Shaft wax / sealant
- Thread starter Aristo
- Start date
I ran out and bought a can of butcher's, found it at ACE hardware, I used the Magic eraser/alcohol, then put the shaft on my mini lathe, and applied a thin even coat of the butcher's wax with the lathe turning, the friction/heat seemed to drive it into the pores of the wood. I let it dry for five minutes, and buffed it off with a dry towel. Results were great, the only thing that is odd about butcher's wax is that is has turpentine (per the can) in it and now my shaft smells faintly of "pine tree"
I also tried this process without the lathe, and the shaft ended up a little tacky, i think generating enough heat/friction with the wax is key. So to those that don't have a drill/lathe beware, your shafts might end up a little tacky, in my short experience with the butchers.
I also tried this process without the lathe, and the shaft ended up a little tacky, i think generating enough heat/friction with the wax is key. So to those that don't have a drill/lathe beware, your shafts might end up a little tacky, in my short experience with the butchers.
caesar said:I ran out and bought a can of butcher's, found it at ACE hardware, I used the Magic eraser/alcohol, then put the shaft on my mini lathe, and applied a thin even coat of the butcher's wax with the lathe turning, the friction/heat seemed to drive it into the pores of the wood. I let it dry for five minutes, and buffed it off with a dry towel. Results were great, the only thing that is odd about butcher's wax is that is has turpentine (per the can) in it and now my shaft smells faintly of "pine tree"
I also tried this process without the lathe, and the shaft ended up a little tacky, i think generating enough heat/friction with the wax is key. So to those that don't have a drill/lathe beware, your shafts might end up a little tacky, in my short experience with the butchers.
Great write up. But as for me, I dont own a lathe, so I'm doing mine by hand. How does it end up being "tacky"? Like messy? wax everywhere? Don't really understand.
This wax will build up such a hard finish its amazing. If done enough it will almost make your shafts feel like they've been cleared. Some like that feeling....some don't. After you've completed the process....if you feel the shafts feel "tacky"....the fix is simple. Just very lightly wipe the shaft down with 0000 steel wool. The OOOO is the finest made & almost feels close to hair. It will not remove any wood....and if used lightly it will not remove the wax build up. It will though make your shafts feel kind of satin like as it will remove some of the polished gloss. Experiment a little and you'll soon have a routine that best fits your needs.
Thanks for the adviceVarney Cues said:This wax will build up such a hard finish its amazing. If done enough it will almost make your shafts feel like they've been cleared. Some like that feeling....some don't. After you've completed the process....if you feel the shafts feel "tacky"....the fix is simple. Just very lightly wipe the shaft down with 0000 steel wool. The OOOO is the finest made & almost feels close to hair. It will not remove any wood....and if used lightly it will not remove the wax build up. It will though make your shafts feel kind of satin like as it will remove some of the polished gloss. Experiment a little and you'll soon have a routine that best fits your needs.
I was talking with a friend last night about this thread. He said that he uses pledge after cleaning and smoothing ..Just sprays some on a cloth and burnish it .. Said it keeps the dirt off, just wipes it down with a clean dry cloth after using it..Only has to actually clean it once in a great while..According to him easy cheep and works great..Anyone else heard of this??
Yeah I heard about it. I didn't notice any fantastic results when I tried it though. It may be that I needed the older formula that still contains wax in it. The newer formulas do not. I'm liking Varney's tip though so far, can't wait to see how slick my shaft will become after 20 applications. Lol, that sounded kind of funny eh? 
help said:
Pledge? That might be a great idea if your shafts every become dusty.
Seriously....$6-$7 for a nice tub of wax that will last a lifetime is about as "cheap" as it gets.
Thanks, Varney, for the tip on the bowling alley wax. I just got some. It's just as you described. It's the real deal.Varney Cues said:Pledge? That might be a great idea if your shafts every become dusty.
Seriously....$6-$7 for a nice tub of wax that will last a lifetime is about as "cheap" as it gets.
Varney Cues said:Butcher's Bowling Alley Wax.....works wonderful. Hard to find at the hardware stores....just Google it & you'll find many vendors. It cleans & seals nicely & works well by hand for those without a lathe. Its a clear paste wax. If used often...it'll keep the chalk blue off your shaft and seal the pores....and make your shafts smooth as butter. Just put a generous amount on a soft clean rag and rub until the shaft starts to get warm....then buff with another clean rag. Trust me...you'll have the slickest shaft in your poolroom.
Awesome advice. I just got some today.
The stuff is great!
Thanks for the tip, Kevin!
I thought my shaft also felt a little sticky after using the bowling wax. It could be because I had to put it on by hand since I don't have a lathe.JimS said:
Do you have a lathe or did you put the Karseal cue wax on by hand? Maybe I will give Karseal a try.
Just got it and applied yesterday; I haven't missed a shot yet!
I think that some people have to realize, like Varney is saying, that you have to apply maintain the shaft as he states.
For me, rubbing alcohol on a magic eraser, ultra fine burnishing paper, wipe with cotton cloth, applied the wax, let it dry a few minutes, then wiped down and played. So far so good. The heat and humidity the summer will be the real test.
I think that some people have to realize, like Varney is saying, that you have to apply maintain the shaft as he states.
For me, rubbing alcohol on a magic eraser, ultra fine burnishing paper, wipe with cotton cloth, applied the wax, let it dry a few minutes, then wiped down and played. So far so good. The heat and humidity the summer will be the real test.
JimS said:
caesar said:
I also tried Butcher's Bowling Alley Wax. I am getting great results. However, I do see what you're talking about concerning the tackiness and stickiness and I think I can address this. When you initially apply the wax with a cloth, rubbing it in, and then letting it dry for a minute, you end up with a tacky feel.
THEN you use a clean cloth with no wax, or a clean spot on your original cloth and buff it - meaning you burnish the heck out of it. As has been stated, you need to generate heat. But you can generate sufficient heat without a lathe. Depending on the thickness of the cloth, I fold it over to get a good grip, but without folding it over too many times. If there is too much cloth between your hand and the shaft, you don't feel the heat in your hand, thus you don't know if you are doing an effective job or not. Feedback is key...
"Feedback is key." I like that. It's my new tag line.
Edit: BTW, I got my can at a local TRUE VALUE hardware store.
Don
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Hello Everyone,, I Got My Can Of Butcher's Wax Today From Ace Hardware, I Got It For $6.49, Thought That Was Cheap Enough. So I Got Out The Old Trusty 314 And Did The Magic Eraser Thing And The 90% Rubbing Alchol. Then Broke Out The Wax.... Enough Wax In This Baby To Hand down To Who Ever.. All I Can Say Is, WOW, The Shaft feels Like, WOW, Great... Thanks For The Tip Mr. Varney.. As Always, You Can Always Learn Something On This Forum...