Problem... and question about shaft dings

ugotactionTX

ugotactionTX

I'm in dead rack!
Silver Member
I have a really nice player by Darrin Hill with two nice, tightly grained shafts. However, out of necessity, I have had to become an EXPERT at removing dings in the shafts through all of the various methods discussed in these pages.

But here is my question... Does anyone have any methods, creams, ointments, burnishing techniques, or tricks to make them more resistant to getting dings? I try to be careful and don't abuse them in any way. but if a fly were to run into the edge of my shaft... It would take on a ding.... The shafts play FANTASTIC but seem to be very soft (compared to some others that I've had) I have a shaft on a madison bob that you could probably drive nails with, without any blemish.... but a sneeze in the direction of these Hill shafts and you might have a dent to park a truck in :D (not exactly)

reading about MG's new "freeze" technique got me thinking about this.

any suggestions? please assume I know NOTHING so I don't miss anything:thumbup:
 
maybe the freeze

Maybe the freeze will be the new miracle, I'm watching it pretty closely. I have to admit dealing with MEK doesn't thrill me to be applying it myself, dealt with MEK years ago and it is pretty dangerous stuff.

The only other option I know to harden a shaft is to burnish it. Clean it good, don't worry about raising the grain a little, and then use a piece of clean new leather to apply heat and pressure while spinning the shaft. Without a lathe you can improvise something to hold in a drill or buy a pin or cheap joint protector from one of the suppliers. Apply a lot of pressure but be careful you don't actually burn the shaft. This will shrink the diameter of the shaft so it will need to be feathered out an inch or two from the ferule and several inches from the joint ring. This will leave a slight bottleneck to the shaft as normal usage eventually will but is the only suggestion I have. If you want the size of the shaft reduced a little anyway let a cue smith do it and take down the ferule and tip to match.

I had an early eighties meucci with a shaft like you describe. It picked up dents from flies landing on nearby shafts!

Hu



ugotactionTX said:
I have a really nice player by Darrin Hill with two nice, tightly grained shafts. However, out of necessity, I have had to become an EXPERT at removing dings in the shafts through all of the various methods discussed in these pages.

But here is my question... Does anyone have any methods, creams, ointments, burnishing techniques, or tricks to make them more resistant to getting dings? I try to be careful and don't abuse them in any way. but if a fly were to run into the edge of my shaft... It would take on a ding.... The shafts play FANTASTIC but seem to be very soft (compared to some others that I've had) I have a shaft on a madison bob that you could probably drive nails with, without any blemish.... but a sneeze in the direction of these Hill shafts and you might have a dent to park a truck in :D (not exactly)

reading about MG's new "freeze" technique got me thinking about this.

any suggestions? please assume I know NOTHING so I don't miss anything:thumbup:
Click to expand...
 
ShootingArts said:
Maybe the freeze will be the new miracle, I'm watching it pretty closely. I have to admit dealing with MEK doesn't thrill me to be applying it myself, dealt with MEK years ago and it is pretty dangerous stuff.

The only other option I know to harden a shaft is to burnish it. Clean it good, don't worry about raising the grain a little, and then use a piece of clean new leather to apply heat and pressure while spinning the shaft. Without a lathe you can improvise something to hold in a drill or buy a pin or cheap joint protector from one of the suppliers. Apply a lot of pressure but be careful you don't actually burn the shaft. This will shrink the diameter of the shaft so it will need to be feathered out an inch or two from the ferule and several inches from the joint ring. This will leave a slight bottleneck to the shaft as normal usage eventually will but is the only suggestion I have. If you want the size of the shaft reduced a little anyway let a cue smith do it and take down the ferule and tip to match.

I had an early eighties meucci with a shaft like you describe. It picked up dents from flies landing on nearby shafts!

Hu
Click to expand...

Ugh that stuff has MEK in it? I hate the smell of that stuff. We use it where I work. I remember working in the lab helping someone for a week. That lab was full of that stuff and he didn't have a door/window open or an exhaust fan on. I was getting a massive headache and my stomach was turning when he told me that he didn't have the exhaust fan on and he can't smell it anymore.
 
The only thing I can tell you about preventing dings is to be more careful. I have always been protective of my stuff. If I'm in a pool hall by myself you won't see me go to the bathroom because I fear thieving bastards.
 
I got the new jb from MG and the shaft does have the freeze coating and does make a world of difference. It is not slick like a cuetec or fiberglass... Has a special coating that I just love. Hard to explain. Feels like a normal shaft. You won't be sorry.

ugotactionTX said:
I have a really nice player by Darrin Hill with two nice, tightly grained shafts. However, out of necessity, I have had to become an EXPERT at removing dings in the shafts through all of the various methods discussed in these pages.

But here is my question... Does anyone have any methods, creams, ointments, burnishing techniques, or tricks to make them more resistant to getting dings? I try to be careful and don't abuse them in any way. but if a fly were to run into the edge of my shaft... It would take on a ding.... The shafts play FANTASTIC but seem to be very soft (compared to some others that I've had) I have a shaft on a madison bob that you could probably drive nails with, without any blemish.... but a sneeze in the direction of these Hill shafts and you might have a dent to park a truck in :D (not exactly)

reading about MG's new "freeze" technique got me thinking about this.

any suggestions? please assume I know NOTHING so I don't miss anything:thumbup:
Click to expand...
 
BENFICA said:
I got the new jb from MG and the shaft does have the freeze coating and does make a world of difference. It is not slick like a cuetec or fiberglass... Has a special coating that I just love. Hard to explain. Feels like a normal shaft. You won't be sorry.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about driving down there to have my shafts done. Does it keep the shafts slick? I'm not worried about dings nearly as much as I would want the slickness of the shaft to hold.

*stands up* My name is Chris and I am a slick shaft addict.

In my bag I have Q Glide, Q Smooth, Q Slick, Cue Silk, a Porpers shaft polisher and a towel. I will use at least one of these on any day I play and all of them during the course of a week of playing. I cringe at the site of baby powder, cone chalk and rosin bags.
 
ugotactionTX said:
I have a really nice player by Darrin Hill with two nice, tightly grained shafts. However, out of necessity, I have had to become an EXPERT at removing dings in the shafts through all of the various methods discussed in these pages.

But here is my question... Does anyone have any methods, creams, ointments, burnishing techniques, or tricks to make them more resistant to getting dings? I try to be careful and don't abuse them in any way. but if a fly were to run into the edge of my shaft... It would take on a ding.... The shafts play FANTASTIC but seem to be very soft (compared to some others that I've had) I have a shaft on a madison bob that you could probably drive nails with, without any blemish.... but a sneeze in the direction of these Hill shafts and you might have a dent to park a truck in :D (not exactly)

reading about MG's new "freeze" technique got me thinking about this.

any suggestions? please assume I know NOTHING so I don't miss anything:thumbup:
Click to expand...


Here is a product that I have used that may work for you, but I have never tried it on shafts. However, I use it to harden softer woods before they are cored for forearms, or butt sleeves. Before, I started doing this I noticed that softer woods even finished, where more likely to dent than harder woods used.

So I started looking for something to help make softer woods harder and this product has worked very well for me. When I use it, I use at least 220 grit paper to remove any surface contaminates and to open the pores of the wood, I then apply the product and let it dry for 24 hrs before finishing.

1.jpg

2.jpg

Hope this helps.
 
gunzby said:
I was thinking about driving down there to have my shafts done. Does it keep the shafts slick? I'm not worried about dings nearly as much as I would want the slickness of the shaft to hold.

*stands up* My name is Chris and I am a slick shaft addict.

In my bag I have Q Glide, Q Smooth, Q Slick, Cue Silk, a Porpers shaft polisher and a towel. I will use at least one of these on any day I play and all of them during the course of a week of playing. I cringe at the site of baby powder, cone chalk and rosin bags.
Click to expand...

It sure does keep it slick and Mike Gulyassy will explain you how it works and will let you try one of his finished shafts.
 
Neil said:
Seriously, sounds like you just have to be super careful with those shafts. Don't lean them against tables or chairs, ect.
Click to expand...
Up until recently, I used to lean my cue against a table and would frequently have to get the dings out of my shaft.

Then I started using a Pool Cue Rack and the number of dings has gone down tremendously. It's versatile enough that it can be attached to any table. See link below:
http://www.poolndarts.com/p-5732-Porper-Place-Pool-Cue-Rack/
It only cost $13.
 
Neil said:
If you are talking about MG new stuff, go for it. If you are talking about the wood hardener that Manwon showed, think twice. While it will make your shafter less prone to dings, it will also make it much stiffer.
Click to expand...

Neil, like I said above I have never tried it on shafts, but it certainly works great for softer woods used in forearms, like burls, Birdseye Maple, Quilted Maple and other softer woods. As far as shafts, it may make them stiffer, I am uncertain, however, many players do like a stiffer hitting cue anyway.

Craig
 
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makes me wonder

manwon said:
Dean, like I said above I have never tried it on shafts, but it certainly works great for softer woods used in forearms, like burls, Birdseye Maple, Quilted Maple and other softer woods. As far as shafts, it may make them stiffer, I am uncertain, however, many players do like a stiffer hitting cue anyway.

Craig
Click to expand...

Craig,

Any idea how wood feels after applying the wood hardener and sanding the surface? I don't remember the old soft maple shafts being as sensitive to which way you turned them as the hard maple shafts are. Wonder if we went back to soft maple shafts with a hardener? . . .

Just thinking.

Hu
 
ShootingArts said:
Craig,

Any idea how wood feels after applying the wood hardener and sanding the surface? I don't remember the old soft maple shafts being as sensitive to which way you turned them as the hard maple shafts are. Wonder if we went back to soft maple shafts with a hardener? . . .

Just thinking.

Hu
Click to expand...

Hu, I am unsure, like I said, I started using the Hardener to stiffen the softer woods being used in forearms and butts. It certainly works very well for this application. I also use it when I am turning woods like Birdseye maple and Burls to prevent the eyes from popping out or chipping during turning.

Your idea with shafts may work very well, I suspect the only way to find out to give it a test. That is what I have done with the other woods I use in on. I have never heard or read of anyone else using this product, except the gentleman who told me about it. He used for softer woods like pine when building furniture, and said he had been using similar products for many years.

Take Care HU!:smile:
 
Care to share....

gunzby said:
..............

In my bag I have Q Glide, Q Smooth, Q Slick, Cue Silk, a Porpers shaft polisher and a towel. I will use at least one of these on any day I play and all of them during the course of a week of playing. I cringe at the site of baby powder, cone chalk and rosin bags.
Click to expand...

a little feedback or reviews of the above products??

td
 
I sent this to you in a PM as well

grindz said:
a little feedback or reviews of the above products??

td
Click to expand...

Q Glide, Q Slick and Cue Silk are all liquid products. I was pretty hesitant of using this on wood, but figured what the hell.

Q Slick works great. You coat your shaft with it, wait a minute and then buff it out with a towel. It works good on wood as well as fiber glass shafts. It slicks up your shaft well and holds fairly well too. You have to make sure to buff it out well or it will make your shaft feel grimy.

Q Glide also works great and is even slicker. With this you only need to put a drop or two on your shaft and rub it in with a paper towel...no buffing needed. It is incredibly slick and does last for a good while.

Cue Silk is nice, but seems to be more of a cleaner than a slicker. It makes your shaft seem squeaky clean and does involve buffing. I do like using this because it makes your shaft feel brand new.

Q Smooth is nothing more than very fine sandpaper. They are washable so they do last a good while. If your shaft is gummed up with chalk, baby powder and dirt. You could use this alone, but it will change the dimensions of your shaft over the years.

Porpers shaft slicker is the only product I wasn't very impressed with. I mainly use it to buff my shaft after using Cue Silk or Q Slick.

I were to recommend any of them I would say Q Smooth and Q Slick. The Q Smooth will clean it up really good and the Q Slick will finish it off making it very slick.
 
gunzby said:
Q Glide, Q Slick and Cue Silk are all liquid products. I was pretty hesitant of using this on wood, but figured what the hell.

Q Slick works great. You coat your shaft with it, wait a minute and then buff it out with a towel. It works good on wood as well as fiber glass shafts. It slicks up your shaft well and holds fairly well too. You have to make sure to buff it out well or it will make your shaft feel grimy.

Q Glide also works great and is even slicker. With this you only need to put a drop or two on your shaft and rub it in with a paper towel...no buffing needed. It is incredibly slick and does last for a good while.

Cue Silk is nice, but seems to be more of a cleaner than a slicker. It makes your shaft seem squeaky clean and does involve buffing. I do like using this because it makes your shaft feel brand new.

Q Smooth is nothing more than very fine sandpaper. They are washable so they do last a good while. If your shaft is gummed up with chalk, baby powder and dirt. You could use this alone, but it will change the dimensions of your shaft over the years.

Porpers shaft slicker is the only product I wasn't very impressed with. I mainly use it to buff my shaft after using Cue Silk or Q Slick.

I were to recommend any of them I would say Q Smooth and Q Slick. The Q Smooth will clean it up really good and the Q Slick will finish it off making it very slick.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reviews. I suppose you are in the group of people who absolutely refuse to use a glove. I use one when the Texas humidity calls for one. I can tell you this, combined with a product like Q-Slick, a good, quality pool glove makes the shaft feel slicker 'n owl shit. You just hafta be able to put up with all the "Michael Jackson" jokes :D !!!

Maniac
 
ugotactionTX said:
I have a really nice player by Darrin Hill with two nice, tightly grained shafts. However, out of necessity, I have had to become an EXPERT at removing dings in the shafts through all of the various methods discussed in these pages.

But here is my question... Does anyone have any methods, creams, ointments, burnishing techniques, or tricks to make them more resistant to getting dings? I try to be careful and don't abuse them in any way. but if a fly were to run into the edge of my shaft... It would take on a ding.... The shafts play FANTASTIC but seem to be very soft (compared to some others that I've had) I have a shaft on a madison bob that you could probably drive nails with, without any blemish.... but a sneeze in the direction of these Hill shafts and you might have a dent to park a truck in :D (not exactly)

reading about MG's new "freeze" technique got me thinking about this.

any suggestions? please assume I know NOTHING so I don't miss anything:thumbup:
Click to expand...

Which ding removal method did you settle on? Do you roll them out with rod or bottle?

Kelly
 
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