New Shaft care for McDermott

[Buzzer]

Im curious on what I should do with my new shaft fo my Mcdermott Im curious about this Q slick and what else I can do to keep my shaft slick and smooth this is the first wood shaft that Ive owned Ive been shooting with cuetec so a wood shaft is a new ball game for me and I want to get away from shooting with a glove any info would be greatly appreciated

[audiopro]

The Q-Slick product does have a cleaning agent in it, so it will clean as well as somewhat slick the shaft for you. Personally the best method I have found for keeping the shaft slick is by using Q-Clean to first clean any chalk or dirt from use, off the shaft. Then I use the Q-Smooth burnishing papers to slick the shaft up. Honestly I think this is all that need be done to get the shaft slick. I am very picky, and I have no complaints to how well this has worked. If done right, the burnishing papers work great!

Some people will use Q-Glide or Cue-Silk also. Like most products you apply in liquid form to anything, they can have one of two differing effects. They will either seal the pores and help keep dirt out, or they will attract the dirt and make it stick to your shaft. Much like using the wrong kind of cleaner for shampooing carpet. I do not know if the Q-Glide or Cue-Silk liquids would seal or attract the dirt. I used to use them, but have retired them in favor of using the burnishing paper instead.

Outside of that, someone in another thread mentioned some great advice for being able to stay away from the glove and keep the shaft slick... Wash your hands!! I didnt think about it myself, but I do wash my hands quite a bit while shooting pool. I usually did it cause I hate the smurf look my hand gets. But it is a valuable method for keeping the shaft clean also.

I dont use any powder or talc, but I tend to not have much oil on my hands and I dont sweat much. This will vary from person to person, so that is up to you.

Hope this helps...

[audiopro]

Oh yeah, additionally I would like to advise against the use of the "Green scrubbie things" made by 3m Scotchbrite. These are used to clean dirty dishes, not smooth a shaft. It will do more damage than good. In a pinch you can use a new dollar bill to get a burnishing effect on your shaft.

[Buzzer]

I already know about the afects of green 3m pad thanks for the info
Buzzer :lol:

[DZ314]

I have nice results from using Cue-Silk to clean and slick the shaft. Sometimes I apply Q Slick as a final layer to get an extra slick finish!

[dags_lax]

Stay away from the powders. They are only a short term solution and in the long run they counterproductive as they actually gum up you shaft. Powders also get on the table and balls causing the occasionally bizarre things to happen. Keep your hands clean and dry and your shaft will need very little attention to keep it slick. One final note, don't use your bridge hand for drinking your beer or eating the pizza.

[dags_lax]

Here is how I care for my shafts.

1) Wipe down the shaft with a slightly damp towel. This serves two purposes, to get some of the dirt and gunk off and to raise the grain of the wood. Let the shaft dry.

2) Lightly sand with 1200 grit sand paper then wipe down with a slightly damp towel again and let dry.

3) Lightly sand with the finest sand paper you can get and wipe with a dry towel.

4) If you like, wax the shaft.

5) Burnish with a piece of leather.

Instead of a damp towel in step one I will sometimes use mineral spirits to clean the shaft but remember most chemicals are harmful to wood. If you are not saturating the shaft with mineral spirits (or other solvents) does the damage amount to any thing? That I do not know. For removing small nick in the shaft I lightly sand the area to remove any wax or gunk and then put a small piece of very wet tissue paper and let it set on the dent until dry.

[audiopro]

If you have a predator or other spliced shaft I would be careful with wetting it or using solvents as they are glued together. The solvents could prematurely break down the glue.

You can also remove small dents with a damp cloth and an iron. If you dont know how to do this, have someone who has done it before show you. Again, not recommended for spliced shafts.

Also, I agree with dags.. Definitely stay away from beer and pizza with your bridge hand.. :)

[Cjones]

I use denaturalized alcohol to clean my shaft and cue. I use denaturalized because it has no water in it as opposed to regular alcohol which is dilluted. Exposing your shaft to water for too long can cause it to swell up and possibly warp. Yes, that can be sanded down but your shafts strength and taper will degrade after a while. Your taper will change slightly if your not sanding it perfectly. But, if you do like to clean your shaft with water, try and dry it off as fast as possible to avoid all of that.

Also the more the wood expands the bigger the pores in the wood get. The bigger the pores the more dirt that the shaft can, and will hold. My best advice is to run up to walmart and get a can of the denaturalized alcohol. It's next to the mineral spirits and it comes in I believe a half gallon can for about 4$ which should last you forever.

The steps I use to clean my shaft are pretty simple.

When I first get a shaft i'll use a green q-smooth paper to get a nice consistant taper on it and then i'll use a yellow paper to get it nice and smooth. It all depends on the shaft and such. At the moment i'm shooting a players and the way the shafts come from the factory can REALLY vary. Anyhow just get the shaft to a nice feel however you'd like it. Then clean it all off with the denat'd alcohol. After that i'll burnish it with a piece of leather and it's good to go. From then on out all i've really had to do is clean it every time with the denat'd alcohol and put it up. The finish is still there and hasn't expanded or become coarse. It's probably had 60 hours of table time so far.

Hope this all helps,
Curtis

[DEATHTRON]

All i do is keep my hands clean, works the best for me.

Zach

[KGeeEd]

Ask a cuemaker and most will tell you not to use anything that will break the wood seal. No sandpaper, or anything that is abrassive and no solvents.

Keep your hands clean. If needed carry a small towel to wipe your hands.

Do not hold the cue near the tip when waitng for your turn. Grip it near the joint where the finish is.

Wipe the shaft with a damp cloth occasionally.

Always clean the chalk off of the tip before putting in your case.

Use joint protectors

In between turns rub the shaft with a Karseal Q Cloth, piece of leather or a napkin to keep it keep it smooth and to wipe off any grime or "marbels" The oils from your body will seal the wood.

Do not tap the stick on the table to knock off excess chalk.

Do not use the side of the stick to move balls on the table.

NEVER let anyone else touch your cue.

[skor]

KGeeEd is right, thats the way I take care of my cue

[audiopro]

Especially the part about NEVER letting anyone touch your cue...

[Tanar]

I may be wrong in this, but I have had my cue for about a year now and I haven't cleaned it yet. It has a nice blue tint to the wood. I try to keep my hands clean and the shaft is not gummy, although it is not as smooth as it once was. I have NEVER used sandpaper on the shaft as I don't want to screw with the diameter of my cue. Also, cue makers spend a good amount of time tapering the shaft to the correct diameter, so why mess with it? I personally believe that using anything but cue cleaning products on the wood is a bad idea and even then, use them sparingly. Wood is a tempermental thing. Cue builders spend years turning the wood and using stabalizer on it to make sure it doesn't warp. I don't see how adding water or other such substances to the cue will promote a straight shaft. Cue cleaning products have been researched and are widely accepted by cue builders for the cleaning of their products.

Now, on the other hand, letting dirt build up in the pores isn't the best thing for the wood either, so I should really clean my cue sometime. I just don't think water or sand paper is a good method for doing this.

[dags_lax]

Wiping the shaft down with a slightly damp cloth, besides cleaning the shaft somewhat, will cause the grain in the wood to rise. Then when sanded down you get a very smooth finish. A man who made beautiful custom furniture and cabinets told me that was the best way to get the smoothest possible finish. But that was before the polyurethane finishes, when wood was hand oiled and sealed with wax.

[Tat]

It is kind of interesting that I read the thing about raising the grain of a shaft. For the longest time working on fine finishing wood, I was taught to raise the grain of the surface that I am finishing so that the first coating on the wood surface will be smooth and reduce the sanding before the next coating.

It seemed that none of the pool/ billiard player intends to refinish, varnish, oil, or anykind of "painting" the shaft, so why raise the grain. The grain if covering thr pores and is smooth to the touch, why do one want to open them up with even with the finest micro mesh abrasive? I think that a good thin coat of hard wax let dry and burnish with a soft cotten cloth would make any wood surface sealed against dirt and oil ingress, as well as a smooth and slick surface for the bridge hand.

Just a thought!

Tat