Is there anyway to "un-warp" cues?

[Randall00]

I have a slight warp in the shaft of my 2-piece, 80 dollar Excalibur cue and I'm just curious if there is anyway to straighten out a cue that become warped like that. Am I fighting a losing battle or is there a super-secret way to do this that I'm not aware of?

 

[Teddy Harris]

I have a slight warp in the shaft of my 2-piece, 80 dollar Excalibur cue

You get what you pay for!

 

[penguin]

I have a slight warp in the shaft of my 2-piece, 80 dollar Excalibur cue and I'm just curious if there is anyway to straighten out a cue that become warped like that. Am I fighting a losing battle or is there a super-secret way to do this that I'm not aware of?

You could always try using one of these, but I have to agree with Ted Harris and say that you're fighting a losing battle.

 

[nbc]

Hanging a cue works sometimes...but, most of the time, the warp will return. Best to get a better shaft...or a better cue.

nbc

 

[InfiniteDreams]

Is there anyway to unwarp a cue?

I'm pretty sure once a piece of wood is warped... it's warped. You can't go back in time or reverse mother nature.

You don't want to be shooting around with a cue shaft wondering if it's warped or straight? Don't try and fix something that's broken.

Don't buy anything like you saw posted above...you don't need to unwarp your cue you need to buy a new shaft.

Get one of the new shafts out there that reduces squirt as Byrne suggests (Predator, Meucci, Sharpshooter, Terminator).

You need to have everything going for you in this game and you want to be comfortable with what your playing with at all times.

 

[billfishhead]

i can think of someone who can answer your question ( fast larry ), but you might fall asleep reading his answer,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but seriuosly <sp,,,,,,,,the wood warps and it tends to stay that way. ask a cue maker to look at it and he may be able to help you

 

[dmgwalsh]

Here-s what someone on another site sent me. I tried it and it helped a little on a Falcon break cue I got off ebay: The easiest way to find the warp is to lay it flat and roll it while looking at it from a side view. Squat down so you can see when the warped part raises up off the table. What I meant by the wet rag is to use it to wet the shaft, then clamp the shaft down without the rag, you can also use a spray bottle with water in it. I use warm water when I do this and when I raise dent's out of a shaft but cold will work too, warm just seems to work faster.(not hot!!)

When you are dealing with wood it is important to remember that wood has a memory and all it needs is moisture and or heat to return back to normal.

I use a stanley squeeze grip clamp cause you can use it with one hand plus they have rubber cushions on the jaws and you can't over tighten them.Put the clamp right in the middle of the warp, make sure the bench or table is flat and clamp it until the warp is flat on the bench. Leave it for at least 12 hours and check it every 3 or 4 hours and rewet shaft when it dries out. If you get most of the warp out and still want it straighter you can use the shim to stick under the ferrule but only do it for 3 or 4 hours at a time and use warm water.

After you are done take it to a cue repair person and have them recondition the shaft and reseal it.Or you can do this your self if you have some sanding sealer laying around or a friend has some. Lightly sand it with the grain a few times with 600 grit , wipe the shaft down with a rag, use a clean white cloth and rub the sealer on the shaft let it dry for a few minutes. Lightly sand with 1000 with the grain until it feels smooth and the sealer is gone from the surface, that is when the pores are sealed and you can wipe it down and take a piece of leather or table felt and really rub it up and down til you feel it heating up, keep doing this until you are satisfied with the feel.

Resealing the shaft will protect it from getting dirty and seal it from moisture as long as you don't leave it in a car all day. This seems like a lot or work but you will be very pleased with the results and after your first couple of shafts it will only take 15 to 20 minutes to recondition a shaft. Most repair guys charge 10.00 to 15.00 to recondition a shaft depending if you have dents in it or not and it's well worth it.

 

[TATE]

This may also be the cheapest cue-keeping lesson of your life. How would you like to have a $2000 custom with the same problem?

Poorly made shafts will warp but so will well made ones that are improperly cared for. Most of the warpage problems I see are from cues poorly cared for. When the handle and shaft are warped, chances are the stick spent one too many summer days in the trunk of a car parked in the sun. And all it takes is once. The main thing is to store them in an area that doesn't get too hot, and get a good case, preferably a hard case with some protection.

Chris

 

[Randall00]

Thanks for the response. A co-worker of mine seems to think that hanging the cue somewhere in the vicinity of a running shower would work. The reason I haven't tried it is because I happened to think the guy is a compulsive liar. But if moisture is key, what's the worst that could happen if I tried it?