Sealing a Shaft Question

ekb6760

ekb6760

Misplaced Texan
Gold Member
Silver Member
Simple question: How do you seal a shaft? I've read all that I could find on this topic, but I still have unanswered questions. What products (brands) are used? Step by step procedures? Can I apply it with a paper towel? Etc.....

I've done lots of shaft cleanings over the years with no problems, and I use
Renaissance Wax to complete the job; but I'm completely in the dark on shaft sealing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for any information shared.
 
Ideas

Hightower has a good shaft sealer that i have used before. It's simple to use and i use paper towels to apply. I recently have just switched to shellac thinned down just because it dries faster and i already use it to seal butt wood and inbetween tapers.
 
ekb6760 said:
Simple question: How do you seal a shaft? I've read all that I could find on this topic, but I still have unanswered questions. What products (brands) are used? Step by step procedures? Can I apply it with a paper towel? Etc.....

I've done lots of shaft cleanings over the years with no problems, and I use
Renaissance Wax to complete the job; but I'm completely in the dark on shaft sealing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for any information shared.
Click to expand...

I have used Deft lacquer based sanding sealer and shellac ........ both work well.

Lightly sand and then clean the shaft. Make sure it's dry and lightly sand again.

Put on a coat of sealer with a folded paper towel. After it is completely dry, sand it smooth ....... I use 600.... then wax it.

Kim
 
I would recommend sanding with 400 and sealing with a thin cyano or a sanding sealer specifically for the job. There are many different sanding sealers available for shafts but the cyano works well, dries fast and doesn't raise the grain. Cyano and sanding sealers specifically for the purpose of sealing shafts won't turn yellow as some products will. And you certainly don't want to turn people's shafts yellow.

Seal once, sand with 1000, seal again, sand with 1000 and apply wax. It will be slick. The whole process should take a minute or two. There are other products that can be used as well.
 
After sanding etc etc I like to use white jewlers rouge (at least thats what we used to call it)

Don't use any super glue while spinning, the vapors will burn your eyes and the mist from the air could severly damage your lungs or kill you.
 
TomHay said:
After sanding etc etc I like to use white jewlers rouge (at least thats what we used to call it)

Don't use any super glue while spinning, the vapors will burn your eyes and the mist from the air could severly damage your lungs or kill you.
Click to expand...

You can wear gloves and assisted air while doing it.
How many makers have been retired or died due to lung diseases lately ?
I can name three now that might have made their last cues.

Deft Lacquer Sanding sealer even makes me dizzy. It is the foulest smelling sanding sealer I've used. Great sealer though. Thinned Shellac with boiled linseed oil works great between cuts too specially for those who deal with heat and low humidity.
Bullseye padding lacquer or Rapid Pad have been discussed here as well.

For those who like milky white sanding sealer, check Enduro sanding sealer.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=30730&gclid=CM7hi5Hb97ECFYhxQgod6DMARQ

Just like anything else in this grind, try them yourselves.
 
ekb6760 said:
Simple question: How do you seal a shaft? I've read all that I could find on this topic, but I still have unanswered questions. What products (brands) are used? Step by step procedures? Can I apply it with a paper towel? Etc.....

I've done lots of shaft cleanings over the years with no problems, and I use
Renaissance Wax to complete the job; but I'm completely in the dark on shaft sealing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for any information shared.
Click to expand...

IMO, Myland's High-Friction Polish (shellec based). It works wonderfully as a shaft sealer. Cut it a bit with denatured alcohol. Dries quickly. It works much better IMO than the thinned down Behlens Woodturner's Finish I was using previously. On a new shaft I sand up to 2000 grit, blow/ dry wipe ,and then polish with a little Renaissance Wax (only on a new shaft). Hats off to Kevin Varney for sending me a PM about 3 years ago on the Myland's. They also make a cellulose sealer that is worthwhile that can be used as a grain sealer under the High Friction Polish if you want to do a simple but very effective finish on a sneaky pete type cue.

Martin
 
Many of the products mentioned are fine but I have settled on Bulls Eye Universal sealer. It is a fully de-waxed, thinned shellac ready to use from the can. You can use it to seal the entire cue and you can put any finish over it. I fill a small bottle full of the sealer then wet a folded over paper towel and apply it to the spinning shaft, dry with a heat gun, use paste wax applied with 000 steel wool, buff with a paper towel, sand with 1200 grit, buff with another paper towel and a piece of cowhide, and finally polish the ferrule. The entire process takes less than 2 minutes, blends well with the joint section, has no clean up, is safe to breathe and doesn't screw up your hands.

I
 
Last edited:
I was always under the impression that shellac's turn yellow. They did at least when I tried them. I believe the least yellow was called amber color. I like that golden yellow look. I'm glad to see that is now acceptable once again. A golden yellow shaft is really pretty.

I would NOT cut shellac with denatured alcohol as the proper method for dilluting it would be to use MEK. Either way both chemicals are very dangerous and using shellac is totally unnecessary. Why put yourself thorough all this when it's not required or necessary.

Friction polish requires friction in order to take effect. I don't know why anyone would want to exert that much energy to finish a shaft when it's not required. A simple sanding sealer works well. The term, 'keep it simple stupid' come to mind.

Deft sanding sealer is dangerous and unnecessary - there are definitely better methods.

In peoples quest to save money and not use the obvious choices, they resort to alternatives which are cheaper and may not necessarily be better.

Why dilute products or exert the necessary friction when you can buy sanding sealers that are safe and easy to use and are made for the specific job at hand.

I still use cyano for a quick and easy coating that lasts and is impervious to chalk. Yes it can be dangerous when not used properly but I have it down to a science where it's pretty safe. The idea is to permanently seal the wood and cyano does this job best IMHO of course. :-)
 
I will wait till another day to introduce my single component pre reacted polyaspartic (aliphatic Polyurea). The elves have not named it yet but I am leaning towards UltraClearSkin.

I was thinking quite a few of my formulations could be good in this industry. http://polyureaworldwide.com
 
Shellac

Joe Barringer said:
I was always under the impression that shellac's turn yellow. They did at least when I tried them. I believe the least yellow was called amber color. I like that golden yellow look. I'm glad to see that is now acceptable once again. A golden yellow shaft is really pretty.

They sell ultra blonde shellac

Why dilute products or exert the necessary friction when you can buy sanding sealers that are safe and easy to use and are made for the specific job at hand.
Click to expand...


The dewaxed shellac sold by Bullseye is a sealer, shellac has been used as traditional sealer for centuries, it is about as tried and true as it gets. Dewaxed shellac is also combat able under just about any finish. IMO Just because someone sells a product and labels it a cue sealer does not mean it is the best or formulated specifically for sealing shafts. It just means that vendor has found a product which in his "opinion" works well and he repackages it as cue sealer.
 
Canadian cue said:
The dewaxed shellac sold by Bullseye is a sealer, shellac has been used as traditional sealer for centuries, it is about as tried and true as it gets. Dewaxed shellac is also combat able under just about any finish. IMO Just because someone sells a product and labels it a cue sealer does not mean it is the best or formulated specifically for sealing shafts. It just means that vendor has found a product which in his "opinion" works well and he repackages it as cue sealer.
Click to expand...


It may have been used for centuries but that doesn't make it appropriate for shafts or butts. However, if you like it and it's working for you then stick with your shellac. Enjoy!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top