Keeping shaft smooth

jed1894

jed1894

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Without having to order/buy products from a billiard supply (other than I what I can get at Wal-mart), anyone have any homemade ways to keep the shaft slick and smooth. I'm not really talking about cleaning, such as with Majic eraser, but something to make it slide smooth after cleaning.

thanks, JED
 
1200 grit sandpaper.. pick up some sheets at the local auto parts store and cut them up into little squares.. cheap and easy.
 
If you can only go to Walmart, go to the craft section and see if you can pick up a small piece of leather. Use it to burnish your shaft.

Other things people use are brown paper bags, dollar bills, old pool table felt, etc. The key is not to use something that will remove wood.
 
Irish634 said:
If you can only go to Walmart, go to the craft section and see if you can pick up a small piece of leather. Use it to burnish your shaft.

Other things people use are brown paper bags, dollar bills, old pool table felt, etc. The key is not to use something that will remove wood.
Click to expand...

Okay, I got the leather and I got the brown paper bag. I assume I wrap the shaft and go up and down like crazy?
 
Sorry but...

Bastian said:
1200 grit sandpaper.. pick up some sheets at the local auto parts store and cut them up into little squares.. cheap and easy.
Click to expand...
I have done this when I did not know better, I will never use any kind of sand paper on my shaft again I do use a scrap of leather at times to burnish and seal the shaft but outside of a little canuaba wax every now and then I just use a slightly damp cloth to wipe the cue down after a heavy use!
 
keep cleam

wipe with mineral spirits then burnish with leather, works as good as any thing I have ever tried.
 
jed1894 said:
Without having to order/buy products from a billiard supply (other than I what I can get at Wal-mart), anyone have any homemade ways to keep the shaft slick and smooth. I'm not really talking about cleaning, such as with Majic eraser, but something to make it slide smooth after cleaning.

thanks, JED
Click to expand...


Once you get the stick smooth and free of nicks & dings and burnished keep a piece of smooth leather and burnish it every now and then.
 
1200 grit IMO only burnishes and maybe cleans surface grit. 600 grit won't take much wood off at all.. I use 600 then a piece of leather then rub the shaft with my hand. After you get the shaft where you like it do nothing but use it. The oil from your hands will put the best finish you can get.. I've been using Slip Stic about every 5 or 6 months simply because I believe it's good for the wood. Slip Stic is the only thing I've found that doesn't raise the grain and leaves the shaft extremely smooth. This and natural oil form your hand is the ultimate finish. Then just be careful with your cue so you never have to sand again.
 
jed1894 said:
Okay, I got the leather and I got the brown paper bag. I assume I wrap the shaft and go up and down like crazy?
Click to expand...

Correct. Burnish/polish the shaft to a nice bright finish. Wipe clean w/a towel, dry or damp, then dry it, then burnish it. I'm finding that's all that's needed if done frequently. I do it every time I play and several times while playing when it starts to feel a lil sticky etc.
 
MrLucky said:
I have done this when I did not know better, I will never use any kind of sand paper on my shaft again I do use a scrap of leather at times to burnish and seal the shaft but outside of a little canuaba wax every now and then I just use a slightly damp cloth to wipe the cue down after a heavy use!
Click to expand...

So it's bad? I only started doing it on Predator's recommendation.. they say abrasives are bad, to use 1500 grit instead.. Is this not true or am I missing something here?

From predatorcues.com 'technique' section:

Stay away from abrasives
Do not use any abrasives on your shaft and stay away from green pads in Pool Rooms. Using abrasives is going to take the diameter of your shaft down and modify the shape of your taper. It may even void the warranty of your Predator shaft if the ferrule or wood diameter falls below 12.25mm for 314 shafts and 11.4mm for Z shafts. Very fine micro papers (1500 grit) or burnishing is about all you need.
Click to expand...
 
i just want to clarify here a bit. a peice of leather rubbed along the shaft for maintenance. is this to be done with each use of the cue or periodically?
 
How about Pledge? I read somewhere you should be able to put a light coat on just to keep it slick.

Eric
 
jed1894 said:
Okay, I got the leather and I got the brown paper bag. I assume I wrap the shaft and go up and down like crazy?
Click to expand...


Yes, and no. Use long, light, even strokes. Don't go fast, it will generate heat and friction and those are two things we don't want. Be gentle, and the items you have should work fine. In my opinion, if you're paying decent money for a nice cue, you should allow yourself to "splurge" on some kind of product made specifically for your shaft rather than use something laying around your house. I use Q-Smooth (you can get it online for a little less than $8 I believe) and it works fantastic. You should definitely consider investing a small amount to keep your cue in great shape for a long time to come.
 
Last edited:
Eric H. said:
How about Pledge? I read somewhere you should be able to put a light coat on just to keep it slick.

Eric
Click to expand...
Eventually going to get gunky. The problem with stickiness will be enhanced.
 
I, myself, use 2000 grit. I lightly run a small 2x3 inch piece once around the whole shaft. It is just enough to take off the dirt. When you look at the sandpaper you will notice the black smudge... if you rub too hard you will see white. White would be part of you shaft. Use with caution.
 
I clean with a damp cloth and wipe dry. Wax, then burnish. In between waxings I use a quarter sized amount of lighter fluid on a cloth to make it smooth. Just use a towel periodically when playing to keep your hands dry and your shaft free from dirt. I very rarely use hand powder as this makes a film on the shaft. Tip chalk can also build up on your shaft and hands. So, with that said I also like to wash my hands if I have been playing for say more than 4-5 hours.
 
Shafts

I use 'Orange', Kroger product for cleaning, does good job.

I use Pledge for a smooth finish.

I use leather burnishers that I bought from Hal, who got them
from Jack Justis, the case maker, and they are excellent.

If shaft seems a little sticky, I grab the burnisher while out
playing and burnish it, and it is good-to-go.

I gave a few to some of my Pool buddies.
 
> I use a micro-fiber towel that I treated using a little white polishing compound,which is way up in about the 5-6000 grit range,and follow it up by rubbing Meguiar's #26 yellow carnauba wax into it. Once I get a shaft sanded and sealed like I want,I don't sand it again until I have to replace the tip. If it does get a little sticky,I use either a worn-out piece of 2000 or a slip of 3600 Micro-Mesh I've had since 1992. In cases of real humid conditions,I'll use denatured alcohol and clean all the finish off,down to bare but still slick wood,and use a fresh piece of 2000.


Sandpaper get clogged and some people think it's worn out. Others,like me,have found that once a piece of 600-up is totally loaded,if you keep going it gets "better". As the grit is getting smaller,or falling out,it becomes over time the equivalent of a fresh piece of a higher grit. If you work on a piece of 600 long enough that it gets all slick looking,it's basically the same as 2000. I had a 3"x4" piece of 2500 that was so great I used laminating plastic on the back of it to keep it from getting wrinkled up. I had that thing for 5 years. I lost it in Wal-Mart parking lot. Tommy D.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top