Understanding Your Bumpy Shaft

[TATE]

I read about cleaning, sandpaper, alcohol, etc. The point I would like to make is shaft wood fibers need to be raised and sanded off several times initially in preparing your shaft. That will keep your shaft in great shape for many months.

If you like a smooth shaft, use whatever it takes to sand it smooth, 800 or even 600 lightly, then dampen it, let it dry, and sand it again. Then repeat, then finish with 1000 or 1200 and burnish.

What happens is the wood fibers that are cut in turning the shaft are like loose whiskers. They need to pop up and be sanded off, or they will just keep coming back.

All wood finishers know that wood grain must be raised and sanded several times before the fibers are gone, otherwise waterborne finishes will raise them right up again and they pop through the finish. Sweat from the hands make the shaft bumpy because the fibers were not raised and removed.

On my shafts I do this once and they stay smooth for many years.

 

[fastone371]

Good advice, thanks for the info. As far as using 600 grit if you are dry sanding it plugs up so fast that worn 600 grit is almost like burnishing.

 

[hang-the-9]

Does this sound like a PSA for middle or hight school boys to watch in health class? LOL

I would guess you are talking about when cleaning the shaft after use for a while, not a brand new one correct? Any shaft from a good cue maker should already be properly prepared for use and sealed.

 

[garczar]

Does this sound like a PSA for middle or hight school boys to watch in health class? LOL

I would guess you are talking about when cleaning the shaft after use for a while, not a brand new one correct? Any shaft from a good cue maker should already be properly prepared for use and sealed.

Some better than others and some not at all.

 

[louieatienza]

I read about cleaning, sandpaper, alcohol, etc. The point I would like to make is shaft wood fibers need to be raised and sanded off several times initially in preparing your shaft. That will keep your shaft in great shape for many months.

If you like a smooth shaft, use whatever it takes to sand it smooth, 800 or even 600 lightly, then dampen it, let it dry, and sand it again. Then repeat, then finish with 1000 or 1200 and burnish.

What happens is the wood fibers that are cut in turning the shaft are like loose whiskers. They need to pop up and be sanded off, or they will just keep coming back.

All wood finishers know that wood grain must be raised and sanded several times before the fibers are gone, otherwise waterborne finishes will raise them right up again and they pop through the finish. Sweat from the hands make the shaft bumpy because the fibers were not raised and removed.

On my shafts I do this once and they stay smooth for many years.

Many builders put at least a sealer on the shaft, which will raise the grain and they would subsequently sand smooth.

Also for those that do sand their shafts, I recommend a backer of cork or rubber of some kind, even Styrofoam. I see a lot of guys just use their fingers, and what happens is it makes the sandpaper follow every undulation on the shaft.

 

[TATE]

Does this sound like a PSA for middle or hight school boys to watch in health class? LOL

I would guess you are talking about when cleaning the shaft after use for a while, not a brand new one correct? Any shaft from a good cue maker should already be properly prepared for use and sealed.

If the grain isn't raised and sanded before sealer is applied, the sealer wears off, sweat penetrates and raises the grain again.

For those opposed to any sanding, it's nothing really. It's smoothing, wetting, drying, a few light strokes, wetting, drying and a few more light strokes. Will last for many months or even years as mine have. All you are doing is permanently removing the microscopic torn fibers created in the manufacturing process.

 

[Dave-Kat]

What Tate say's ^ is correct. I use 600, shaft sealer which raises grain, 600, 1000, 1500, 2000 then aircraft micro papers. Finish with good hard burnish. Wipe off after practice, play if you like you cue and bag clean and burnish regularly and you cue will stay like........

Glass

-Kat,

 

[Bavafongoul]

600 sounds a bit extreme.........try 1000 or 1200 or 1500 followed by 2000 grit then Croakus Cloth and
a good wax/sealant with leather burnishing afterwards. Steam treat nicks and dents before any sanding.

 

[Maniac]

600 sounds a bit extreme.........try 1000 or 1200 or 1500 followed by 2000 grit then Croakus Cloth and
a good wax/sealant with leather burnishing afterwards. Steam treat nicks and dents before any sanding.

I don't use 600 unless I'm wanting to remove quite a bit of wood, sometimes even dropping down to 400. For maintenance, I usually start with 800...then 1000...then 1500...finishing the sanding with 2000. I then burnish with a soft piece if glove leather.

I have used wax for sealing but lately have just stopped the conditioning process after the burnishing. It seems to me the bare wood is slicker in my bridge hand than when using a sealant of some kind. I take real good of my shafts, frequently wear a glove when shooting, and constantly switch butt/shaft combinations so they don't need attention all that often.

Maniac