irish linen wrap

whitey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So I made the brilliant decision to leave my cue case in my car for a day and the temp was very hot. So when I pulled out my cue the wrap felt very waxy. To the point where I could feel a waxy residue on my hands.
What can I do to fix this and what should I be doing regularly to care for the wrap.
I understand leaving my case in my car was a bad idea!
Thanks,
 
Bad Boy.

Take it to a repairman and have him wash/clean it and re press it for you.

If you are very careful, you might try a bit of laundry soap, liquid is better. A very small amount with water and wipe the wrap down. Wipe it off with water to wash as much soap out of it. You can try just straight water before the soap as well.

If you don't have liquid laundry soap, dish soap will work. Mix well.

With a clean towel, vigorously dry the wrap.

You don't want to soak either the wrap or the handle underneath with water.

Using too much soap will result in having to use too much water to wash it out.

A repairman will be able to dry it quickly with a linen press.

If you soak the wrap too much, you run the risk of having the linen puff up on you (for the lack of a better word). And then it will have to be pressed.

Thats why I mentioned that you should use water, or soap and water in moderation. Just enuff to clean the waxy substance (glue) from your wrap, but not enuff to soak it.

The most common glue used to do linen would be Elmers white all purpose glue.

If it got real hot, it may have gotten soft and maybe that is what you are feeling.

A Glue Stick can also be used for linen.

But who knows what was used. It can depend on where the cue was made. North America or China.

I always use spray starch on the wrap after it is cleaned and dried. Starch and then another press.

That is why you may end up to prefer to take it to a repairman.

If it is glue that you are feeling, Elmers white is water soluable for the most part so you may be able to wash it off.

Nothing wrong with trying yourself first. You won't wreck the wrap or the cue if you're careful and take your time.
 
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It might feel waxy because the wrap may have had a wax coating on it. The excessive heat may have simply made the wax tacky again. A lot of cue makers use wax to make the wrap feel smooth and to keep the linen from fraying. I would think that if this is the case, all you need to do is get it on a lathe and smooth it out, you may be able to to it yourself.

I'm not really an expert but I do know many cuemakers that use wax on a linen wrap so this is an educated guess. I don't think it's anything to worry about. I would contact the person that worked on your cue last and ask them.

Dave
 
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