Cleaner and sealer
- Thread starter DeeRay86
- Start date
I would forget trying to find many of the best stuff at the big box stores.
Below are a couple of pages I wrote for my book on the subject.
There are many cue specific brands of cue maintenance and finishing products that work great. Some work better than others. Cue specific brands usually cost more than non-cue specific brands. You may find some to be superior, or in some cases inferior, to some of the items I am listing below. We are not endorsing any of the below products, but are just sharing some of the non-cue specific off the shelf items we have tried through the years with some degree of success. I will list my favorites among those listed.
I know other cuemakers that use the below type products on a daily basis. I will say all of them have their advantages and disadvantages. I have seen many cuemakers use an inferior product, instead of another product that works better, simply because of the cost difference. You might ask yourself if it is worth up to five times the price for something that works maybe ten to twenty percent better? I usually choose the more expensive product if it gives me even that much improvement. It usually only amounts to pennies per application anyway. Another consideration is how bad something smells. For instance many of the cue specific products smell better than some other similar commercial products.
Toxicity should be a major consideration. You just have to read up on the products to decide what is the safest and best to use in your particular shop environment. Good ventilation, latex gloves and dust masks should be your minimal normal practice for using most of the items listed and some may require even more additional safety measures. I am not even listing brands of Auto Clear Coats as most are really toxic and should only be used with a good spray booth and respirator, as well as gloves and a safety suit, so you never come in contact with the fumes or touch the chemical in any way. I feel things like those should really be left for use by trained professionals.
Shaft Cleaning Products
409
Mr Clean Magic Eraser
Rubbing Alcohol
Soft Scrub (Second favorite behind our Shaft Cleaner)
Shaft Sealing Products
Behlens Wood Turners Finish
Mohawk Lacover 30 (My Favorite: gives a nice thin coat and dries fast)
Mohawk Rapid Pad
Water Based sanding sealer (Various brands)
Shaft Waxing Products
Butchers Bowling Alley Wax
Renaissance Wax (My second favorite. But a good Cue Wax is by far first)
Cue Finishing Products (also called Clear Coats)
Devcon Five Minute Epoxy (My favorite base seal coat & grain filler)
General Finishes Enduro Poly Gloss Water Based Urethane (Easy to use)
Klockit Kraft Kote Clock Finish (My Favorite: but a little difficult to use)
Super Glue (many brands) works well for finishing.
System Three Finishing Epoxy
West System Finishing Epoxy
Cue Finish Buffing Products (brings back the shine after sanding)
3M Rubbing compound and Finessit buffing material
McGuires rubbing compound and polishing material.
Wood Stabilizers ( to help cut down on warping)
Nelsonite (Use in dipping tank) (My Favorite)
WaterGuard Multi-Surface Waterproofing Clear Sealant (rub on or use dipping tank)
Below are a couple of pages I wrote for my book on the subject.
Cue Maintenance and Finishing Products
There are many cue specific brands of cue maintenance and finishing products that work great. Some work better than others. Cue specific brands usually cost more than non-cue specific brands. You may find some to be superior, or in some cases inferior, to some of the items I am listing below. We are not endorsing any of the below products, but are just sharing some of the non-cue specific off the shelf items we have tried through the years with some degree of success. I will list my favorites among those listed.
I know other cuemakers that use the below type products on a daily basis. I will say all of them have their advantages and disadvantages. I have seen many cuemakers use an inferior product, instead of another product that works better, simply because of the cost difference. You might ask yourself if it is worth up to five times the price for something that works maybe ten to twenty percent better? I usually choose the more expensive product if it gives me even that much improvement. It usually only amounts to pennies per application anyway. Another consideration is how bad something smells. For instance many of the cue specific products smell better than some other similar commercial products.
Toxicity should be a major consideration. You just have to read up on the products to decide what is the safest and best to use in your particular shop environment. Good ventilation, latex gloves and dust masks should be your minimal normal practice for using most of the items listed and some may require even more additional safety measures. I am not even listing brands of Auto Clear Coats as most are really toxic and should only be used with a good spray booth and respirator, as well as gloves and a safety suit, so you never come in contact with the fumes or touch the chemical in any way. I feel things like those should really be left for use by trained professionals.
Shaft Cleaning Products
409
Mr Clean Magic Eraser
Rubbing Alcohol
Soft Scrub (Second favorite behind our Shaft Cleaner)
Shaft Sealing Products
Behlens Wood Turners Finish
Mohawk Lacover 30 (My Favorite: gives a nice thin coat and dries fast)
Mohawk Rapid Pad
Water Based sanding sealer (Various brands)
Shaft Waxing Products
Butchers Bowling Alley Wax
Renaissance Wax (My second favorite. But a good Cue Wax is by far first)
Cue Finishing Products (also called Clear Coats)
Devcon Five Minute Epoxy (My favorite base seal coat & grain filler)
General Finishes Enduro Poly Gloss Water Based Urethane (Easy to use)
Klockit Kraft Kote Clock Finish (My Favorite: but a little difficult to use)
Super Glue (many brands) works well for finishing.
System Three Finishing Epoxy
West System Finishing Epoxy
Cue Finish Buffing Products (brings back the shine after sanding)
3M Rubbing compound and Finessit buffing material
McGuires rubbing compound and polishing material.
Wood Stabilizers ( to help cut down on warping)
Nelsonite (Use in dipping tank) (My Favorite)
WaterGuard Multi-Surface Waterproofing Clear Sealant (rub on or use dipping tank)
