What finish can I apply?

JimS

JimS

Grandpa & his grand boys.
Silver Member
I have an old house cue conversion that had most of the finish rubbed off. I used alcohol with a Magic Eraser than 600 and 800, 1200 and 1500 to remove and smooth it for finishing.

What finish can I apply at home? What did they use "back in the day" to make the cue period correct to the 1950's or earlier? Can I put on some sort of rubbed on finish that won't get all over my hands/table.

I have a local cue maker that owes me a little money and he'll spray it for me but I'd have fun doing something myself it it's feasible.

Suggestions?

Thanks Jim
 
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Why not polyureathane like you would use on baseboards. It will yellow the maple if you do not use a water based finish. Tung oil as a rubbed finish or tru oil.

John
 
Jim the easiest option may also be the most "period correct"....try a quality spray can lacquer such as Deft. A few coats with a little rub down between each with 0000 steel wool will give a nice semi-gloss finish. This will be about the best you can do at home with no equipment. Also...you don't want it as slick as you have it now. The clear needs a little something to bite into...go back and sand with nothing finer than 320 before you spray. You'll be surprised what a nice finish this makes for a do-it-yourself conversion cue finish.:smile:
 
An oil finish is easy to apply with little experience needed and will give a mat finish to the cue. Be it known in advance though that an oil finish offers little protection from moisture transfer at best and at worst may even attract moisture to the cue.

Dick
 
I went with the tung oil and the cue looks great. I'll hope it doesn't attract moisture.

Thanks to all for your input. I so seldom work with wood that I'd forgotten all about tung oil and I had a can in the garage behind the hot rod parts. :)
 
If you like the cue and use it often go with your cue maker and get it sprayed with automotive ... The hand applied finishes are not as durable or do they enhance the wood as well ... But if you must lacquer is first choice , a soft finish , then you could use gun stock sealer and finish , it yellows pretty soon after application ...The finish on a cue can be a pain if you don't have the experience ... :eek:
 
JimS said:
I have an old house cue conversion that had most of the finish rubbed off. I used alcohol with a Magic Eraser than 600 and 800, 1200 and 1500 to remove and smooth it for finishing.

What finish can I apply at home? What did they use "back in the day" to make the cue period correct to the 1950's or earlier? Can I put on some sort of rubbed on finish that won't get all over my hands/table.

I have a local cue maker that owes me a little money and he'll spray it for me but I'd have fun doing something myself it it's feasible.

Suggestions?

Thanks Jim
Click to expand...

I'd give shellac a try.

If you want period correct - varnish. Lacquer wasn't used even on custom cues untill well into the 60s - the automotive clearcoats, not till about
1990, give or take.

Balabushka used tung oil up to 1975, but he was very much the exception.

Back in the 50s, cuemakers aparently still thought cues were wood.

Dale
 
I'm just curious, after you use tung oil, can you still apply an auto clearcoat?

Rodney
 
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