new guy here....shaft question

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aZnjCC

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hey everyone...been a lurker for awhile and finally decided to register.

anyways..I just bought a Lucasi L-D2 about 3 weeks ago. I'm pretty happy about the cue, since my first one was a cuetec about 2 years ago, which i sold within 3 months because i hated that fiberglass shaft. When I got my lucasi, the shaft felt nice, but then i realized that I did not like that waxy feeling at all from the "french cue wax" they apply at the factory. I prefer the smooth raw wood feel much better than the waxy coating that tends to get tacky.

What is the best way to acheive that raw wood feel? I know i could prolly sand off the wax, but i'm kind of afraid. Is 600 grit too coarse, or should i go at least 100 grit? also, once all the wax is off, do i just leave the bare wood, or should i still put on some kind of protective coating? remember, i dont' want that weird feeling of wax, reminds me too much of my cuetec.

thanks for the help guys.
 
hrm...das what i was thinkin....

is Lucasi and players the only ones that come coated with this wax? some people seem to love it.....and i did at first....but once my hand starts perspiring....i gotta keep wiping the shaft down.
 
Don't waste the money, you can do it. 600, then 1000, then emery cloth, then rolled-up black and white news paper. The dried ink works as a sealer. All the "Old" players know about this and do it. You will love the feel.
 
^
The reason why I said he should take it to a professional with a lathe is because it can be sanded perfectly straight with a lathe for probably $10-20. Using sandpaper and your hand, you wont be able to do it perfectly straight, and if you make a mistake, you can mess up the shaft.
 
pro player...i think the cuemaker would really have to be quite experienced and extremely reliable.......when a shaft is turning on a lathe at whatever 100's rpm, and running a sandpaper, crossways, up and down the cue, any slightest hesitation can cause a significant over-sanding in those parts of the cue. this happened to me with an inexperienced cuemaker. i ended up with a "crooked" shaft that had to be totally recut.

i do it all myself now and am quite proficient at it.

aznjcc, continually turn the shaft while you run the sandpaper up and down,,,,,,AND ALSO use two or three different ways to sand(thus avoiding the possibility of creating a crooked shaft because of a continuous pattern), you will do just dandy. also 600 grit is very fine, so you won't over-sand.

ALSO,,,,WHEN YOU SAND, run the samdpaper PAST THE FERRULE!!! that way, you won't get that concave dip that people do when they only sand UP TO the ferrule. you will only be sanding off the wax, so you won't err. the most important thing to remember is to give even pressure throughout, thus the constant turning, cupping the sandpaper, and varying your technique.

i've done this on my peterson cues, and they turned out great. you will get a nice even sanding. i went from 400, 1000, 1500, 2400, 3600, 5000, 8000. micro-mesh abrasives,,,$12 a sheet,,,they are cloth backed, and washable, and reusable. google search for a dealer.
 
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AZNJCC, Listen to what Bruin70 says. He knows of what he speaks. You should cut and paste his remarks to a file or print it out cause, he is right. The only thing I would add is the news paper sealer at the end. It's an old trick but it works well.
 
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thanks guys...just a couple of minutes before bruins post i had sanded down my shaft with the 600 grit already....and wow it turned out great!! no more tacky waxy feelin...it's jus the feelin of smooooth wood now. I opted to use the brown paper bag...i was reluctant to use the newspaper cuz i don't want my shaft turnin black or whatever.
 
aZnjCC said:
thanks guys,,,, no more tacky waxy feelin...it's jus the feelin of smooooth wood now. I opted to use the brown paper bag...i was reluctant to use the newspaper cuz i don't want my shaft turnin black or whatever.
Click to expand...

i use a dollar bill, sometimes. but if i want a really good buff, i'll use a five or ten.:):)
 
I don't really know of any inexperienced cuemakers. When I am in California, Joe Porper does all the work for me, and he's one of the best out there. Telling someone who is relatively new to cue customizing how to do something themselves on a message board is not a very good idea. If he makes a mistake he can ruin his shaft. If he takes it to a pro, he can watch while it's done and learn for himself by seeing it done, rather than reading typed words trying to visualize what you are trying to say.
 
sand it on a 400 something first then finetune it on an 800.
i also prefer maple shafts, my minnesota fats cue stick and my pinnacle cue stick has maple shafts, and whenever i play on tourneys, i make it a point to sand them on 1000 for a natural wood feeling...:D
 
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