Shaft finish

[trinacria]

I have an HXT shaft, the finish on it is too grippy, I like the shaft wood exposed and really smooth, how do I get rid of it. or is it the cheap shaft. I cleaned it, sand it it, and cleaned it again, still the same. any help would be appreciated.

 

[3andstop]

I have an HXT shaft, the finish on it is too grippy, I like the shaft wood exposed and really smooth, how do I get rid of it. or is it the cheap shaft. I cleaned it, sand it it, and cleaned it again, still the same. any help would be appreciated.

I'm not specifically familiar with an HXT shaft. It is maple wood, I'm assuming? I'd say, chuck it up in a variable speed drill, and with a friend steadying the end over a towel or something, get a bit more aggressive with the grit of the paper and work your way back down to 600 and 800. Start our with 320 if you have to. You won't take that much off before you can get back to the real fine stuff.

The only reason ( I'm thinking ) that it still feels funny is the real fine stuff didn't cut through it.

 

[DAVE_M]

This would be best in the ask the cuemaker section, but IMO...

You should put it in a lathe a slowly take it down with 1000 grit. Keep the speed low, don't create a ton of heat. Take your time, Rome wasn't built in a day.

 

[Busboy]

I had this prob not too long ago had it cleaned sanded with very fine paper then some leather and light wax smooth as glass now :thumbup:

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

Start our with 320 if you have to. You won't take that much off before you can get back to the real fine stuff.

You're seriously kidding, right?

320 and 220 is used when you want to make saw dust. As in re tapering or pulling back the existing taper. Or used when making the shaft.

Using this grit by hand, let alone a lathe where you will at least get an even pressure with your sand paper, is asking for trouble.

Which is probably why someone suggested asking this in the Ask the Cue Maker Forum.

There are a ton of members that do their own cue maintenance and can give you 50 different ways of doing it proper.

It is the one piece of bad advice that you will get, (Using 320 grit paper that will make you buy a new shaft), and one that you don't need to read.


With this new of a shaft, chances are all you need to do is give it a wipe down with a damp paper towel. Buff it dry with a dry towel.

A couple of coats of cue wax. Buff with a paper towel, and then a piece of leather.
If no leather, a piece of brown paper bag will suffice.

If it is dirty with chalk and hand grime. Use Mr. Clean magic eraser with alcohol.

Not Tequila or Vodka. Isopropyl from the Pharmacy.

Wipe the shaft down to get any of the Eraser grit from the shaft.

Wax.

Keep in mind that anytime you expose bare wood, specially shaft wood, it is the best idea to use a sanding sealer on the bare wood before a wax.

If you have a repairman handy, please let him do the sanding.

If you feel that you want to do the hand sanding yourself, say so and I will give you somewhat of a more sensical approach to doing it without killing your shaft.

 

[trinacria]

You're seriously kidding, right?

320 and 220 is used when you want to make saw dust. As in re tapering or pulling back the existing taper. Or used when making the shaft.

Using this grit by hand, let alone a lathe where you will at least get an even pressure with your sand paper, is asking for trouble.

Which is probably why someone suggested asking this in the Ask the Cue Maker Forum.

There are a ton of members that do their own cue maintenance and can give you 50 different ways of doing it proper.

It is the one piece of bad advice that you will get, (Using 320 grit paper that will make you buy a new shaft), and one that you don't need to read.


With this new of a shaft, chances are all you need to do is give it a wipe down with a damp paper towel. Buff it dry with a dry towel.

A couple of coats of cue wax. Buff with a paper towel, and then a piece of leather.
If no leather, a piece of brown paper bag will suffice.

If it is dirty with chalk and hand grime. Use Mr. Clean magic eraser with alcohol.

Not Tequila or Vodka. Isopropyl from the Pharmacy.

Wipe the shaft down to get any of the Eraser grit from the shaft.

Wax.

Keep in mind that anytime you expose bare wood, specially shaft wood, it is the best idea to use a sanding sealer on the bare wood before a wax.

If you have a repairman handy, please let him do the sanding.

If you feel that you want to do the hand sanding yourself, say so and I will give you somewhat of a more sensical approach to doing it without killing your shaft.

yeah, i dont go under 1000 grit sand paper. I was trying to see if there was some fluid I could use, ill try isopropyl, tx

 

[bdorman]

The finish on my HXTE10 shaft didn't bother me, but I cleaned it with the abrasive side of a Q-Whiz. It feels like about 1200-1400 grit. Then buffed it with the leather on the other side.

I liked it even more after that, because like you I prefer a "matte" finish rather than a glossy one. I guess it's just my skin; glossy always feels grabby. I never use wax or polish on a shaft; just makes it grabby.

(I think production cue makers put a glossy finish on because customers assume the shiny cue is better)

I'm the same way about guitar necks. Every one of my guitars has a matte finish on the neck done with 600-grit sandpaper.

 

[3andstop]

You're seriously kidding, right?

320 and 220 is used when you want to make saw dust. As in re tapering or pulling back the existing taper. Or used when making the shaft.

Using this grit by hand, let alone a lathe where you will at least get an even pressure with your sand paper, is asking for trouble.

Which is probably why someone suggested asking this in the Ask the Cue Maker Forum.

There are a ton of members that do their own cue maintenance and can give you 50 different ways of doing it proper.

It is the one piece of bad advice that you will get, (Using 320 grit paper that will make you buy a new shaft), and one that you don't need to read.


With this new of a shaft, chances are all you need to do is give it a wipe down with a damp paper towel. Buff it dry with a dry towel.

A couple of coats of cue wax. Buff with a paper towel, and then a piece of leather.
If no leather, a piece of brown paper bag will suffice.

If it is dirty with chalk and hand grime. Use Mr. Clean magic eraser with alcohol.

Not Tequila or Vodka. Isopropyl from the Pharmacy.

Wipe the shaft down to get any of the Eraser grit from the shaft.

Wax.

Keep in mind that anytime you expose bare wood, specially shaft wood, it is the best idea to use a sanding sealer on the bare wood before a wax.

If you have a repairman handy, please let him do the sanding.

If you feel that you want to do the hand sanding yourself, say so and I will give you somewhat of a more sensical approach to doing it without killing your shaft.

No, I'm not kidding. It's wood, don't be scared ...very lightly cut off the finish and work it with the real fine stuff after that. You don't have to grip it like Godzilla. You can do the whole thing with 1000 if you want to make a career out of it.

You have to have some kind of touch here and not be going crazy. I said it should be spinning too, you wouldn't want to do that by hand, you could wreck it that way. He already said he used fine paper with no results. You guys kill me. Lightly man ... lightly ... then work it back in with the fine stuff. It will be as smooth as a babies ass. Seal it when you're done.

I bet I've done a hundred like that. Sure like you said yourself, you can change the taper that way as well, but I'm assuming there's a little common sense, and touch here.

So listen, if you can change taper with the 320 like you said, and end up with a good shaft and not sawdust, why can't you clean off the coating with it? Lightly isn't going to make a big difference unless you're a drunken gorilla. :smile: The real thing is the finish sanding with super fine.

But ... if you doubt yourself, start with the 1000 grit and check back with us at the end of the summer.

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

No, I'm not kidding. It's wood, don't be scared ...very lightly cut off the finish and work it with the real fine stuff after that. You don't have to grip it like Godzilla. You can do the whole thing with 1000 if you want to make a career out of it.

You have to have some kind of touch here and not be going crazy. I said it should be spinning too, you wouldn't want to do that by hand, you could wreck it that way. He already said he used fine paper with no results. You guys kill me. Lightly man ... lightly ... then work it back in with the fine stuff. It will be as smooth as a babies ass. Seal it when you're done.

I bet I've done a hundred like that. Sure like you said yourself, you can change the taper that way as well, but I'm assuming there's a little common sense, and touch here.

So listen, if you can change taper with the 320 like you said, and end up with a good shaft and not sawdust, why can't you clean off the coating with it? Lightly isn't going to make a big difference unless you're a drunken gorilla. The real thing is the finish sanding with super fine.

But ... if you doubt yourself, start with the 1000 grit and check back with us at the end of the summer.

Coming from a guy who uses a Jury Rigged Cowboy Lathe. Does Cowboy things with it. Are you still using a drill with it or have you graduated to an actual motor?

No, when a person asks a question such as this in the main forum without giving much back ground info, you would naturally assume that you should be a bit careful
on the info you hand out.

You could help a person do more damage than good.

Judging from your quoted post, you should just keep slogging it out on the Cowboy. Tex Wrecks.