Cue Maintenance Question

JoeyA

JoeyA

Efren's Mini-Tourn BACKER
Silver Member
I probably should post this over in the cue maker's forum and will do so but since I got started here, I was wondering what the main forum AZers thought about Parris Cues maintenance suggestions.
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During play, if the cue becomes sticky, wipe it down with a slightly damp cloth and buff dry immediately. Never sandpaper the cue, this removes the protective sealer on the shaft leaving bare wood and also gradually wears away the cue shaft.

Occasionally, (3-6 months depending on the amount you play) treat the cue with raw linsead oil. Wipe cue down with a damp cloth and dry. (If cue is very dirty, mild detergent can be used) do not use to much water or this can cause the cue to swell. Apply oil onto cue with a cloth or paper towel, leave overnight to soak in, buff cue with a clean cloth until smooth and dry and no residue is visible on clean cloth. Then wipe with damp cloth and dry and buff.

Have any of you used raw linseed oil? (I assume it is linseed and not linsead) but please correct me.

Thanks,
JoeyA
 
I have used Rapid pad cut with linseed oil, but not raw linseed. I then very lightly sand the surface residue off leaving the rest to seal the shaft. I feel oil attracts dirt and other foreign matter, so I remove the residue instead of just buffing it in.

Everyone has a method they believe in. I've had a huge amount of success with mine.

Gene
 
I use 1200 sandpaper occasionally on the shaft and then I use a crisp dollar bill to buff it until it gets hot to the touch. I read quite a while ago that there was something about the ink in the bills that did a good job sealing and polishing the shaft. I dunno, it works great for me. The shafts come out like glass.

btw, this dollar bill thing is supposed to burnish the side of your tips great too. I dampen the side of the tip and fold up the bill and then lay the shaft crosswise on my lap and roll it back and forth very fast until the heat is unbearable. That puts a great glaze on the tip.
 
i don't ever use sandpaper on the shaft to clean it. every time you use sand paper you can take some of the actual shaft wood away and start to take away the work the maker did to get the shaft taper, diameter, ect...just right for the playability of their cues. imo a better solution is to use a little denatured alcohol to clean the chalk residue off the shaft then lightly, so you don't burn your fingers from the friction, run the entire shaft through your hands and fingers to replace some of the good oils you might have taken away from the shaft with the denatured alcohol. i guess linseed oil could also be used but very sparingly. next take a dry paper based rag or towel and burnish the shaft up and down. if you can turn the shaft a bit as you do it that's a bonus. you want to just clean it enough to get the gunk off, not make the shaft look like new. too much cleaning can take the sealer out of the shaft initially put on by the maker. after a while a very slight layer of patina will build up and protect the shaft for the length of it's playing life.
 
 
If you're talking about John Parris, he makes snooker cues. Different wood. The cue shaft is ash, and that's how a lot of the snooker players treat their cues. I wouldn't add linseed to maple. It will darken the shaft as the air gets to it (over the next couple of months). I've heard of guys using alcohol, and then using butane (lighter fluid) to seal the shaft. I just use isopropyl alcohol (electronics grade - have it around due to my job), a paper towel, and a chamois to buff my shaft when I'm done cleaning.
 
Cue Shaft Maintenance

I wouldn't use anything on a shaft other than a good cleaner meant for use on shafts. I use a cleaner from Chris Hightower that works like a charm. After using the cleaner I always reseal the shaft as the cleaner may have removed some, if not all the sealer put on by the maker.
The sealer fills all the tiny grain indentions in the wood and helps prevent moisture, oils and chalk from getting in the open grain of the wood. Some people don't like the feel of the sealer, so it can be very lightly sanded with very fine paper to frmove the top of the sealer and leaving thee rest in the grain of the wood to do its job. JMHO
 
Shawn Armstrong said:
If you're talking about John Parris, he makes snooker cues. Different wood. The cue shaft is ash, and that's how a lot of the snooker players treat their cues. I wouldn't add linseed to maple. It will darken the shaft as the air gets to it (over the next couple of months). I've heard of guys using alcohol, and then using butane (lighter fluid) to seal the shaft. I just use isopropyl alcohol (electronics grade - have it around due to my job), a paper towel, and a chamois to buff my shaft when I'm done cleaning.
Click to expand...

What he said...Tom
 
3andstop said:
I read quite a while ago that there was something about the ink in the bills that did a good job sealing and polishing the shaft. I dunno, it works great for me. The shafts come out like glass.

btw, this dollar bill thing is supposed to burnish the side of your tips great too. I dampen the side of the tip and fold up the bill and then lay the shaft crosswise on my lap and roll it back and forth very fast until the heat is unbearable. That puts a great glaze on the tip.
Click to expand...

I've done this, myself, and I first heard it from Mizerak! Mike Gulyassy is close now, so he takes care of anything minor or major for me. I always wipe my shafts down after playing. I've done the sandpaper thing, but it always made me uneasy. I use magic eraser once in a while.
 
Pushout said:
I've done this, myself, and I first heard it from Mizerak! Mike Gulyassy is close now, so he takes care of anything minor or major for me. I always wipe my shafts down after playing. I've done the sandpaper thing, but it always made me uneasy. I use magic eraser once in a while.
Click to expand...


I appreciate all of the suggestions. What I have actually done is sand the shaft with 800 sandpaper, then 1000 grit, then 2000 grit, then burnish it with leather. This has produced a very smooth shaft and it appears to be sealed although my eyese can't tell that. I used an electric drill (variable speed) and tried to use the sandpaper in the manner that they teach on www.easypooltutor.com (think that's it) which is to let up on the pressure as your hand moves to the outer most point of the sanding area. I used a digital caliper/micrometer to track the diameter/taper.

My ferrule has been reduced to 12.4 and now I am able to play with a decent consistency. The larger diameter shafts just don't do it for me.
Since the shaft is so smooth, I think I will just try to keep it clean wiping it off after use with damp cloth and buffing with a dry towel. I have never shown this much care to the shaft so I guess it will be all right.

Even after all of this, I was headed out to pick up some wood sanding sealer but then learned that I needed to dilute it and that turned me off so I guess I will just leave it where it is. Some of the kind cue makers suggested using wood sanding sealer and that even that sealer can be lightly sanded to remove the top portion of the sealer allowing the sealer to fill the pores and grooves in the grain itself. It sounds good but I am not real keen on mixing up a solution. If I ever decide to use the wood sanding sealer I will give a report.

For now, my shaft is EXTREMELY smooth from the 2000 grit and the leather burnishing. I'll also try to wash my hands more frequently to keep them dry but I'll probably keep the glove.

Unlike some of the players, I view gloves as a tool and never give a thought as to how they look to anyone, even if the critics subconsciously want to be outted or not. :D :D :D

JoeyA
 
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