Why does sealed shaft gets blue

[Vahmurka]

I wonder why does a shaft which is sealed and waxed still collects chalk residue and gets blue?
When I cleaned/sealed/waxed my new shaft I was hoping it won't get dirty, especially provided I wipe the shaft with a towel during play to keep chalk dust away. But it is very easy to tell my shaft from a new and untouched one.
I'm aware wax goes off with time and needs to be renewed, but what about the sealer? Wood grain is supposed to be covered and not allow any chalk in. Maybe chalk gets not into wood but in tiny scratches in sealer (which are inevitable even after sanding with 1200 grip paper I suppose)?

Mind you, I do professional cue repairs and do my homework, so there is no technical issues with the way I seal the shaft.

 

[NY9912]

deleted - 7/25/2020

 

[Paul Dayton]

A sealer that will leave the shaft feeling good to the stroke, does not coat the wood the way something like polyurethane would. If it did the shaft would feel sticky any time there was and moisture or sweat on your hand. If you want to minimize the color of the shaft, use tan chalk. Of course it might not look too good on the table.

 

[icem3n]

....use tan chalk. Of course it might not look too good on the table.

:thumbup: agree.... or use green chalk.

 

[pdcue]

:thumbup: agree.... or use green chalk.

OR learn how to chalk so you don't hose down the shaft with chalk dust.

Dale

 

[whammo57]

I will take a really wild ass guess................ do you use blue chalk?

Kim

 

[Rtoron]

Use a glove, it will reduce bluing of the shaft. Clean your shafts more often before the bluing gets bad. I don't use sealer on my shafts because the shafts won't get slick enough. On a new shaft I final sand with 600 grit, polish and then wax the shaft. The shafts come out amazingly slick using this process. Some people think you should final sand with 1200 grit to get the smoothness but I found the shafts actually get more slick using 600 grit than 1200 grit.

 

[BLACHEART42]

Chalk is probably embedded in the walls of your case. Every time you slide a chalk ladden shaft down that tube you are grinding away any protective coating that was applied to the wood. If you start out with a new shaft & a new (uncontaminated), case & wipe that shaft & TIP down before shoving it into the case, you'll see a much cleaner shaft. We all have good money invested into our cases. Little do we know the DAMAGE we are causing, with old chalk embeded in them...JER

 

[Cue Crazy]

Chalk is probably embedded in the walls of your case. Every time you slide a chalk ladden shaft down that tube you are grinding away any protective coating that was applied to the wood. If you start out with a new shaft & a new (uncontaminated), case & wipe that shaft & TIP down before shoving it into the case, you'll see a much cleaner shaft. We all have good money invested into our cases. Little do we know the DAMAGE we are causing, with old chalk embeded in them...JER

That is true that chalk in the case can become embedded over time. It can complicate the issue, as well as bad chalking habits.. And It is an abrasive, I have seen people wear the middle of ferules away by grinding the top edge of the cube into It. Over time It can do enough damage that ferrule could stand being replaced.

When I put a players finish on a shaft, I knock some of It back off of the surface area, and make It really smooth, so as far as protection from chalk It doesn't offer much for the surface, but some of It does stay in the pores of the grain, and that makes It much easier to clean when the time comes. A heavier clear cote gives much more protection, but doesn't slide through the bridge nearly as well. I don't use any wax on the stroke area of the shaft. From My experiences, eventually It becomes a magnet for dirt and chalk.

 

[GBCues]

"I have seen people wear the middle of ferules away by grinding the top edge of the cube into It. Over time It can do enough damage that ferrule could stand being replaced."

So have I - look at this one!

 

[conetip]

People underestimate the abrasiveness of cue chalk.
Chalking down, goes a long way to keeping the chalk off the cue shaft, as well as wiping the cue down on a regular bases.