What cuemaker does the best shaft sealing and finishing?

ideologist

I don't never exaggerate
Silver Member
I love John Showman's shaft sealing, but he isn't really taking work right now.

Who should I send some shafts too? I also have a refinish and rewrap for the cue if there is a maker doing it all for hire (I've got the spool of linen).

I know I can use Proficient and RATcues, I'm looking for additional options.

Edit: vintage cue, and I would like it babied and restored appropriately.
 
Last edited:
Richard Harris of Bluegrass cues. Tho im not sure if he would accept this type of job if it werent his cue


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
The shafts from Tascarella are incredible, like glass...

Again though, I dunno if they do work like this...
 
Tascarella

Hands down Pete Tascarella. I've tried Shaft freeze and it plays great until moisture hits it, which was a problem for my sweaty hands. Pete uses a proprietary trade secret product and the shafts are incredibly smooth. He does treat only shafts, but I'm not sure of the turn around time.
 
shafts

I have been doing shafts for many years from squares to players .Can take an old beat up shaft and turn it in to an animal standard or low deflection slick as a babys a--- . I also build custom cues & LD Shafts and several styles of stack wrap old school . :thumbup: Dan Axe
 
I have been doing shafts for many years from squares to players .Can take an old beat up shaft and turn it in to an animal standard or low deflection slick as a babys a--- . I also build custom cues & LD Shafts and several styles of stack wrap old school . :thumbup: Dan Axe

I love the sneaky finish you do, too.
 
Sealing your shaft

I love the sneaky finish you do, too.

If you want I can post directions on how to seal your own shaft.

The technic I use there is no risk of damaging your shaft ...........
You can do this at home without a lathe.
If you have access to a lathe then there are several technics on using different products.
Non of the technics I use to seal a shaft is permanent.
and denatured alcohol will dissolve the sealer's that I will recommend .
Your looking at about a total of 50 dollars of supplies .

In all reality you can use wax as a shaft sealer.
The best iMO is either the renaissance wax or the Synthetic pure polymer car waxes or Carnauba car wax.

It will strip off or can be dissolve denatured alcohol .
The technics I use will require about 50 dollars worth of supplies

If you had the right tool to screw into your shaft and used a drill to spin the shaft then that would give you some more option on what sealers you can do your self without damaging your cue .
 
Last edited:
Tom Coker always did superb shaft cleaning/sealing, but
my local cue repair/tip guy (saint1) is now doing all of my
repairs, etc. on my cues and shafts. Impeccable work.
 
Tom Coker

Tom Coker always did superb shaft cleaning/sealing, but
my local cue repair/tip guy (saint1) is now doing all of my
repairs, etc. on my cues and shafts. Impeccable work.

Tom uses bowling alley wax. his shafts are not really sealed with what everyone would consider a sealer .
Just wax.

Personally I like lighter fluid and then wax over the top but the shaft has to be spinning to friction in the lighter fluid or burnish the surface of the wood with what wax the lighter fluid contains.

Fuels like diesel and lighter fluid contain Paraffin wax , its the wax that is sealing the shaft.
Because lighter fluid is a petroleum it seems to act like a wood preservative too
and keeps the shaft from drying out....

You have shot with my cues and they don't smell like lighter fluid at all .

You need to get healthy for the bar box open.
And there is only one place in reno that has regulation tables now from my understanding ................
 
I would contact Darren Hill to refinish an old cue. He recently restored a Willie Hoppe for me which included the following;

thin down the butt (butt went from 17 oz to 15 oz )
installed new butt and Hoppe ring
Installed new joint ( a 3/8-10 pin that I wanted)
Took out the dents, scrapes etc, and refinished the cue while saving the "willie Hoppe" signature and the "21oz" markings.
Installed new leather wrap
Matched a new OB shaft to the cue
Installed new "willie Hoppe" sticker on butt

There is no possible way someone could have done a better job. Oh, I'm sure there are more than a handful that could done as good of a job, but better... nope. It was PERFECT in everyway imaginable... and I'm one picky MF'er.

He loves working on old cues.

I will post some pics when I get home !!
 
The three best shaft finishes I've felt were Tascarella, Lambros, and Richard Harris. I have never asked any of them to work on someone else's shaft for me, though.
 
If you want I can post directions on how to seal your own shaft.

...snip...snip...

If you had the right tool to screw into your shaft and used a drill to spin the shaft then that would give you some more option on what sealers you can do your self without damaging your cue .

Post those on up MM. Can you also post some info on what would be required to setup a drill to do simple shaft maintenance?
 
Tools and stuff

Post those on up MM. Can you also post some info on what would be required to setup a drill to do simple shaft maintenance?

I would need to know what joint you have inorder to know what adaptor would be needed so you can spin a shaft with a drill.

I would contact either Chris Hightower ( Cue Man billiards ) and or Todd Shultz of Mid American cues to get the right tool to thread into your shaft and spin it with a drill.

Sealing technic , with out using a lathe or a drill
50/50 denatured alcohol/ and ( clear ) Shellac.

Wipe on several coats, let dry and LIGHTLY buff the surface of the cue using a green or gray scotch brite 3M pad without buffing through the shellac into the wood of your cue.

When wax the shaft with renaissance wax, synthetic pure polymer wax or carnauba car wax.

This technic is temporary shaft sealant , the oil from your hands will dissolve the shellac after about 60 to 80 hours of play.
Shellac is the LAC bug, bug shit, its eatable and used on wooden children's toys .
Its good for the wood , and in a way it feeds wood and keeps the wood from drying out and cracking .
But you do need to wax over the shaft if you seal it with shellac.
 
chalk

I would contact Darren Hill to refinish an old cue. He recently restored a Willie Hoppe for me which included the following;

thin down the butt (butt went from 17 oz to 15 oz )
installed new butt and Hoppe ring
Installed new joint ( a 3/8-10 pin that I wanted)
Took out the dents, scrapes etc, and refinished the cue while saving the "willie Hoppe" signature and the "21oz" markings.
Installed new leather wrap
Matched a new OB shaft to the cue
Installed new "willie Hoppe" sticker on butt

There is no possible way someone could have done a better job. Oh, I'm sure there are more than a handful that could done as good of a job, but better... nope. It was PERFECT in everyway imaginable... and I'm one picky MF'er.

He loves working on old cues.

I will post some pics when I get home !!

I need some more chalk !
4 or 6 cubes will work
 
Back
Top