How do you clean your shafts?

LastTwo said:
From what I hear, professional cuesmiths simply take the finest grade sandpaper, put the shaft on the lathe, and sand the cue down ever so slightly, then do the smoothing, etc. Obviously the shaft looks brand new, because a very thin layer of skin has been sanded off. Is this true? If not what methods do they use to clean a shaft?
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Yes most do. Sometimes the discoloring is deeper. It is nice to have a lathe because the spin action will enable better scrubbing and cleaning. Harsh chemicals are used at times, but residues can not be left behind.

Having a lathe while using sandpaper will take the layer off fast, more importantly it will be uniform.

Another thing I noticed is that some brand shafts seem to get dirtier than others. I think this might be due to the maple used. Cue shafts made in the US tend to use more hard rock maple.
 
pete lafond said:
Yes most do. Sometimes the discoloring is deeper. It is nice to have a lathe because the spin action will enable better scrubbing and cleaning. Harsh chemicals are used at times, but residues can not be left behind.

Having a lathe while using sandpaper will take the layer off fast, more importantly it will be uniform.

Another thing I noticed is that some brand shafts seem to get dirtier than others. I think this might be due to the maple used. Cue shafts made in the US tend to use more hard rock maple.
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Pete, thanks again for taking the time to talk with me the other day about shaft care - I've cleaned up all to my comfort level. The only odd one in the bunch was a Predator - wood raised a little during steamed cloth application.
 
My wife was trying to be helpful and she wet a paper towel and "cleaned" my shaft the other day. Now I can feel some raised grain.

I guess in the future I'll use alcohol to clean the shaft (or some product) and I'll tell her the same.

But for now, what do I do? Simply burnish with some leather? It's not horribly raised - but I can see it and feel it. It still slides smoothly through my grip, too... but it's dry season (winter) here now.

So, for now, burnish, and in the future, follow some of the advice given earlier in this thread?
 
iacas said:
My wife was trying to be helpful and she wet a paper towel and "cleaned" my shaft the other day. Now I can feel some raised grain.

I guess in the future I'll use alcohol to clean the shaft (or some product) and I'll tell her the same.

But for now, what do I do? Simply burnish with some leather? It's not horribly raised - but I can see it and feel it. It still slides smoothly through my grip, too... but it's dry season (winter) here now.

So, for now, burnish, and in the future, follow some of the advice given earlier in this thread?
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I have found that the micro burnishing papers do a great job for smoothing raised grain...like Nick's Edge, etc.
 
first and formost, as a good player you should keep your cue clean, as long as your not eating and playing, or playing on filthy cloth, your cue should remain clean. second of all, once your cue is clean, apply 2 drops of slip stic, this will give it slide and slickness galore! and forget it for a month! it's the best stuff ever period!
 
I just wipe my shaft down with alcohol, then a paper towel or paper napkin. The alcohol removes the sticky oil on the shaft left there from your hand.

You can get those alcohol wipe things that doctors use in the little packets and these fit nicely in your pool bag.
 
i heard some people use alcohol to clean their shafts, but then i heard it raises the grain in the wood. I have these Q Smoothe thingy's and they worked great for me.
 
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