Now, let's get on another "taboo" subject.
SILICONE.
People will tell you that you should NEVER, EVER, NEVER, EVER even touch your cue with ANY type of silicone.
I have used a silicone impregnated gun cloth on my shafts HUNDREDS of times and they haven't fallen apart. I've even used it to shine up the forearms and butts on some of my cues.
Where did I learn this? Let's guess.
In a pool hall when I was working there as a teen 50 years ago.
An old guy came in and when I was watching him and racking the table (they paid by the game and we racked the balls), I noticed he kept wiping his cue with a yellow cloth.
I asked him what it was and he told me and I checked his cue out. It was slicker than goose grease, but not oily. He told me the sporting store he bought it in and I bought one. I used them for decades and had one up until a couple years ago until somebody stole my bag.
BUT NO, NO, NO.
NEVER DO THAT.
You will NEVER be able to refinish the cue again.
WELL, I've had two of them refinished twice over the years and guess, "what?"
They are still like brand new, after 40 years.
They weren't refinished because of silicone damage. They were refinished because I had a few little dings in the finish and I like my stuff looking new.
And, like with the oil for tips, I DIDN'T soak my cue in silicone...I wiped it with a silicon cloth.
So, the moral of the story is:
Some people have done things and had no problems and other people have talked about not doing things without every doing it to see what happens.
And, please tell me I wasn't supposed to wipe my shaft down with lighter fluid the other day.
The silicone thing with cue refinishing isnt about wiping a cue with a gun rag.
It is about in a cue shop/wood finishing shop in general, silicone can get on stuff, and finishes wont adhere as well.
As far as the lighter fluid thing, I brought that up to Mortuary Mike in 2015.
https://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=5192246&postcount=67
That was in May, by end of June, he liked it well enough to be doing it for paying customers.
https://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=5225103&postcount=92
While I dont like it, because it has raised the grain on every shaft Ive ever tried it on, I dont think it harms a cue any worse than some of the other silly shit people do to theirs these days. :grin:
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