Using steam to remove a ding

[Gregg]

Anybody have any recommendations on how to use steam to remove a ding in the wood on a shaft?

I have tried and used a Shark Steamer to remove a ding, and it worked well, and was said that many professional cue repair guys use steam as well.

Any thoughts, tips, cautions on this method?

 

[PoolSleuth]

Pan of water, covered with Tin Foil, punch a Pin Hole in the Foil, bring water to a simmer, proceed with Caution.

Working slower is better.

I have seen some Big Dings removed with this method by repairman.

Might buy some Wood Dowel Rod to Practice upon until you get a feel for what you are doing.

 

[LWW]

I have use a hot iron and lay a towel over the ding and iron the towel with the tip for abou 5 seconds and the check the ding and repeat as necessary.

LWW

 

[Snapshot9]

Seems

like a lot of work using steam when just a couple
drops of water on the ding, and using a shot glass
back and forth vigorously for a couple of minutes
will raise the ding right out.

 

[Jack Justis]

Removing a dent from the shaft

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.

 

[pawnmon]

Dings

I've tried many different ways to get those dings out. By far the best is the soldering iron technique so nicely demonstrated in the pics in the previous reply. I recommend it highly.

 

[Gregg]

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.

Sounds good, and I have a Weller and Unger solding irons available to do this. So you push the iron into the cloth covering the dent?

 

[Jack Justis]

Sounds good, and I have a Weller and Unger solding irons available to do this. So you push the iron into the cloth covering the dent?

Yep, that's about it....after you give it a shot of steam, check to see if the dent lifted.....if not, give her another shot or two til your satisfied the dent is gone. Run your fingers over the area.....if you feel a slight raise in the grain, it should be fine after sanding and burnishing.

Regards,
Jack

 

[Gregg]

Yep, that's about it....after you give it a shot of steam, check to see if the dent lifted.....if not, give her another shot or two til your satisfied the dent is gone. Run your fingers over the area.....if you feel a slight raise in the grain, it should be fine after sanding and burnishing.

Regards,
Jack

Thanks. It's tough to get solid information on this from people who really know. I makes sense as well. The solider iron is more of a spot specific than steam is, I would think.

 

[Nostroke]

I was in a pool room recently where a player was using the 'Heat and Fire' method. He had a bic lighter cranked all the way up to flame thrower level and was whipping it back and forth over the shaft and ferrule. The shaft was turning brown in the process. I kid you not. He seemed happy with the results too though Buddha162 appeared on the verge of fainting.

I just thought id pass this no-fuss alternative along for the Oscar Madisons out there.

 

[lfigueroa]

Another approach:

Miicrowave a small amount of water to boiling; dip a Q-Tip in; apply Q-Tip to ding; repeat until ding is gone... or gong.

Lou Figueroa

Anybody have any recommendations on how to use steam to remove a ding in the wood on a shaft?

I have tried and used a Shark Steamer to remove a ding, and it worked well, and was said that many professional cue repair guys use steam as well.

Any thoughts, tips, cautions on this method?

 

[BRKNRUN]

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 agree that is the safest...Now for the quickest...Instead of going out in the garage to dig out the soldering gun...go turn on the wifes iron that is already sitting on the ironing board...and do the same process.......All you need is just the tip of the iron....(and wet cloth)

 

[SpiderWeb]

Steam & dents

I always go to the bath room and fold a paper towel and wet it and fold it around the shaft and turn the dent down and hold a lighter under the dent and heat the wet towel, and then take a dry towel and wipe er down, and you are back in action.

 

[Donovan]

q-tip for me too

Another approach:

Miicrowave a small amount of water to boiling; dip a Q-Tip in; apply Q-Tip to ding; repeat until ding is gone... or gong.

Lou Figueroa

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.

 

[Jack Madden]

like a lot of work using steam when just a couple
drops of water on the ding, and using a shot glass
back and forth vigorously for a couple of minutes
will raise the ding right out.

You can even use your thumb instead of the shot glass. Few drops of water and rub!!! It better than sitting there stewing about the ding - and it works unless you have put the Grand Canyon in your shaft.
Jack
www.johnmaddencues.com

 

[TheBook]

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.

 

[Tommy-D]

> When using the soldering gun,it works better if you get one of those "butter-knife" tips for it,it has a small flat tip on it,that kind of resembles the end of a steel safety pin. This tip's original application was to melt through the glue that held speaker grilles on,before they developed the removeable type. I haven't seen a Weller soldering gun for sale here in town for years,and having lost mine in a house fire,have developed a new method. I took a small Ecko blunt-ended butter-knife and ground it down until it was about 1/4 wide. I heated it up with a torch and bent a slight curve in the tip. I use clean,solvent free gun cleaning patches for the cloth. These are white t-shirt material about 1 1/2 square. I color the dent in with a soft lead pencil,slightly wet the cloth,and place it over the dent,and wait 10 seconds or so while preparing for the next step. I heat the tool up with a butane torch just until it starts to turn color,then apply to the dent for a 5 count,and repeat if needed. Tommy D.

 

[kyle]

For a couple of small dings I fixed them with drops of water, had a larger dent that I taped off, wet and held over a kettle it worked pretty good.

 

[cubswin]

Another approach:

Miicrowave a small amount of water to boiling; dip a Q-Tip in; apply Q-Tip to ding; repeat until ding is gone... or gong.

Lou Figueroa

Thats what I usually do as well. Really big dents I might wrap a bandaid with a drop of water around and let it sit for a hour or so.

drop of water and a leather pad works as well for small dents.

Never liked using a iron heat source or a lighter, one little slip up and you have a burn mark on the shaft that is going to look really bad...not that that ever happened to me when I was young and stupid...nope never happened.

 

[runscott]

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.