Antique linen and keeping it white

[miguelcon74]

I have some antique white linen I bought from prather cues. I've bought irish linen before and it seems thicker than what this antique white is.

anyway, how to keep this white irish linen WHITE! Suggestions? I use clear elmers glue and my hands are so scrubbed clean, they're sore. I laid it on but it looks dirty. I'm waiting for the glue to set and see if it clears up. I might try and peroxide it before starch pressing it? Also then I'm going to use white as white votive candles to burnish hopefully making whiter.

Any thoughts, steps, processes I overlooked, haven't thought of?

Any info would be appreciated and thanks in advance!!

 

[WildWing]

Well, it's a bit of an unusual question, because that's not typically how linen is treated. However, you're not getting any answers to your question, so I thought I'd give you some thoughts based on a lot of experience.

I've bought some used cues that needed a cleaning on the linen. I used a bleach and water solution, damp ringed out wash rag, not soaking wet, and going over the wrap carefully, not hard. Not just once, but several times until you get the cleanliness and look you want. Never soaking the wrap. All ones I'm referring to, the linen had a green strand that considerably lightened. Also, the white portion of the wrap lightened. That is a way to do what you want. Sometimes very fine wet sanding at the end, sometimes the glass rod was all that was needed to smooth it.

However, I don't recommend it constantly. Linen is meant to get a well-used patina to it, rather than painstakingly keeping it pure white. If you want to keep it pure white, put it in the closet, and don't handle it. Linen should age some, and the look is not bad at all when it does.

All the best,
WW

 

[miguelcon74]

Well, it's a bit of an unusual question, because that's not typically how linen is treated. However, you're not getting any answers to your question, so I thought I'd give you some thoughts based on a lot of experience.

I've bought some used cues that needed a cleaning on the linen. I used a bleach and water solution, damp ringed out wash rag, not soaking wet, and going over the wrap carefully, not hard. Not just once, but several times until you get the cleanliness and look you want. Never soaking the wrap. All ones I'm referring to, the linen had a green strand that considerably lightened. Also, the white portion of the wrap lightened. That is a way to do what you want. Sometimes very fine wet sanding at the end, sometimes the glass rod was all that was needed to smooth it.

However, I don't recommend it constantly. Linen is meant to get a well-used patina to it, rather than painstakingly keeping it pure white. If you want to keep it pure white, put it in the closet, and don't handle it. Linen should age some, and the look is not bad at all when it does.

All the best,
WW

Thank you for replying.

I haven't linen wrapped cues since decades ago.

This antique linen I bought doesn't seem to be as thick as Irish linen I've used before.

Am I missing something. Is there Irish linen and double Irish (which is a thicker strand)?

 

[measureman]

Coat like Meucci does.
White aint going to stay white.

 

[Kim Bye]

Use gloves when installing and run the linen thread through a piece of plastic tubing, so it doesn't come in contact with anything else before going on the cue. The white linen becomes allmost translucent before the glue cures. Ones it's on there, make sure your press is perfectly clean before pressing the linen. Press and startch really good, so you create a barrier between the linen and dirt from the players hand. It's gonne get dirty fast, no matter what you do though. I have installed white linen several times and it looks cool and customers have always been happy. for a week or two...
I don't do white linen anymore.

 

[WildWing]

Thank you for replying.

I haven't linen wrapped cues since decades ago.

This antique linen I bought doesn't seem to be as thick as Irish linen I've used before.

Am I missing something. Is there Irish linen and double Irish (which is a thicker strand)?

I've had many cues over the decades with different linen, Cortland, Blue Mountain, and the imported stuff. Although there may be tiny differences in thicknesses, it would be minimal. I've never heard of a linen that was twice the thickness of any other.

 

[spktur]

The fact is the Hurlbert or Blue Mountain linen is 20-25 percent larger in diameter than the older number 9 such as Cortland