years..and it looked like a tooth pick. But he even broke with it many times.
Click to expand...

I use sandpaper or scotchbrite about once a year, max, and really just a little bit, at that. I use a leather burnishing pad, a dry microfiber towel and talc when the conditions are really sticky, no problem. I always marvel at the guys that lean into their cues with sand paper all the time!
 
Keep in mind that the Q wiz is an abrasive pad, and not a leather pad.

The dark side is a pretty aggressive pad, and the light colored side is a fine abrasive, but it's still an abrasive. A Q wiz, or any other abrasive pad, should really be used sparingly. They are very good for what they are designed for, but that's not to "dress up" your cue shaft every time you play.

Here's something you should try.

First, have your shaft conditioned and sealed by a competent cuesmith. This will ensure that you have a smooth sealed surface. Wax alone is not really a good sealant.

Second, when you play and your shaft starts to get sticky, go wash your hands. Most of the sticky feeling is the oils on your hands. When you dry your hands, take the damp paper towels you used to dry your hands and use it to wipe off your cue shaft. Follow this with a dry paper towel and your shaft is now clean and dry, ready and smooth.

I have recommended this hundreds of times and haven't heard anything but positive results.
 
RBC said:
Keep in mind that the Q wiz is an abrasive pad, and not a leather pad.

The dark side is a pretty aggressive pad, and the light colored side is a fine abrasive, but it's still an abrasive. A Q wiz, or any other abrasive pad, should really be used sparingly. They are very good for what they are designed for, but that's not to "dress up" your cue shaft every time you play.

Here's something you should try.

First, have your shaft conditioned and sealed by a competent cuesmith. This will ensure that you have a smooth sealed surface. Wax alone is not really a good sealant.

Second, when you play and your shaft starts to get sticky, go wash your hands. Most of the sticky feeling is the oils on your hands. When you dry your hands, take the damp paper towels you used to dry your hands and use it to wipe off your cue shaft. Follow this with a dry paper towel and your shaft is now clean and dry, ready and smooth.

I have recommended this hundreds of times and haven't heard anything but positive results.
Click to expand...

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

theres your answer.

as far as how skinny is to skinny to play with, well thats up to you.
 
Royce is 110% correct. Also what i tell players to do so there cue shaft stays clean is wipe the tip off before you place it into your case. As you slide you cue shaft into your cue case the sides of the case builds up with chalk. That's how players are developing chalk discoloration as high as the joint. As you drop the shaft in, the tip rubs the highest point of the case then the highest part of the cue shaft gets a great deal of chalk. At some point you will need to trash or clean the case tube. I get so crazy with this not only do i was my hands and use Royce's method. White chalk is my best friend.
 
RBC said:
Second, when you play and your shaft starts to get sticky, go wash your hands. Most of the sticky feeling is the oils on your hands. When you dry your hands, take the damp paper towels you used to dry your hands and use it to wipe off your cue shaft. Follow this with a dry paper towel and your shaft is now clean and dry, ready and smooth.

I have recommended this hundreds of times and haven't heard anything but positive results.
Click to expand...

I have noticed 3 or 4 guys at Rack's doing this when I have never seen it before at other poolhalls I've been in....Now I know why & have started doing it myself. I refuse to use talc & Royce's method certainly works great, especially in this Texas heat & humidity.

KT <---Used to use the Qwhiz 2-3 times a night :nono:
 
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Constantly using abrasives to 'clean' your shaft has led to an early demise. The most abrasive thing I use on a shaft is Comet mixed with water. I have some shafts that are still quite nice after using them for 20 years.

One way to keep your shaft clean and smooth is to keep your hands clean. The best way to keep your hands dry isn't to use talc, it's keeping your bridge hand open whenever you aren't playing. Don't use it to hold your cue. Don't put it in your pocket. If you keep your hand open it allows every nook and cranny to dry in the air. If you close your hand it gets warmer and can accumulate sweat, which then gets on your shaft.
 
Hand sanitizer for me so I don't have to leave the table to wash my hands as often. The cloth at some of the places I play is filthy but a squirt of the stuff does the trick real quick.
 
mrinsatiable said:
I've had my playing shaft for roughly 4 years now..and it's begun to give me a slight hour glass shape.

The ferrule was originally 12.5mm but now is 12.3mm at the base of the ferrule. It then begins to taper down to 12mm then increases from the back up in thickness as it normally should.

I tend to use the Q-wiz (disc shaped leather sander) when i play as I don't like a sticky shaft.

Seems like over time the shaft has turned from it's original shape to hour glass.

My question is...

1) Will all shafts eventually become hour glass shape over time?

2) When is a shaft too skinny to be used for all shots? I.E. force follow on 9 footers?


I once met a gentleman who had his playing shaft as skinny as 8mm 2 inches under the ferrule. He told me..his playing shaft was with him for over 20 years..and it looked like a tooth pick. But he even broke with it many times.
Click to expand...

If it is skinny just behind the ferrule it could be the way you are chalking. Using well worn chalk (the hole in it almost comes out the bottom) and chalking from the bottom of the hole, will wear away the wood just behind the ferrule. The solution is to brush the chalk on from the edge of the cube.
 
Fortunately for me i swipe my chalk and don't drill it. I was lucky enough to learn this early on. Even now i use Kamui chalk which is put on only once per rack.

Unfortunately my hands get sweaty very easily so I use a glove to shoot when the humidity in the room gets too much to bare. And even when I don't get sweaty sometimes the condition of the tables are so dirty that lots of chalk and dirt ends up on my shaft from shooting along the rail.

I'll try to the wet/dry towel method to see if that helps. As I don't want to get a new shaft every 4-5 years.

Living in my area it's not the easiest to find a local cue maker to do wax and shaft maintenance.
 
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