Step by Step, with photos, easy and safe shaft cleaning

[Nine ... corner]

Have not read the entire thread so I apologize if this has already been mentioned. I, like many, always "loved" my shaft as blue as it could be but then I decided ... BS, I'm going to clean these babies up. I bought some RX Cue Doctor shaft cleaner at my local billiard joint and love the results. FWIW. :thumbup:

 

[one stroke]

The Cue-repair Guy at my Local Pool Room, steered me away from my new ,400-grit sandpaper,and got some from a box of worn sandpaper pieces. I used Magic Eraser,then let it dry,then used wax paper to burnish,felt the raised grain,used carnauba wax,but it wasn't smooth enough for me. I bought 400-grit sandpaper to smooth it out,and used Pledge lightly. The Pool Room owner didn't have Cue-Wax,but he used fine,used, Sandpaper,then wiped it down with Lighter Fluid on a soft cloth,followed by a few drops of Cue Silk,which is thick,and clear,in a eye-drops sized container,for $6.00. Its very smooth,now.

400 I go for 1000 min then 1500 then dollar bill I got a pin fits in my drill , then bowling ally wax on a shoe buffer I picked up at a thrift store like glass when I'm done if you don't have the buffer a micro soft mit works good with the drill also


1

 

[Ched]

wow. Never saw this thread before. Well ... I wasn't around back then. Interesting read. To each their own.

 

[1pocket]

If you let your shafts dry overnight you can eliminate step 3, the sandpaper, and go directly to burnishing. Shaft still comes out like glass.

ps if your shafts are sealed the old fashioned way with a mixture of shellac and mineral oil, alcohol will dissolve the shellac and remove this.

I wondered about that too, because that grit is so fine anyway, and paper alone is very slightly abrasive.

When we build and finish cabinetry, spraying with catalyzed varnish, our final step is slightly rubbing with paper to eliminate the little fuzzies. But even with plain white paper you can't rub hard in one spot or you will cause a polished area there. Of course if you like the sheen and do it everywhere then it will look fine (like with a cue shaft).

Anyway, my point being that paper alone is a mild abrasive.

 

[Nuts4Tascarellas]

Shaft cleaning

Just a public service announcement for everyone... DO NOT ever use spray silicone, or a silicone cloth on your cue!!! Silicone is insidious! It will creep into every part of your cue and release the bond of glue, epoxy, and finish. Not if - when! The magic eraser works well. Do all the other stuff, just no silicone.

 

[brigeton]

This was a good thread. I have been using Magic Eraser for a long time but just wiping and burnishing with a paper towel after. I am leery about leaving the water sit on the shaft for any length of time.
I usually do it once or twice a week, usually before I go to a tournament if I remember because I think my stroke is better with a nice slippery shaft. I know my wife has parchment paper in the cupboard so I'll give that a try.
Has anyone used Scotch pads instead of sandpaper?

 

[cubswin]

This was a good thread. I have been using Magic Eraser for a long time but just wiping and burnishing with a paper towel after. I am leery about leaving the water sit on the shaft for any length of time.
I usually do it once or twice a week, usually before I go to a tournament if I remember because I think my stroke is better with a nice slippery shaft. I know my wife has parchment paper in the cupboard so I'll give that a try.
Has anyone used Scotch pads instead of sandpaper?

Scotch pad has no business near a cue. Sandpaper, at least in my opinion, doesn't belong outside of some very very very limited use.

Magic eraser and some alcohol works great for me, along with a paper towel.

 

[TATE]

OK, to sand or not to sand? Water or no water?

My simple answer to this has a complicated explanation:

- Yes, "raise the wood grain" with water (rubbing alcohol does the same because it has water in it). A small amount of water on the surface won't warp the shaft.

- Yes, once it is dry, sand with very fresh, very fine sandpaper, 800 to 1000 grit.

But why? That's the complicated part.

When your shaft was made, it was invariably sanded on a lathe or by hand in the process. This leaves microscopic tears in the wood surface. Imagine wood is made up of tiny, tiny cells that resemble straws or bamboo. These get crushed, torn and flattened by sand paper, especially old coarse sand paper. They feel smooth to the touch until water from the atmoshere and sweat absorbs into these straws cells and they balloon up, creating the bumpy surface we call "raised grain".

So if you want a smooth shaft and you sand without raising the grain, you will do so again and again and again until you don't have a shaft left. It will keep getting bumpy.
However, if you wet the wood surface, allow it to dry, then sand off this raised grain, maybe even a couple of times, now you truly have a smooth surface, even if the wood gets moist.

Don't believe me? Take a smooth shaft and wet it, let it dry for a couple of minutes and feel it. You should feel bumps from the raised grain. Lightly sand these off with fresh 800 grit. Repeat the process, after wetting and drying you will feel fewer bumps from the grain raise. Do it a 3rd time. This time you probably won't feel any bumps after wetting and drying. You've removed the torn fibers that create the rough surface and water won't affect the surface anymore.

So by raising the grain with water and lightly sanding, you will prevent the need to do so again for a long time. The friction of your bridge hand will eventually cause the need to do it at some point but it could be years if properly sealed with the methods discussed.

The pic below shows the cell structure of wood from an electron microscope. There are fibers sticking up that, if wet, will enlarge and become "raised grain". This is typical of cut and sanded wood. If wood is planed or sliced, the problem is not as great.

Here's a link to better understand the process:

https://www.woodshopnews.com/columns-blogs/grain-raising-can-be-just-a-bump-in-the-road

 

[localredhead]

Chris, can using rubbing alcohol instead of water harm your shafts? I've been using the Magic Eraser for years when my shafts get super dirty, but I use rubbing alcohol because it dries faster. I always thought there was a chance of warping your shafts if you just use water, but I've never been sure.

I use rubbing alcohol all the time - my shafts are pristine. Specifically I buy lense wipes that are pre-soaked in isopropyl rubbing alcohol to clean shafts.

the alcohol will not unseal the shaft or raise the wood grains, which water does. Even so I still use a dollar bill or brown paper bag on the shaft after to make sure.

edit: you need to use 90% isopropyl.

 

[TATE]

I use rubbing alcohol all the time - my shafts are pristine. Specifically I buy lense wipes that are pre-soaked in isopropyl rubbing alcohol to clean my shaft.

the alcohol will not unseal the shaft or raise the wood grains, which water does.

Please read the post above. I was working on that while you were working on yours.

 

[Matt_24]

Great thread! Classic. I just use Nick's edge and a leather burnisher. Gets the shafts like glass. They're not pretty....but they are magical.