repair of slight dings in my cue shaft

N

newyorkandy

Registered
sorry if this has been asked, but i did search a bit...

I have a few dings in my predator 314 nd2 shaft.

Can I do the water swell thing myself?

If so, is there a preferred technique?

Or am I just better to let the local pro handle it?

Thanks and sorry if I'm outta line here...
 
ive used a shot glass on my 314 a few times and ive tried the water thing b4 and had no luck with that, but ive heard that to do it correctly you have to use damp toilet paper and wrap it around the ding over night, but ive also heard but never tried as well that you can take a wet cotton cue tip and an iron to the ding wich is a scary thought to be putting what around 200 degrees of heat on your shaft....... i just stick to the shot glass its easy and you cant really mess anything up if you just go slow and smooth
 
Shot glasses and those glass rods are not reccomended by most cue repair guys on here. I asked this question about a year ago, and I have tried a couple things that work well. The best one Ive tried is put a couple cups of water in a pan, cover it with foil, poke a small hole in the foil and get the water to boil. Once it starts boiling, slowly turn the shaft over the hole letting the steam hit the spots where the shaft is dinged. It is a slow and steady process, just keep moving the shaft back and forth while turning it. After that, let it air dry for a few hours or even a day or so, then VERY lightly sand the bumps out of the shaft. It works very very well. I did this to a shaft about a month ago that had a LOT of dings in it, and after I was done, it was very smooth. Good luck with whatever you try.



Joe
 
I used the steam method for several years as described above with success.

Last month however, I tried placing a damp cloth over the ding and moving the tip of a hot iron back and forth on top of the cloth. Did it two times for about 30-45 seconds each. No more ding. Burnushed it smooth and done in less than 10 mins. I think same as steam method, just faster.
 
Steam is the way to go. Use a tea kettle. You don't want to be compressing your shaft with glass or be pressing too heavily with an iron.

Should be a fairly simple fix. Good Luck.
 
SK Custom Cues said:
Steam is the way to go. Use a tea kettle. You don't want to be compressing your shaft with glass or be pressing too heavily with an iron.

Should be a fairly simple fix. Good Luck.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify, when I use the iron and the damp cloth, I do not press on the iron at all. Just move the iron tip back and forth lightly on the cloth to create the steam.
 
GADawg said:
Just to clarify, when I use the iron and the damp cloth, I do not press on the iron at all. Just move the iron tip back and forth lightly on the cloth to create the steam.
Click to expand...

I just happened to watch "Chris Hightower's Cue Repair Video" last night. Chris lightly sands the ding before applying the steam to raise the grain of the wood. He also goes on to refinish the shaft and makes the point that without a lathe it is impossible to get a fine smooth finish.

I now keep a small piece of Nylon Window Screen in my cue case for hand burnishing my shaft. I am amazed at how well a piece of scrap window screen can make life easier.

FYI Chris Hightower makes and sells one of the best and most popular cue lathes on the market today. He is a member here and gives great after market support to the lathes he builds. I am actually the 5th owner of a older Hightower Cue Smith and Chris still gives me wonderful support and information any time I ask.
 
Here's how I steamed out dents (not gouges) in all the shafts I worked on.
Put on your reading glasses, or use a hand held mangnifier, find the dents and circle them with a pencil then lay the shaft flat on a towel (I held them between centers on my lathe).
Roll it until you spot a circle.
Take a medium wet dish rag and lay a corner of it on the shaft, just enough to cover the dent.
Take a pre-heated iron (linen setting) and press the cloth over the dent. This should only last a second, or less, and you will hear a 'spit' come from the area you are working on, along with a puff of water vapor.
Remove the wash cloth and check your circle. Small dents usually come out in one application. Larger ones sometimes take two or three trys.
Remember! You don't iron the dents out with lots of heat. You only touch the damp cloth long enough to hear the 'spit' sound, then go on to the next circle.
After the dents are gone, clean, seal, and wax as you normally do.
Gouges are a different story and will be examined in depth at a later date.
They don't call me Steamer for nothin'.
 
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