Cue Care

ShaunTanYK

ShaunTanYK

Custom Junkie
Silver Member
Hello all,

I'm curious to what CUE CARE items you have in your case OR what you feel is needed in your collection at home, cue case and etc.

This can range from things like Cue Tip Shapers, Grit Papers, Waxers, Polishers.

Would anyone be able to recommend the thing(s) they feel is a MUST to have to care for the cues!

Thanks :smile:
 
Cotton towel - occasionally wipe down the shaft

Magic Eraser - removes the gunk that builds, wipe down with towel. Usually done dry but can also be done with water or denatured alcohol

Ultimate Tip Tool - almost exclusively used as a shaper, kamui tips don't mushroom (for me anyway) so no need for the other functions any longer

Kamui Gator Grip - used occasionally to scuff the tip when glazed

That's it. When I get a new tip put on my cuemaker/friend cleans and slicks up the shaft for me. My above interventions last for the entire interim in between tips.
 
brandoncook26 said:
Cotton towel - occasionally wipe down the shaft

Magic Eraser - removes the gunk that builds, wipe down with towel. Usually done dry but can also be done with water or denatured alcohol

Ultimate Tip Tool - almost exclusively used as a shaper, kamui tips don't mushroom (for me anyway) so no need for the other functions any longer

Kamui Gator Grip - used occasionally to scuff the tip when glazed

That's it. When I get a new tip put on my cuemaker/friend cleans and slicks up the shaft for me. My above interventions last for the entire interim in between tips.
Click to expand...

Thanks for you reply.

May I ask what do you mean by scruff??? And what help does it do? What do you mean by glazed anyway?

I'm a beginner at this sport so please pardon my ignorance :)
 
ultimate tip tool and the tiger la magnifique are great tools.

and the RXcue doctor cleaner and conditioner is a fantastic product, best shaft cleaner Ive ever used.
 
I personally start out with the Sil Kleen to clean the grime off the cue.
2nd I use either Q-Whiz or Nick's Edge papers to start the smoothing process and clean. I then use the Cue Silk to polish and smooth.
For my tips, I use the Ultimate tip tool or It's George tool
 
ShaunTanYK said:
Thanks for you reply.

May I ask what do you mean by scruff??? And what help does it do? What do you mean by glazed anyway?

I'm a beginner at this sport so please pardon my ignorance :)
Click to expand...

When the tip is glazed over, it has a shiny appearance. The chalk doesn't adhere very well and it makes me more prone to miscue. Scuffing the tip is essentially using a rough surface (kamui gator grip, sandpaper, etc.) to roughen the surface and remove the glaze, making the chalk adhere better.

I have had my current tip (Kamui black soft) for about 6-7 months. I play very regularly and it is about half gone. I have had to use the gator grip tool probably 3-4 times in that period, so very occasionally. I miscue very infrequently. I think many people work on their tips too much. Everytime they shape or scuff it some of the tip is taken off and it shortens the life of the tip.

A proper stroke does much more to curb miscues than the shape or texture of the tip. I can play with a phenolic tip and play most shots the same, so don't become obsessed with tip maintenence. The only pet peeve I have is tips mushrooming, and since I have switched to Kamui (a few years now) I have not had one of them mushroom. Since then, I don't spend too much time worrying about the tip; I spend most of my time on getting correct shape on the next shot rather than the next tip.
 
In my case:

Willards Shapers (dime and nickel radius)...dime for single layer tips, nickel for layered/Kamui tips.
Tip pick
Scotch Brite pad (very rare use, but when the grime is desperately built up and I didn't clean the shaft at home...I do this maybe three times a year and usually less than 10 swipes)
Baby Powder (yes, I'm one of THOSE guys, but I make sure not to get any kitty litter in box)
micro fiber towel for hands/shaft/cueball

At home:

Denatured Alcohol for cleaning the grime off (paper towel)
Extremely fine sand paper (five to seven swipes max) or ScotchBrite pad
CueSilk conditioner (final stage, apply wet with paper towel, let set one minute, buff out with dry paper towel...be careful not to drop the shaft, it's so slick!)

Always wipe the grime/chalk off the shaft and tips at the end of a session...periodically hit the shaft with the dry towel during play. Do you best to keep your ferrule clean at all times...not only does it look good, it keeps the ferrule from getting scratched up, holding more and more chalk and transferring it to your fingers and shaft.
 
DallasHopps said:
Rubber jar opener I imagine is for when cue joint refuses to come apart and someone with man hands isn't around ;)
Click to expand...

Correct.

I believe one year the APA even had jar openers like this with their logo on them.

Freddie <~~~ needs a set of women's hands to go with the jar opener...
 
Cornerman said:
Correct.

I believe one year the APA even had jar openers like this with their logo on them.

Freddie <~~~ needs a set of women's hands to go with the jar opener...
Click to expand...

Hmm, that answers my question. I initially thought screwing in tight would cause damage to the joints :embarrassed2:
 
I have variations on practically everything others mentioned so far,but have a piece of advice that will help you get the absolute MOST out of your cue,and I say this in all seriousness.

If you truly care about your equipment,take this tip to heart.

It's a simple rule. NEVER,EVER leave your cues in a place you wouldn't lay down and sleep for 8 hours,period :thumbup:.
 
Tommy-D said:
I have variations on practically everything others mentioned so far,but have a piece of advice that will help you get the absolute MOST out of your cue,and I say this in all seriousness.

If you truly care about your equipment,take this tip to heart.

It's a simple rule. NEVER,EVER leave your cues in a place you wouldn't lay down and sleep for 8 hours,period :thumbup:.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I appreciate your reply.

I keep my cues in my case all the time when I am not using it. The case resides beside me in my bedroom so I get to wake up everyday looking at it. Do you think there is any problem with the storage method/place? :o
 
MRP2k12 said:
You can avoid this by keeping the pin and the shaft collar clean and free of debris.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply, I especially love your quote BTW. Makes my life as a beginner more motivating.

I use a cotton towel to clean my shaft, butt and collars. What do you think of it?
 
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