Using steam to remove a ding

[Craig Fales]

I have used steam and found that a drop of water will do the same thing and is a lot safer. Just put a drop of water over the dent and it will swell back out. Then I burnish it with a piece of leather or paper.

This is all I've done for aaaggges...always gets the best results for me....
________

 

[onepocketchump]

There are many different ways to do it but the safest way is to use a Weller soldering gun and a barely damp wash cloth. First circle the dent with a lead pencil. Place the wash cloth over the tip of the soldering gun and position the tip over the circled dent and pull the trigger. Almost instantly, you will hear and see the steam being concentrated only on the dent. Let the area dry for a few minutes then light sand with 600, 1200, and burnish with leather. This method is much easier and more accurate than the tea kettle.

I do the same thing using the tip of the iron. I also just use the corner of the washcloth. I dip the corner of the washcloth into water, wring it out and apply it to the ding.

Since I stopped worrying about them years ago I stopped getting dings in my shafts. Hmmm.....

John

 

[cuetechasaurus]

You guys have NO IDEA what you are talking about. My method is the safest, easiest, and the sexiest. Get a paper towl, tear a piece off it that is about 1/4 the size. Take that piece and fold it a few times so that it's about the width of a piece of scotch tape, and long enough so you can wrap it around th e shaft a few times. Dip a small part of it in the Bacardi. Wrap it around the shaft, and make sure the part that was dipped in Bacardi is over the ding. Now before you do anything, take a few moments to reflect on how poorly you play, and how much time you are wasting. Take the bottle of Bacardi and splash it on your cue, then set it on fire, toss it in the dumpster, and never look back!

 

[catscradle]

...go turn on the wifes iron that is already sitting on the ironing board...and do the same process...

... but do it when she isn't home, those women are awful sensitive about their good iron.

 

[Snapshot9]

Really

I don't have a soldering gun, an iron, OR a microwave, so I boil a small amount of water in a pot, drop in a folded rag, remove with tongs and apply to the dent. Works like a charm every time.

You have NO Microwave .... lol How do you survive?

 

[Getnbzy]

You guys have NO IDEA what you are talking about. My method is the safest, easiest, and the sexiest. Get a paper towl, tear a piece off it that is about 1/4 the size. Take that piece and fold it a few times so that it's about the width of a piece of scotch tape, and long enough so you can wrap it around th e shaft a few times. Dip a small part of it in the Bacardi. Wrap it around the shaft, and make sure the part that was dipped in Bacardi is over the ding. Now before you do anything, take a few moments to reflect on how poorly you play, and how much time you are wasting. Take the bottle of Bacardi and splash it on your cue, then set it on fire, toss it in the dumpster, and never look back!

 

[BRKNRUN]

... but do it when she isn't home, those women are awful sensitive about their good iron.

Yeah..that is exactly why it does not fall into the "safe" catagory....It's even worse if she finds the hand towel with blue stains on the corners....

 

[LastTwo]

The method I use gets rid of all dings and cleans the shaft better than anything out there (and just as good as magic eraser). Have some rubber gloves handy. Get a clean white washcloth and get it wet under the sink, wring it out once or twice so that it's wet but not dripping. Heat up an iron to it's hottest level. Lay the washcloth flat on an ironing board, and press the iron onto the cloth. There will be a ton of steam coming from the cloth, and it will be piping hot. With a rubber glove on one hand, pick up the steaming cloth and thoroughly wipe down your shaft, but make sure you AVOID your ferrule and tip. This will remove every last speck of dirt and chalk dust out of your cue, and it will also get rid of any dings. This is a useful method if you have multiple dings in the shaft, you can get them all out at once doing this. The grain will be raised quite a bit, so make sure you use very fine sand paper to smooth it down, and then burnish with leather to seal it back up.
Put a few layers of tape over your ferrule where it meets the shaft, because the heat from the cloth can loosen the glue. Try not to do it near the ferrule too long.

 

[cuesmith]

Even though they seem more prevalant to denting, due to the apparently softer wood used, you should not use steam on a Predator shaft. The glue used to join together the pie shaped wedges, is only good to 140 degrees. You could end up with a shaft that resembles one of those exploded "blunderbuses" from the old Bugs Bunny cartoons!

Just more hot air!


Sherm

 

[ghost ball]

For the 5+ years I've been lurking on AZ Billiards, this thread has got to be one the best and most useful. I tried the boiling rag method (even though I have a microwave) with great results! Thank you!

ghost ball

 

[runscott]

For the 5+ years I've been lurking on AZ Billiards, this thread has got to be one the best and most useful. I tried the boiling rag method (even though I have a microwave) with great results! Thank you!

ghost ball

So microwaves are only necessary for defrosting chickens? Next you can try replacing your television with a library card, but have some Scotch ready for the withdrawal trauma.

Yes, very helpful thread. I have un-dented many shafts, but probably haven't been careful enough with the hot rag near the ferrule. Especially iimportant with Predators, as the ferrule/wood connection won't be as smooth afterward unless you are very careful.

 

[rackem]

Please Be Careful With Micro Water!

Some of these other methods are interesting and may be worth a try. I know the process that Lou mentions can be slow in progress, but I use it myself. I do know that becuse it raises the ding slowly, it also never raises it too much. I like to limit the sanding to minimal at best on any shaft.

A great wood worker once told me to avoid sanding a pool cue shaft if at all possible. He said it is the worse thing I could do to raw exposed wood.

BE CAREFUL! There is a problem with surface tension and microwaving water. There is a possibility of eruption when something like a cue-tip is inserted in the freshly microwaved water. I think you are suppose to put a straw in the cup.

 

[ghost ball]

Yes, very helpful thread. I have un-dented many shafts, but probably haven't been careful enough with the hot rag near the ferrule. Especially iimportant with Predators, as the ferrule/wood connection won't be as smooth afterward unless you are very careful.

I first did it with a 1 piece house cue and was amazed with the results. I then did the trick to my wife's Cousins cue, which again came out with great results. Lastly, I did it to my Schon with Predator shaft. I was a bit worried because of the pie glueing, but it worked great.

I will experiment with the iron and solder gun method with my house cues, but, I am not sure if the risks outweigh the benefits since the hot rag method seemed to do the trick and seems less invasive. At any rate, I no longer have to twirl my stick to avoid that ding during my stroke. My wife is happy too.

ghost