A soft cloth or towel will keep you hand clean, and f you hands are clean you shaft will be also. JoAnn's Fabric has BABY FLANNEL. Stay away from the Pink with Teddie Bears.
Simple shaft care
- Thread starter Surly
- Start date
I have never seen so much hideous crap in one place before!! What happened - did you take a wrong turn trying to enter the Discount Beauty Supply shop? 
Surly said:
Just for clarification: When I spoke of the paper towel thing my intent was to convey that washing hands every dozen or so games and keeping the damp paper towels to use on the cues is a good idea that I got from somebody else on az. But I meant to do it while playing as well as at home.
I still use the ME when I get a new used cue and it has blue shafts. I use denatured alcohol about once a week (I play some daily) just to get the unseen hand oils and chalk off the cue. Even though I don't notice that those oils/dirt are there I notice when they're gone!
It feel better immediately after I clean it. I guess maybe that means I should do that every night after I'm done and then re-wax it. Hell... why not. It only takes about 3 minutes to do both jobs. Gotta clean your tools when you're done with them.
hmmm. Okay, compared to what everyone else is saying this might sound a bit offbeat. However . . .
I use Armor-all Cleaning Wipes in the orange and black canister to get the chalk off. I tried this after the pro I usually get my repair and tip work done with suggested 91% isopropyl alcohol. It got the chalk off but made my shaft look . . . bad.
The cleaning wipes just need to be dried a bit before use; I leave the top open after purchase for about half an hour to an hour. If they get too dry I just add a bit of water and shake.
After I get the chalk off, I use McMagics shaft conditioning system. Takes a little elbow grease but I end up with a pretty smooth shaft.
And that is the way I do that. Nothing else. I guess if you don't want to try the Cleaning Wipes, I reccomend McMagic's. It does the trick without taking off much if any wood from the shaft (no dust).
Btw, I've done this now for 6 months without any observable ill-effects to my shafts.
I use Armor-all Cleaning Wipes in the orange and black canister to get the chalk off. I tried this after the pro I usually get my repair and tip work done with suggested 91% isopropyl alcohol. It got the chalk off but made my shaft look . . . bad.
The cleaning wipes just need to be dried a bit before use; I leave the top open after purchase for about half an hour to an hour. If they get too dry I just add a bit of water and shake.
After I get the chalk off, I use McMagics shaft conditioning system. Takes a little elbow grease but I end up with a pretty smooth shaft.
And that is the way I do that. Nothing else. I guess if you don't want to try the Cleaning Wipes, I reccomend McMagic's. It does the trick without taking off much if any wood from the shaft (no dust).
Btw, I've done this now for 6 months without any observable ill-effects to my shafts.
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JimS said:
I understood completely. I just usually wash my hands when I get there, and touch nothing with my bridge hand while playing. And my bladder holds at least a gallon so... I just clean my stick when I get home.
I once flew from Maui to Chicago without using a bathroom.
And I take pride in it for some strange reason...rkim99: Thanks for the tip. That is method #19 I think.
ALL good info, though. I can see myself in the future having several cues and trying a different method on each one. While my husband stands over me saying, "You are so obsessive! You're gonna do mine, aren't you?"
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Surly said:I understood completely. I just usually wash my hands when I get there, and touch nothing with my bridge hand while playing. And my bladder holds at least a gallon so... I just clean my stick when I get home.
I once flew from Maui to Chicago without using a bathroom.
rkim99: Thanks for the tip. That is method #19 I think.
LoL!!!! I finally did my ol man's shaft, and he complained it was too slick...said he almost launched the cue on the break...LMAO!!
I am so obsessive about shafts, that my ladies team has me just maintain their shafts for them...anything to keep me happy, I guess. :rotflmao:
Lisa
I had to think about this for a bit. I chalk with both hands and have never had blue shafts or chalk on the wrap, at least, not noticeable. And, that's over 35 years playing in pool rooms. I do chalk at an angle and wipe my shafts down before putting the shafts in the case. I also have a cue maker clean and seal my shafts about twice a year.
I forgot to mention..... packaged wipes for eye-glasses are great when washing hands in the restroom is not practical.
NOT the hand wipes. NOT the moist toweletts... they have moistureizers, get the packaged moist eye glass cleaners. They are moistened with alcohol (I think) and leave no moist feeling on hands or cues. I use them on my glasses, cue shaft & butt, and hands to remove dirt, chalk and moisture.
NOT the hand wipes. NOT the moist toweletts... they have moistureizers, get the packaged moist eye glass cleaners. They are moistened with alcohol (I think) and leave no moist feeling on hands or cues. I use them on my glasses, cue shaft & butt, and hands to remove dirt, chalk and moisture.
i must say after reading all the good about the bowling butcher wax, i might aswell try it too.
hadn't cleaned the shaft in a long time so i used a magic eraser type of sponge (we dont sell them in europe) and denatured alcohol form the drugstore.
in the beginning i could feel a very slight grain raize after using the alcohol. I would use a 2000grid to take care of it, some more alcohol to see if it would raise more, 4000 grid , and then use some printerpaper to finish it off.
i would leave it dry for 5minuts to be sure all the alcohol would be gone, and the aply some wax (ps you got a HELL of a big can of wax, that will last for 5 lifes... ) on kitchen paper, and let it rest on the kitchen paper for 5 minuts.
I put the wax on the shaft, let it sit for another minut and then take an old tshirt to remove any excess while doing some strokes to get the thin wax layer evenly spread
Then a leather thingy i bought in a poolshop to heat everything up, and even if i did that last week my shaft is ALOT less blueish then normally after a week of play. the wax doesn't make it sticky. it might get a very little bit if you play alot in one week and dont do anything to the cue, but a quick clean, new thin layer of wax, and you are ready again. at least i dont need to sand the shaft anymore.
ow btw... Above all this, i still use a glove. Silky shaft + gloves = it feels like aire floating in between the fingers. Sometimes i even wonder if the contact with the shaft is needed to judge speed better...
btw i have HUGE sweaty hands ! thats why i prefere to play vs woman. At least i can kiss them instead of giving them a wett hand before every match.
hadn't cleaned the shaft in a long time so i used a magic eraser type of sponge (we dont sell them in europe) and denatured alcohol form the drugstore.
in the beginning i could feel a very slight grain raize after using the alcohol. I would use a 2000grid to take care of it, some more alcohol to see if it would raise more, 4000 grid , and then use some printerpaper to finish it off.
i would leave it dry for 5minuts to be sure all the alcohol would be gone, and the aply some wax (ps you got a HELL of a big can of wax, that will last for 5 lifes... ) on kitchen paper, and let it rest on the kitchen paper for 5 minuts.
I put the wax on the shaft, let it sit for another minut and then take an old tshirt to remove any excess while doing some strokes to get the thin wax layer evenly spread
Then a leather thingy i bought in a poolshop to heat everything up, and even if i did that last week my shaft is ALOT less blueish then normally after a week of play. the wax doesn't make it sticky. it might get a very little bit if you play alot in one week and dont do anything to the cue, but a quick clean, new thin layer of wax, and you are ready again. at least i dont need to sand the shaft anymore.
ow btw... Above all this, i still use a glove. Silky shaft + gloves = it feels like aire floating in between the fingers. Sometimes i even wonder if the contact with the shaft is needed to judge speed better...
btw i have HUGE sweaty hands ! thats why i prefere to play vs woman. At least i can kiss them instead of giving them a wett hand before every match.
If I didn't have a husband that thinks I'm already crazy, I would try that.
But to be honest, I've finally learned how to keep chalk off my shaft, and after a wipe-down with damp 'kitchen paper' (love that) and then a rub down with brown paper, my shaft is as close to perfect as it can get. IMO.
But yeah, I'd love to give it the full treatment just to see... maybe one of these days...
But to be honest, I've finally learned how to keep chalk off my shaft, and after a wipe-down with damp 'kitchen paper' (love that) and then a rub down with brown paper, my shaft is as close to perfect as it can get. IMO.
But yeah, I'd love to give it the full treatment just to see... maybe one of these days...