I usually will sand my shafts to clean them, But I am looking for alternatives. Some say Magic erasers,(there are lots of manufacturers of these things, any brand in particular? And am I even thinking of the right thing?) some say Comet household cleaner..Can any of you please elaborate on how to go about using these for me or offer other detailed suggestions? Thanks
Shaft cleaner????
- Thread starter caromshot
- Start date
Since reading it on here a couple years back I use the Mr Clean magic eraser on my shafts and it keeps them very clean. I usually get the super magic eraser just for its size. I haven't tried any other brands but I would assume they should have similar results. I have heard of using them with water or alcohol if the shaft has a lot of bluing, but I always use mine dry.
After cleaning it you will want to use a piece of leather to burnish away the fiber residue from the magic eraser.
After cleaning it you will want to use a piece of leather to burnish away the fiber residue from the magic eraser.
Ive tired the hand sanitizer before and it worked enough to get the top dirt adn muck off. As said before use a magic eraser (slightly damp) and give the shaft a light brushing till its clean. I then use a micro-fiber towel to buff the hell out of it. Looks like new and gives you a nice smooth stroke :thumbup:
Get the Wal-Mart brand of magic eraser. It is the exact same product only a much cheaper. And they work wonderfully.
kybill9
Banned
Depends on how long you let your shaft go before you clean. May require bleaching, other wood cleaning products. There is a sink cleaner that has no abrasive in it that works well. Make sure you let shaft dry and apply a nice thin coat of floor wax, spinning your cue at medium RPMs to seal the wax.
I tried the target brand magic eraser and it worked fine, but the ferel still had some blue on it. I had read somewhere that turtle wax polishing compound would work and it cleaned even better than the magic eraser, I followed that with a drying run using 2000 grit sandpaper and a buff with a thrift store bought leather purse modified for cue buffing. The inside of the leather had some weird foam on it so I used the outside. My cue shaft is like glass now. I am going to try sealing with LP custom wax, mostly 'cause I could not find butchers bowling alley wax for less than 20.00 and I don't need a can of wax to pass on after I die. Good luck, I have heard of people using denatured alcohol with the magic eraser but I have seen test done on water absorption for wood and you would really need to soak it for it to matter. A couple of minutes of cleaning followed by drying should never be a problem. You could probably skip the 2000 grit sandpaper and just burnish with leather or a dollar bill. I also read about using soft scrub with bleach to get a very "white" shaft but have no persona l experience with that method. Good luck, John
If the shaft is not too dirty use Magic Erser dry. I buy the Rinso brand Magic Eraser at a .99cent store but any brand will do. I cut the Magic Eraser block into 4 or 5 pieces width-wise. If the shaft is very dirty, then wet the Magic Eraser with iso-propyl alcohol and clean the shaft. I use Q-Smooth micro-burnishing film to smooth the shaft. Then one or two coats of Butcher Bowling Alley wax. After each playing session, a quick wipe down with a dry piece of Magic Eraser keeps the shaft and ferrule clean.
Hmmmm
Start with a bottle of RX Cue Doctor shaft cleaner and conditioner.
1) Use clean cloth to clean and scrub to take off "gunk" and then repeat to clean deep down. It also cleans your ferrule as well. Finish with clean cloth to polish.
2) Then use some 3000 grit wet/dry silicon carbide electro coated sand paper to smooth and polish. (3000 grit is bascially is ultra fine and is considered a polisher) You can use step 2 every 3rd or 4th cleaning.....
3) Then use a good leather burnishing pad to close the pores and also to smoothen it out some more.
Then your done. Go Play.
I've been using this method for long time, though recently changed to RX Cue Doctor because I could not find Shark Oil cleaner anymore. If you can see ANY chalk on your ferrule, I believe your shaft is overdue for a cleaning imho.
Start with a bottle of RX Cue Doctor shaft cleaner and conditioner.
1) Use clean cloth to clean and scrub to take off "gunk" and then repeat to clean deep down. It also cleans your ferrule as well. Finish with clean cloth to polish.
2) Then use some 3000 grit wet/dry silicon carbide electro coated sand paper to smooth and polish. (3000 grit is bascially is ultra fine and is considered a polisher) You can use step 2 every 3rd or 4th cleaning.....
3) Then use a good leather burnishing pad to close the pores and also to smoothen it out some more.
Then your done. Go Play.
I've been using this method for long time, though recently changed to RX Cue Doctor because I could not find Shark Oil cleaner anymore. If you can see ANY chalk on your ferrule, I believe your shaft is overdue for a cleaning imho.
Thats an excellent suggestion Bud. I keep several strips of the alcohol swabs in my case. They work great on ferulles and a quick shaft clean.
My wife is a nurse so she purloins the odd box for me.
They can be had at any Pharmacy, cheap by the box.
ME is best used with Isopropyl, if you're going to wet it, as it evaporates quickly. Water can soak in and raise the grain of the wood.
I'm not advocating the use of this but it seems that some cream shaft cleaners have a bit of grit in them. The billiard shop just uses Vim as it seems to be pretty much the same cream cleaner. I don't see the difference myself. Just read the contents of any commercial cleaner before you use it and if you're not comfortable with it, don't try it.
As a side note, if you're going to use an alcohol swab on your shaft, it may leave it a bit on the unsmooth side. Any Phamacy that carrys ladies hair care frizz products, Pantene for a cheap example will replace the expensive small bottle of Cue Silk bought at the Ye Olde Billiard Shope.
Cue silk or Pantene as a replacement doesn't really last last long but its great for a quick fix at the hall on league night after an alcohol swab wipe down.
My wife is a nurse so she purloins the odd box for me.
They can be had at any Pharmacy, cheap by the box.
ME is best used with Isopropyl, if you're going to wet it, as it evaporates quickly. Water can soak in and raise the grain of the wood.
I'm not advocating the use of this but it seems that some cream shaft cleaners have a bit of grit in them. The billiard shop just uses Vim as it seems to be pretty much the same cream cleaner. I don't see the difference myself. Just read the contents of any commercial cleaner before you use it and if you're not comfortable with it, don't try it.
As a side note, if you're going to use an alcohol swab on your shaft, it may leave it a bit on the unsmooth side. Any Phamacy that carrys ladies hair care frizz products, Pantene for a cheap example will replace the expensive small bottle of Cue Silk bought at the Ye Olde Billiard Shope.
Cue silk or Pantene as a replacement doesn't really last last long but its great for a quick fix at the hall on league night after an alcohol swab wipe down.
Be very careful when sanding your shaft if you are not using a lathe. Over time, you may flat spot it.
The very best idea is to drop it off at your friendly neighborhood cue repair shop and have it cleaned professionally. When you are having it re-tipped is a good time.
Oh yeah. Don't forget to have your pets spayed and neutered, and learn One Pocket. You'll thank me later.
The very best idea is to drop it off at your friendly neighborhood cue repair shop and have it cleaned professionally. When you are having it re-tipped is a good time.
Oh yeah. Don't forget to have your pets spayed and neutered, and learn One Pocket. You'll thank me later.
When I clean my shafts I use that cue silk powder cleaner. Then finish with q wax. But in between I apply bio silk (found at a salon) with a porper leather square. I forget what it's called.
Try Mother's Chrome Polish . You can buy it at any auto parts store. Just a small amount on a soft cloth and burnish it. Works great. A lot of cue repair guys use it. The shaft will look new, and feel smooth as silk