Did cleaning ruin my shaft?
- Thread starter Hobbes
- Start date
I love the smell of carnuba wax too. It just doesn't give me a pop like gasoline does.
Everyone has their own method. I was just teasing about the Soft Scrub. It probably works as well as Vim or any of the cleaners with pumice in them.
After all, pretty sure that many of the Cue cleaners etc, are just repackaged house hold cleaners.
Cue Silk = Ladies hair care product. Atlas sells a white cream that could be just about any cleaner. I bought one shaft cleaner that reminded me of watered down Pine Sol.
Wouldn't it be funny if someone was buying Pine Sol buy the tub, mixing it 50/50 and selling it for 10 bucks for a half pint.
You can use Ammonia on a paper towel. For really dirty shafts, I have used that with a very soft toothbrush to do a bit of scrubbing. A buck for approx a half gallon.
Acetone. It will make your shaft look like the day it was purchased. The only problem I have with it is the person who posted it some time ago, didn't mention that Acetone will melt just about anything in its path, including laminated shafts.
Strangely enuff, Acetone will not melt a piece of magic Eraser.
Non Laminated shaft, Acetone and ME and I guarantee there will be no blue on your shaft. Acetone evaporates just about as quick as Alcohol will.
Alcohol also evaporates in my house pretty quick too. But I don't recommend using Grey Goose for a shaft clean.
I always keep a can in the shop for when I glue my fingers together anyway.
For those that would like to use a sealer, if you don't want to order from one of the Cue Suppliers, buy a small tin of Zinser Bullseye, wood sealer next time you wander thru Lowes. There are others but Zinser is the only one I can find locally.
I find its good but will need a slight sand after applying.
Everyone has their own method. I was just teasing about the Soft Scrub. It probably works as well as Vim or any of the cleaners with pumice in them.
After all, pretty sure that many of the Cue cleaners etc, are just repackaged house hold cleaners.
Cue Silk = Ladies hair care product. Atlas sells a white cream that could be just about any cleaner. I bought one shaft cleaner that reminded me of watered down Pine Sol.
Wouldn't it be funny if someone was buying Pine Sol buy the tub, mixing it 50/50 and selling it for 10 bucks for a half pint.
You can use Ammonia on a paper towel. For really dirty shafts, I have used that with a very soft toothbrush to do a bit of scrubbing. A buck for approx a half gallon.
Acetone. It will make your shaft look like the day it was purchased. The only problem I have with it is the person who posted it some time ago, didn't mention that Acetone will melt just about anything in its path, including laminated shafts.
Strangely enuff, Acetone will not melt a piece of magic Eraser.
Non Laminated shaft, Acetone and ME and I guarantee there will be no blue on your shaft. Acetone evaporates just about as quick as Alcohol will.
Alcohol also evaporates in my house pretty quick too. But I don't recommend using Grey Goose for a shaft clean.
I always keep a can in the shop for when I glue my fingers together anyway.
For those that would like to use a sealer, if you don't want to order from one of the Cue Suppliers, buy a small tin of Zinser Bullseye, wood sealer next time you wander thru Lowes. There are others but Zinser is the only one I can find locally.
I find its good but will need a slight sand after applying.
Question - does cleaning the shaft prolong the life or is it purely cosmetic?
I have some magic eraser but I can't remember the last time I used it.
Hope I'm not thread jacking, but I think it's inline w what the OP is asking -
Is it -
Clean
Sand
Seal/Condition
Burnish
Wax
?
At the wax stage, how much should be applied. I tried with a couple cue waxes and didn't get the effect I was expecting. I was thinking I may have not put enough on, but I don't want to make a mess of it.
Is it -
Clean
Sand
Seal/Condition
Burnish
Wax
?
At the wax stage, how much should be applied. I tried with a couple cue waxes and didn't get the effect I was expecting. I was thinking I may have not put enough on, but I don't want to make a mess of it.
Well, if you use 220 Grit on a home made drill lathe as one member suggested in another thread, you might be lucky to get approx 10 games per shaft.
From what I have gathered cosmetic only. I ask people who prefer "clean" shafts every so often when these threads pop up, and thats the gist of the answers. Some say to keep it smooth, but you dont need to use magic erasers or alcohol or anything else if youre only concern is smooth.
All my cue shafts are blue, and if they feel sticky, I hit them lightly with 2000 grit or a q wiz and knock the shine off of them.
Chuck
I keep it simple.. I used to use a dry magic eraser and then burnish it but now I just take a damp cotton towel and clean it off which all the dirt off. then dry it off with a cotton towel and burnish it with leather. It's clean and smooth and takes only a few minutes..
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It seems that the best way to clean the way is to simply grab a very sightly damp towel and wipe it down in one stroke causing a squeaky sound.
Yep! Love the squeaky sound, whether manually cleaning lengthwise, or under power.
Mothers Chrome Polish
Over 20 years ago Paul Fanelli the cue maker ( im sure most of you knows who he is ) told me about using mothers chrome polish on the cue shafts. Hes been using it since Ive known him....Now that hes no longer with us some of you might carry on the tradition of using it......... Works great... Ive used it since the day he showed me.......
Over 20 years ago Paul Fanelli the cue maker ( im sure most of you knows who he is ) told me about using mothers chrome polish on the cue shafts. Hes been using it since Ive known him....Now that hes no longer with us some of you might carry on the tradition of using it......... Works great... Ive used it since the day he showed me.......
Anyone? I'm really curious about the amount of wax.
Just enough to cover the shaft. I let the wax dry for around thirty minutes, then use a towel or cloth to buff out.
I let the wax get hard.
Just to be clear...you are advocating using an abrasive chemical cleanser (with bleach) on your wood over magic eraser? Be kind to your shaft? No offense but this is just terrible advice.
KMRUNOUT
Do not ever use acetone on mezz and predator ferrules they will melt.
:smile:
Well if you don't know.........if you buy a bottle of ATLAS CLEAN for cleaning shafts from Atlas Billiard Supply, if you take off the cap and pour some out, I would say it is Soft Scrub rebottled and new label put on.
Lots of people are using it.
I think whatever works, go for it. Shafts are made and sold everyday.
A new shaft is good sometimes.:thumbup:
Thanks. When you say "enough to cover the shaft", like how thick a coat, sorta like when waxing a car, a layer thick enough to see?
Pictures please.
Just an FYI on acetone, you can "weld" various acrylics and polycarbonates with the stuff if the joint matches up well. It works by melting and fusing the plastics together. Its the same kind of chemical reaction as "gluing" pvc pipes together. Its referred to as solvent welding. So yes, acetone with some plastics is probably not going to turn out well.
Chuck
Chuck