Old idea, new thread

[asmith74]

Has anyone tried to tighten and smooth their linen wrap with wax paper? I just gave it a shot on one of my older cues and it seems to work like a charm. Obviously you don’t want to go against the grain, but if you can figure out in what direction the linen was spun, it’s pretty freak’n cool. The wax is a bit tacky at first but it fades, and the wrap is as tight as when you bought it. I bet it would be perfect if I could do this on a lathe.

 

[Tro]

I don't know if this applies here, but I'll tell ya what I do to clean my irish linen wraps...

I dampen a rag with warm water and a hint of regular soap. I wipe it down and gently grind the rag into the wrap, then rinse the rag and repeat with no soap on it.

After that, I'll take a blowdryer and dry the wrap out...not completely, but it gets the process started and then I let the cue sit for a few hours.

Once it's dry, take a smooth glass..shot glass, drinking glass, dent buffer...anything that's smooth glass and run it vigorously over the wrap as you turn the cue over and over. Do this over the entire wrap and you'll end up with a tight, clean, glossy wrap.

 

[Pushout]

Has anyone tried to tighten and smooth their linen wrap with wax paper? I just gave it a shot on one of my older cues and it seems to work like a charm. Obviously you don’t want to go against the grain, but if you can figure out in what direction the linen was spun, it’s pretty freak’n cool. The wax is a bit tacky at first but it fades, and the wrap is as tight as when you bought it. I bet it would be perfect if I could do this on a lathe.

OLD trick, I heard of this years ago.

 

[cuesmith]

Don't do it!!!!!!

Has anyone tried to tighten and smooth their linen wrap with wax paper? I just gave it a shot on one of my older cues and it seems to work like a charm. Obviously you don’t want to go against the grain, but if you can figure out in what direction the linen was spun, it’s pretty freak’n cool. The wax is a bit tacky at first but it fades, and the wrap is as tight as when you bought it. I bet it would be perfect if I could do this on a lathe.

I hate to tell you but you've just screwed up your wrap! The parafin wax on wax paper is way too soft and while it may feel fine today, I guarantee you'll regret using it on your wrap. The parafin traps any dirt it can work off your hands and chalk dust in the wrap and can hardly be cleaned properly. Once it gets dirty it's much easier to re-wrap the cue than it is to get the old wrap to even 50% as clean as it should be. My old friend Joey Spaeth (RIP) came up with this idea back in the 80's and before I could straighten him out on it he'd given a bunch of people around here his little tip. For years I've been dealing with the fall out and trying to re-educate the pool players around here not to do this. Hope your advice doesn't take off because it's a real bad idea in the long run!

 

[Ken_4fun]

I hate to tell you but you've just screwed up your wrap! The parafin wax on wax paper is way too soft and while it may feel fine today, I guarantee you'll regret using it on your wrap. The parafin traps any dirt it can work off your hands and chalk dust in the wrap and can hardly be cleaned properly. Once it gets dirty it's much easier to re-wrap the cue than it is to get the old wrap to even 50% as clean as it should be. My old friend Joey Spaeth (RIP) came up with this idea back in the 80's and before I could straighten him out on it he'd given a bunch of people around here his little tip. For years I've been dealing with the fall out and trying to re-educate the pool players around here not to do this. Hope your advice doesn't take off because it's a real bad idea in the long run!

Sherm -

And maybe Im way off here too, but I have never had good luck cleaning my own wrap.

My experience has been try to keep your hands clean, and when the wrap finally gets dirty just have it re-wrapped. It very inexpensive.

Just my two cents,

Ken

 

[Pushout]

OLD trick, I heard of this years ago.

I should say I've never tried this myself and agree that it your wrap gets so dirty that you feel the need to mess with it, your better off having it re-wrapped.

 

[jayman]

If a wrap is loose / not glued well to the handle, and you tighten it by taking up the slack by turning it, You will very likely end up with a VERY loose bit of string at the opposite end that you started from. If so, it will need to be detached from the cue, slack removed, and then properly re-attached. If I find a loose but intact wrap I try re-gluing by working some white Elmers glue deep into the string without disturbing the thread (if possible), then re-pressing etc..as you would a new one. the absorption of the fresh glue expands the string a little tightening it up as well as adhering it in place again.

I've come across a lot of Helmstetter's where the wraps were in like new condition, but the glue had failed underneath them. this saved me from re-wrapping a few cues that really didn't need a new one.

 

[Q-MasterRat]

If you are just trying to smooth out the wrap, and not clean it. I have for years used Bees Wax and a peice of leather, rub the Bees wax on and Burnish it with the smooth side of the leather, works like a charm and doesn't leave it tacky, just fills in the ridges. Usually needed on brand new wraps.