new shaft-turn yellow/green. why?

Price Bogart

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I recently got a new cue w three shafts. one shaft has turned a yellowish green. almost like a highlighter. I don't use this shaft. I keep all three shaft's in the same case. the other 2 shafts are fine. Can anyone explain why? Also can anyone tell how to make it white again.

thank you.
 
Assuming all three shafts are Maple and the color change is superficial you would have to re-finished the shaft. I've seen this happen when using outdated finish products.

Mario
 
yellow stain

I'll guess the shaft was cleaned with bleach or something that contains bleach. That yellow-green color is characteristic. A few years ago I used Softscrub With Bleach on some shafts and on an unfinished curly maple butt that I had brought to the poolroom to test-hit and stained it with chalk. With time, after I "cleaned" it, the butt turned almost florescent yellow with a hint of green. So did the unfinished portions of the shafts. Hideous. On the butt, the yellow happened after I finished it...it looked like a leopard.
Sanding fixed it but the staining was fairly deep.

Just my guess. I'll never forget that yellow-green color.

Edit: Yes, a LOT like a highlighter!

Robin Snyder
 
Last edited:
I'll guess the shaft was cleaned with bleach or something that contains bleach. That yellow-green color is characteristic. A few years ago I used Softscrub With Bleach on some shafts and on an unfinished curly maple butt that I had brought to the poolroom to test-hit and stained it with chalk. With time, after I "cleaned" it, the butt turned almost florescent yellow with a hint of green. So did the unfinished portions of the shafts. Hideous. On the butt, the yellow happened after I finished it...it looked like a leopard.
Sanding fixed it but the staining was fairly deep.

Just my guess. I'll never forget that yellow-green color.

Edit: Yes, a LOT like a highlighter!

Robin Snyder


Thanks for the info. I have sanded it but not to much. maybe i need to take it down further.
 
Don't Bogart that shaft my friend, pass it over to me.

Hey, had to add a little Easy Rider in there.
 
Is it the shaft you have been playing with the most? Could the problem partially be chalk getting into the shaft from use? Some sealers yellow really bad over time so chalk dust and sanding sealer issues would be my guess without seeing the shaft.
 
Is it the shaft you have been playing with the most? Could the problem partially be chalk getting into the shaft from use? Some sealers yellow really bad over time so chalk dust and sanding sealer issues would be my guess without seeing the shaft.

I don't use this shaft. It's stays in my bag. I have 3 shafts in my bag and only one changed color. I can't figure our why or how to make it white again. any ideas???
 
I don't use this shaft. It's stays in my bag. I have 3 shafts in my bag and only one changed color. I can't figure our why or how to make it white again. any ideas???

If a shaft that has not been sealed comes into contact with moisture it can turn yellow, but the yellow is usually more spotty. So it could be lack of sealer or wrong kind of sealer. It could also be a reaction between a chemical the shaft was soaked in and the sealer. This happens when not enough time is allowed for the shaft to dry after soaking it in Nelsonite or similar chemicals before sealing. Take it to your local cue repairman and have him sand it down a little on his lathe and reseal it. If the yellow sands off you will know it was the sealer or lack of sealer. If there is a chemical smell coming from the shaft after he sands it down you might want to hang it for a few weeks and then have him sand it lightly again and seal it.
 
yellow/green

I think people would appreciate if you contacted the cuemaker and
see what products he used. We're not looking to second think the
cuemaker, but it would be much more informative if we could know the
products involved. Like Chris, I believe it's a preservative that didn't
dry, but it would be nice to know if it was nelsonite or one of the new ones on the market place.
 
Back
Top