Wax off Wax on, what wax do you use?

mortuarymike-nv

mortuarymike-nv
Silver Member
I have been using yellow carnauba wax for years.
Also been using bowling alley wax.
I never liked the petro smell .


The other day I picked up a can of Meguiars ultimate pure synthetic polymer paste wax.

So far I like it better , seems to keep the shaft slicker then the other waxes.
and it smells a lot better.

Anyone done anykind of research on car and wood waxes?

MMike
 

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
:eek:

I use Butchers Bowling Alley Wax. I have a good friend who insists that any carabula wax works fine.

I agree that Butchers has the strongest smell, but I do think it is most effective.

Ken
 

Blue Hog ridr

World Famous Fisherman.
Silver Member
I love that smell. Altho, I had a serious problem when I was young and building model cars and planes.

I burnt a few cells out. Probably why I enjoy pool so much. J/K.

I use Hightowers wax. Does the trick.

Have to see if I can get my mitts on some of that McGuires.

Mike, you should try some Astro Glide.

Haha, gotta see what he comes back on me with now.
 

dr9ball

"Lock Doctor"
Silver Member
I have been using yellow carnauba wax for years.
Also been using bowling alley wax.
I never liked the petro smell .


The other day I picked up a can of Meguiars ultimate pure synthetic polymer paste wax.

So far I like it better , seems to keep the shaft slicker then the other waxes.
and it smells a lot better.

Anyone done anykind of research on car and wood waxes?

MMike

I use Butchers Bowling alley wax. After 10 years I'm not halfway through the tin.
 

Tramp Steamer

One Pocket enthusiast.
Silver Member
I used to use car wax (Meguiar's Gold), but for these past several years I have gone wax less. :smile:
 

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm a newb. Are you guys talking about was for you cues or balls? or both?

The shaft.

Szamboti used Butchers Bowling Alley Wax, and I use it too.

It is stupid cheap and works fabulous. But there are many things that work well too.

Careful waxing your balls....:eek:

Ken
 

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Okay cool. I assume it makes it more slick and smooth?

Yep and the other benefit that nobody mentions is that when you get home you can run a magic eraser over it and the shafts wont get blue at all.

Ken
 

Snapshot9

son of 3 leg 1 eye dog ..
Silver Member
Wax

Did you guys check with your cuemaker before using wax? I did, and he said never use wax because it affects the wood, builds up over time, and turns yellow. He said to only use Wood Polisher if anything, SO

when I do use something, I use Lemon Pledge, a polisher, spray some on a paper towel and rub it on my shaft. It does the trick.
 

Str8PoolPlayer

“1966 500 SuperFast”
Silver Member
:eek:

I use Butchers Bowling Alley Wax. I have a good friend who insists that any carabula wax works fine.

I agree that Butchers has the strongest smell, but I do think it is most effective.

Ken

+ 1 for Butcher's if you want your Shafts to stay clean. I also use Mother's Car Wax
from time to time. Doesn't last as long, but quicker application time wise.
 

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've tried every wax imaginable.....furniture, auto, pool cue. The best cue wax is made by a company in Birmingham. England. I've been using their cue wax for the past 3 years and nothing beats it.

It's a bit pricey because of the shipping cost to the USA which doubles the cost of the wax. Smallest order quantity is 3 cans and sometimes you can find this offered on e-Bay. My contact there is Simon Brown and he's just a great guy and totally dependable. Anyway, 3 cans would run you an average cost just under $12.00 a can ( quantity of 3 cans). It's well worth the price and 3 cans should last you a while. I order in a minimum quantity of a dozen because I polish my pool cue shafts several times a week and I also wax 3-4 cue shafts for my pals.

I wish I could have gotten exclusive distribution rights for the States but that wasn't even a option.This is really the best cue wax around and maybe 3 pool buddies should split an order to try this wax......you will not be disappointed. Do not order this product during seasonally hot weather. I just lost an order of 15 cans that was shipped this past July and the cans were ruined by extreme heat. Keep in mind that it takes more than a week in transit to get here from England and shipping during the summer months is ill advised. I'll only order from now own from mid October through April as I reside in Central California.

Anyway, the name of the company is Craftsman Cues and get in touch with Simon. Tell him Matt from California sent you his way......this guy is so great that he refunded me the entire purchase price on my order of 15 cans. I was able to salvage 5 cans by placing them in the refrigerator and I contacted Simon and offered to pay for at least part of the order and 1/3 seemed about right. Simon politely declined and said it was a mutual lesson learned about not shipping cue wax during hot weather and he wasn't concerned about any payment. I'd been a good customer and he said my patronage was worth more to him than the last order so just consider this to be a freebie.

You can Google Craftsman Cues or periodically keep checking e-Bay under pool cue wax search.......You can't go wrong.
 
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arps

tirador (ng pansit)
Silver Member
i use this,

m55iF8g3ux9AVMEJdZw2Njw.jpg


for shaft and butt as well.
 

Tommy-D

World's best B player...
Silver Member
I used Mother's California Gold Pure Carnauba at first. Good stuff IF you can find it.

When I couldn't get it locally any more,I used the same can of Meguiar's #26 High Tech Yellow for over 10 years.

Now,I can only find it in liquid locally,or in paste online.

I'm using Meguiar's Gold Class now because it's easier to find locally,and go thru a can faster now that I do all the repairs locally and working tournaments.

I've got a can of Rennaisance coming now too.

I only recommend using waxes that are white or yellow in color so they don't change the color of the wood. I don't like cleaner waxes myself. Tommy D.
 

Diogenes

Registered User
Silver Member
I'm with Ken on this one... heres why...

For those who are inclined to try "Butcher Bowling Alley Wax"...

I started using Butchers Bowling Alley Wax back in the mid 80's.
I used to have reservations on using wax on my shafts because there is "no such thing" as a moisture free wax. We all know that over time moisture and wood may start to disagree with one another. That can get scary these days if you spend $$$ on 10 piece "LD" shafts. However, the cost of a replacement shaft (should it begin to bow) is minimal compared to playing at your best. Nothing worse than missing that one crucial shot, because your shaft just decided to grab at your skin during a nice run. However, I've only had two shafts to ever warp at all on me and neither were ever waxed. That tells my a lot about the benefits of paste waxing your shaft and that it protects against moister, not the other way around.

Here are the reasons why I (personally) still prefer Butchers Bowling Alley Wax after 30 years. I have tested different waxes on cast-iron surfaces at work. Most all carnauba waxes held up well, but my test always took me back to Butchers brand. The metal test showed me several things including moisture content (how long before rust would begin to appear) and how long the wax maintained a smooth glide.

1) It seems to have the least amount of water (if any) of all of the waxes that I've tested (as far as carnauba waxes go anyway). BTW... every non-carnauba based wax failed badly.
2) The (rock-hard) coating lasted the longest and held up the best against rust & heat friction (on the metal test) and can take many months of 30-40 hours a week of billiard friction before you start to notice it breaking down. Even on break cues.
3) It sets up quickly (so don't coat your shaft and let it set for 30 minutes or you'll have a hard time getting it to polish out). You'll want to buff it out before it starts to fully harden. Test it on a scrap of sanded wood to get a feel for how long you should let it set. Just a few minutes is plenty of time. Basically "wax on... wax off".
4) Unless you're finishing your floors, a can of Butchers will last you a lifetime (if stored under climate control... like under the kitchen sink)... and you can use it on anything wood (or metal).
5) BBAW also cleans the finish well while you're waxing. I just wipe the shaft down well with a dry microfiber cloth before applying the wax to remove any dust or micro debris.
6) The glide that it creates is unbelievable. I have coated large metal tables with BBAW and can shove about 200# of 40" x 28" x 6" stacked paper several feet across the table (using only one hand) with very little effort. Without the wax you can't get the stack to budge (using both hands) and the other carnaubas that I tested had noticeably more resistance.

(For Newbies)... Car wax is made for finished metals , Butchers Wax is made for bare and finished wood. Ultimately humidity (in most areas) will likely cause more moisture damage over time than any quality carnauba wax ever could. Also a bonus to waxing is that your shaft (using the right wax) should never start bluing out on you. So unless you have a museum piece stick that only hangs in a display case... wax that shaft!

PS>>> DON'T USE STUFF LIKE "LEMON PLEDGE" >>> THE WATER CONTENT IN LEMON PLEDGE IS 70%-85%!!! LOOK IT UP!!! MOST FURNITURE HAS A THICK STAIN COVERED IN A HEAVY VARNISHED COATING. SO IT ALREADY REPEALS WATER BETTER AND IS DESIGNED FAR LESS FRAGILE THAN A LONG, SLENDER CUE SHAFT. SHAFTS DON'T HAVE THE SAME MULTI-COATED FINISH AS FURNITURE. MIGHT AS WELL USE A WET RAG. PLEDGE IS A POLISH (MOSTLY USED FOR ADDING SHINE)... NOT A WAX. Or use Pledge if you want to... it's your shaft not mine.
 

Cdryden

Pool Addict
Silver Member
I have been using yellow carnauba wax for years.
Also been using bowling alley wax.
I never liked the petro smell .


The other day I picked up a can of Meguiars ultimate pure synthetic polymer paste wax.

So far I like it better , seems to keep the shaft slicker then the other waxes.
and it smells a lot better.

Anyone done anykind of research on car and wood waxes?

MMike

I don't use any at all. I put my shaft on a lathe, clean it, then turn at high speed using a 3500 grit sand paper (very lightly sand, not really removing anything) and after that I buff it with a piece of leather. After that, it's as slick as you could want.
 

mortuarymike-nv

mortuarymike-nv
Silver Member
Wax

I always seal my shafts with shellac before I wax.


I have always had sweaty hands, and worn a glove for years, I am trying to get away from the glove and focus more on just keeping the shaft on my cue friction free.

Just common since that wax repels water or moisture.
also wax helps to protect the wood from dirt and grim getting into the wood grain.
Keep the wood from drying out.
Wax is easy to remove with denatured alcohol.
I don't see any negative effects that this wax would have on anyone's pool cue

I am willing to send out a few samples of this wax just to get some more opinions.
I am not selling this wax . I just think this polymer wax might be slightly better then petro based waxes. No one will know until you try it.




MMike
 

Harold Smith

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I don't wax my shaft, I clean them with Magic Eraser, run 3000 grit sandpaper over it and apply silicone to a piece of leather and run it over the shaft very fast to burnish it in. This works great for me.---Smitty
 
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