Cheap way to burnish cue shaft

buckshotshoey

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Leather still seems to be the best way to burnish a shaft. Here is a cheap alternative. I read once a pro (can't remember who) burnished his shaft with a plain ol brown paper bag. It may not work as fast as leather, but it DOES work! It actually generates quite a bit of heat. Try this before you get out the sandpaper. Better yet, put the sandpaper back in the garage.

Tip of the day according to me! Lol
 
buckshotshoey said:
Leather still seems to be the best way to burnish a shaft. Here is a cheap alternative. I read once a pro (can't remember who) burnished his shaft with a plain ol brown paper bag. It may not work as fast as leather, but it DOES work! It actually generates quite a bit of heat. Try this before you get out the sandpaper. Better yet, put the sandpaper back in the garage.

Tip of the day according to me! Lol
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I'm sure the paper will get the work done. The reason why paper works so well is because it is mildly abrasive, which is why you should never use paper products on any optical surface (like expensive glasses or binoculars) as you will remove the delicate coating. There is little chance of actually removing any wood with it though, so it should be safe on a cue shaft.
 
buckshotshoey said:
Leather still seems to be the best way to burnish a shaft. Here is a cheap alternative. I read once a pro (can't remember who) burnished his shaft with a plain ol brown paper bag. It may not work as fast as leather, but it DOES work! It actually generates quite a bit of heat. Try this before you get out the sandpaper. Better yet, put the sandpaper back in the garage.

Tip of the day according to me! Lol
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I saw an old timer using a dollar bill today to "sand" his cue, how effective is that? Is it safe?
 
Kris_b1104 said:
I saw an old timer using a dollar bill today to "sand" his cue, how effective is that? Is it safe?
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Should have used a 100....the cheap bastard! 100's do a better job.Lol. Actually it would work. The pro I was referring to said brown paper has no inks or impurities to rub into the wood. And the fibers in brown paper are supposed to generate a little more heat then bleached paper does. Second hand info but seems to be true.
 
Kris_b1104 said:
I saw an old timer using a dollar bill today to "sand" his cue, how effective is that? Is it safe?
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You cannot sand a cue with paper. You can burnish it though and for that a dollar works well because us dollars are actually not paper, they are linen and they generally have facial oil on them from the handling.

You hands only gete oily from touching your face and then you handle money with oily hands. The dollar is the most commonly handled bill thus the highest oil content.

It is perfectly safe to burnish your cue with a dollar. If you are trying to sand it however you are wasting your time.

I find micromesh to be the best for this application.
 
JB Cases said:
You cannot sand a cue with paper. You can burnish it though and for that a dollar works well because us dollars are actually not paper, they are linen and they generally have facial oil on them from the handling.

You hands only gete oily from touching your face and then you handle money with oily hands. The dollar is the most commonly handled bill thus the highest oil content.

It is perfectly safe to burnish your cue with a dollar. If you are trying to sand it however you are wasting your time.

I find micromesh to be the best for this application.
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Which is exactly why I used quotation marks.
 
I've been using brown paper to burnish the surface of maple violin bridges for almost 40 years now. That (and a little rub on the side of my nose to pick up some natural skin oil) gives them a beautiful patina that can't be gotten any other way.

It was a natural for me to try it on cue shafts as well, and I think it works great. I use a plain piece first, then I rub the shaft with another piece that has been impregnated with pure carnuba stick wax.

Rubbing real hard produces enough frictional heat to melt the wax onto the wood surface, not only protecting the wood, but giving it a delightfully smooth feel that lets the shaft slide through my sweaty fingers better than powder.
 
JB Cases said:
Followed by the questions, is it effective and safe.

If you knew the answer then don't ask the questions.

The old timer wasn't "sanding" his cue.
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I didn't know the answer, burnishing was the word I was looking for but couldn't think of it so I used quotations on sand. Your answer was helpful though. Have a good day sir.
 
Sloppy Pockets said:
I've been using brown paper to burnish the surface of maple violin bridges for almost 40 years now. That (and a little rub on the side of my nose to pick up some natural skin oil) gives them a beautiful patina that can't be gotten any other way.

It was a natural for me to try it on cue shafts as well, and I think it works great. I use a plain piece first, then I rub the shaft with another piece that has been impregnated with pure carnuba stick wax.

Rubbing real hard produces enough frictional heat to melt the wax onto the wood surface, not only protecting the wood, but giving it a delightfully smooth feel that lets the shaft slide through my sweaty fingers better than powder.
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Great post. Good info to keep in mind.
 
buckshotshoey said:
Try this before you get out the sandpaper.
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Anybody that burnishes with sandpaper is going to have a toothpick for a cue in no time. I like the brown paper bag because you have a larger surface area to grab onto versus using a dollar bill.
 
buckshotshoey said:
Great post. Good info to keep in mind.
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The carnuba wax is hard to find locally. This is the stuff you want:

http://www.amazon.com/Beall-Tools-Carnauba-Wax-5-1/dp/B0037MM4PC

Pure carnuba is extremely hard, almost like glass. I rub the bar really hard onto the paper for several minutes to transfer some wax to it, then I take a heat gun (hair dryer works fine as well) and blow hot air onto the paper to melt the wax in. I do this three or four times until the paper looks shiny, like regular wax paper.

It lasts a really long time, maybe several dozen burnishings before you need make another one. The wax bar itself will last ten lifetimes when used this way, so you can break off chunks of the bar and give them to interested friends and still have all you will ever need.
 
Sloppy Pockets said:
The carnuba wax is hard to find locally. This is the stuff you want:

http://www.amazon.com/Beall-Tools-Carnauba-Wax-5-1/dp/B0037MM4PC

Pure carnuba is extremely hard, almost like glass. I rub the bar really hard onto the paper for several minutes to transfer some wax to it, then I take a heat gun (hair dryer works fine as well) and blow hot air onto the paper to melt the wax in. I do this three or four times until the paper looks shiny, like regular wax paper.


It lasts a really long time, maybe several dozen burnishings before you need make another one. The wax bar itself will last ten lifetimes when used this way, so you can break off chunks of the bar and give them to interested friends and still have all you will ever need.
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Could a fella use 'wax paper'? It seems kind of hard and crinkly...would it scratch or damage a cue shaft in your opinion?

thanks
 
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3RAILKICK said:
Could a fella use 'wax paper'? It seems kind of hard and crinkly...would it scratch or damage a cue shaft in your opinion?

thanks
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Regular wax paper has paraffin in it, not carnuba. Paraffin is a very soft wax that will make the shaft stickier feeling and will do nothing to protect it. I use it on my Irish linen wrap to increase the grippiness, but I would never want a trace of it on my shaft.

If you don't want to go to the trouble of making your own carnuba paper, any good cue wax (contains carnuba and other waxes) is a close second IMO. I had me a big old bar of carnuba because I use it on wooden bowls I turn, so it was a no brainer to just use the ultimate wax because I already had it on hand.
 
Sloppy Pockets said:
The carnuba wax is hard to find locally. This is the stuff you want:

http://www.amazon.com/Beall-Tools-Carnauba-Wax-5-1/dp/B0037MM4PC

Pure carnuba is extremely hard, almost like glass. I rub the bar really hard onto the paper for several minutes to transfer some wax to it, then I take a heat gun (hair dryer works fine as well) and blow hot air onto the paper to melt the wax in. I do this three or four times until the paper looks shiny, like regular wax paper.

It lasts a really long time, maybe several dozen burnishings before you need make another one. The wax bar itself will last ten lifetimes when used this way, so you can break off chunks of the bar and give them to interested friends and still have all you will ever need.
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Thanks. I just bought some. I am going to try your method.
 
I use a dollar bill...I also use a dollar bill to burnish the edge of a new tip, wetting the edge of the tip with saliva and then holding the edge firm, pinched in a dollar and rolling the shaft across my lap. You can also take a pretty dramatic mushroom out of a tip by wetting the edge and rolling on a pool table, pushing down on the shaft as you roll it back and forth...just don't let management see you do it. You might want to put a dollar bill between the table surface and your tip.

I used Johnson's Floor Wax on my first cue (a McDermott); it worked very well to put a nice slick patina on it. I agree, real Carnuba is probably the best. Just keep your shaft clean, and the natural oils from your fingers will over time put a perfect patina on it. One of the reasons violins need frequent playing to keep in shape.
 
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ChopStick said:
Thanks. I just bought some. I am going to try your method.
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I just use this. Works great.

wax.jpg
 
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