how to get shafts white again??

chalk is cheap

chalk is cheap

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I know different cleaning methods have been discussed before, and i use 91% alcohol and magic erasers and reburnish with leather, this does a pretty good job but i'm still looking for something that will make my shafts and ferrules look like new again.

any ideas will be appreciated. HUD:confused:
 
Take it to a cue repairman and have it professionally cleaned.
I have some pics on my facebook of before and after cleanings.

As far as I'm concerned only pro level, task designed products should be used on cue shafts.

just my opinion anyway
 
Personally I wouldn't try to whiten the shafts unless you were selling them like new, and that would be somewhat dishonest. The darkening on a shaft is like the age of fine wine. You wouldn't try to make 12 yr old scotch taste like new again.
 
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I have used fast orange on my ferrules and they do an excellent job , but never tried it on my shafts . thanks for the tip.

HUD
 
One more reason why i love ivory ferrule just a damp cloth to wipe like new clean.....
 
Bleach. Not kidding! Wipe it down with a wet rag, Then wipe it with a rag soaked in bleach. This will raise the grain that you will need to knock down with something! Fine sandpaper or a burnisher of some sort. It will work!:wink:
 
for your shafts

chalk is cheap said:
I know different cleaning methods have been discussed before, and i use 91% alcohol and magic erasers and reburnish with leather, this does a pretty good job but i'm still looking for something that will make my shafts and ferrules look like new again.

any ideas will be appreciated. HUD:confused:
Click to expand...

Take a paper towel and fold it over a couple of times
Get a container of powdered Comet like used in bathroom
pour pile in center of folded towel add enough water to make a dry paste
rub up and down to coat shaft and stand in corner
dries in less than 5 min. becomes powdery white when dry
bleaches out all pores in wood shaft is white
does not hurt shaft because dry paste works well GOOD LUCK
 
Well, if you ask 10 people, you might get 10 different answers. I am no different so here is my recommendation.

I use a nylon scratch pad; one which is used in the kitchen to remove the superficial gunk. For really soiled shafts, I have used 600 grit sandpaper but only lightly.

After using the pad, I now use a shaft cleaner and conditioner. Not promoting one over another but I found Dr. Cue's to work the best for me. I work the conditioner onto the shaft in about 4 inch sections. The conditioner has a grit (possibly pumice based) and works well for me. It will take time and effort but once cleaned, I rub the holy hell out of the shaft with a clean rag.

After the rag, I apply a good quality paste wax ( I use Johnson's Paste Wax) and let it dry completely. After drying, I buff the hell out of the shaft to seal the pores of the gain of the wood. I then use a piece of leather and burnish the f**k out of it.

As the shaft becomes dirty, I just use the conditioner for a smooth finish. I do not wax the shaft every time I clean the shaft because I have found the wax just building up and the shaft feeling hindered.

I have a friend (and I tried it too...) who uses a glass top oven/range cleaner after the conditioner. Again, a very slight abrasive solution but I have found it also to build up on the shaft.

I avoid using too harsh of a cleaner due to manufacturer warranty and stick to those specifically designed for this purpose.

Just my opinion and recommendation. Best of luck to you....:thumbup:
 
On my shafts I use Sil Kleen and a Porper Shaft Polisher and Oxy Clean on the ferrules. Worx 4 me!
 
I rarely clean my player shaft. When I do, I simply scour it with 0000 steel wool and apply some Q-Silk. This does not remove the blue, but it sure makes it slick! Of course, I have 3 other shafts for my player...and they are all white! In this way...if I were to sell my player, the blue shaft stays with me!
 
If you put soft scrub on it and let it sit for a couple of minutes it will bleach it clean. I am not saying this is a good idea. I am only saying I have tried it and it works. I have also tried the magic eraser and this also works nicely.
 
When the shaft is dirty

magic eraser with denatured alcohol. then leather burnish, then Qsilk.. no alcohol, lighter fluid will do fine
 
If you use the lighter fluid are you supposed to hold it over an open flame until the chalk stains disappear????
 
First, I don't understand all the hype about white shafts.

I clean my own and have been using the same cleaning solution since about 1989. It was sold by McDermott. It will not make your shaft white. My shafts are far from white.


You can take it to a pro, where they will use specially formulated solutions. There is no magic pixie dust in those solutions. George Balabushka did not sneeze in that solution. They are typically better than household products but often are nothing more than those products in various concentrations. Because the of the experience of the pro they will get the best job done with these solutions typically.

Then there is the matter of oxidation. The wood will naturally darken with age whether you like it or not. This occurs from the outside in. Wood cannot be "un-oxidized". The only way to get that off is to remove the oxidized wood. That means cutting it off. That means abrasives.....which I personally really, really hate on pool cue shafts for cleaning. I have been told by several repair men "I never sand shafts" to clean them.....only to find out that is exactly what they do. Sorry guys "knock it down" with abrasives means sanding even if the abrasive is not glued to paper. Continuously removing oxidation means eventually you won't have a shaft.

Lastly there is the matter of the lathe. The repair guy has one. It is simply the best way.

Experience & tools. If you want a really white shaft that what it takes IMHO. That will do the least amount of damage in order to get the wood as white as possible. Cleaning? That's a do it yourself IMHO. Removing wood? That's a repair. Whitening is removing wood. Best done by a repair man with proper tools and experience.

(Obviously anbody can show me their dirty three month old x-brand cue shaft that is soooooo dirty, then they'll wipe it off with something they got from their grandmother's kitchen sink or something they bought from somebody on the internet that used to know somebody that lived next to Buddy Hall's best friend's cousin and that shaft will miraculously be white again, no abrasive required.)

To me, white shafts are like new car smell, enjoy it while it lasts. Just my thoughts on the matter. :)
 
Chopdoc mentioned a lathe. It is really difficult if not impossible to generate enough friction without the spinning you get with a lathe or lathe substitute.
You can buy the metal pieces so you can use a drill. One end goes into the shaft and the other into an electric drill. If you can put the drill in a vise to clamp in down it is easier to use. I don't use a vise. One hand holds the drill the other hand holds the cloth or leather on the shaft.
You need the right metal piece for your joint pin. I cannot remember the place I bought these adapters. Do a web search.
 
As mentioned previously, do not do it, it shows the years of use which to me shows experience. Like a fine wine, it just gets better.

Cleaning your shafts after use is a pretty good way to get some residue off but not all.

A scotch bright pad works well and will not take off very much wood like a fine sandpaper. It will however remove some, which does effect the play of the shaft eventually.

Live and learn, experiment and use what works best for you.
 
TheThaiger said:
What about cleaning a Predator shaft?
Click to expand...

i use a mr clean dampened with water on my predator.

the 1st time i used it the grain raised. i used a scotch pad very lightly to smooth it.

my routine is mr clean followed by wiping with a micro fiber then buffing with a mr porper leather.

i have used this method every 2 months for the last 2 years with no problems.

the grain raised the 1st time but has never reoccured since then.
 
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