Now that you’ve purchased your own pool cue, and hopefully followed some of the advice from previous articles before doing so, you’ll want to take care of your investment. A good cue is relatively durable and forgiving, but all cues require some care and maintenance. We are going to talk about wooden pool cues here, graphite and fiberglass cues are practically bulletproof and require a little less care.

CASES. You’re going to need a case to take your new cue to the pool hall. I would think it would be obvious, but nevertheless, I constantly see people coming in with their new cue in hand. Come on, you just spent your money and took the time to pick out a pool cue you love, but can’t find some kind of case? Basic cases are made of vinyl or soft material. These will protect your cue against minor drops and bumps, but not much else. I highly recommend hard cases just because they offer a lot of protection. Some cases are tested by driving a car over them without damaging the stud inside! Your pool cue can take a lot of damage in your car, at home, and even in your pool hall, so protect it as best you can.

While we’re on the subject of transporting your cue, never leave your pool cue in your car, especially in the trunk! Wood is very susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity, so avoid storing your pool cue in your vehicle at all costs. Wood will expand and contract, which could lead to warping, loose joints, and cracked spots.

TIP. The tip of the pool cue (the part that hits the ball) is the most important part of the stick. You can play billiards with a tree branch or a broomstick, or with the most crooked stick in the house, if the tip is solid and has the right shape, you can play with it! It is not a joke! Screw-in tips are a serious no-no, so don’t even go there. The “real” tips are glued together and come in a variety of hardnesses. Soft tips hold chalk better and are better for applying “English,” but they wear down and multiply quickly. Extremely hard tips last forever but need constant re-chalking. Some say they also make a more accurate shot. A medium hard tip should be fine for most players. The tip must be able to hold chalk, so it needs to be scraped off periodically. The roundness of the tip should be maintained with a shaper. Most players equate the roundness to that of a nickel, although some prefer the narrowness of a “bend of dimes”. Shaping and scraping too often will cause the tip to fade quickly, so only shape and scrape when necessary. The sides of the toe should be level with the ferrule, not stick out. Get yourself a razor/shaper and take care of that tip!

THE AXIS. When you first bought your pool cue the shaft was nice and smooth and it slid through the bridge hand very easily. That didn’t last long, did it? Sweat, oils, and dirt from his hand will stick to his shaft very quickly, making it sticky and not-so-smooth. How is this prevented and how is it cleaned up? First of all, there’s not much he can do to prevent this from happening besides washing his hands often and keeping them clean and dry. Some people use powder, such as baby powder, on their bridge hand and cue. A small amount of powder that has been well rubbed into your hand is fine – it softens the skin, but the powder should never be used as a lubricant. Wash your hands! Dust will cause the pool cue shaft to bind faster and will ruin the felt on the pool table. Nothing looks worse or plays worse than clean green felt with white baby powder all over it because some idiot thought they had to put powder on it to shoot better! It’s just not so don’t do it. It’s bad for your taco and bad for the table. Have a little respect, huh?

Cleaning the shaft of your pool cue with a soft cloth during play will limit the amount of dirt that collects on it. Not eating or drinking with the bridge hand is also a good habit. It is a good idea to occasionally use a very light leather burning pad. However, over time, the pores in the wood of the shaft will become completely filled with dirt and oils and will need thorough cleaning. I’m going to tell you how I do it, just remember that if you get it wrong you could ruin your taco. Always. The first step is to completely clean the shaft (not the splint) with a soft cloth and some rubbing alcohol. You don’t want to drench the wood with it, use just enough to clean the wood. Continue cleaning with alcohol until you can’t see any dirt on the cloth. The alcohol removes dirt and oil from the wood and opens the pores in the wood. Now you just want to let it sit and dry for several hours. Now it’s time to wax! That’s right, I said wax. You need to use 100% carnauba wax for this. Because wax is fine, as long as it’s 100% carnauba wax.

Just like waxing a car, apply a coat of wax with a soft cloth or applicator and let dry until hazy. You can’t let it get too dry, just let it sit for a while and have a little patience. Once the wax has completely dried, you’ll want to clean it off and immediately begin working the shaft with a leather burning pad (or a plain piece of thick leather if you don’t have a burnisher, which you should anyway). Wrap the leather around the shaft and shake it up and down as fast as you can (yes, that sounds dirty). The more you rub and the faster you rub, the hotter the wax will become, allowing it to penetrate into the pores of the wood. When you’re done, you’ll have a beautiful, smooth shaft once again, but you’re not done yet! You’re going to have to go through all the steps again, except the alcohol part. Apply more wax, let dry, rub it in, repeat until you have at least 3-4 well worked coats of wax on the wood. Now take care of the tip and go play pool!

THE BACK. The butt of your pool cue shouldn’t need much maintenance. Keep it clean and wipe it with a soft cloth during and after the game. Do not hit things with it and do not drop (or throw) it on the ground. The joints will loosen, the wood will crack, and the parts will separate if you do. Then you’ll have to buy a whole new cue.

“Dings” on the Shaft. There is nothing more annoying than passing the pool cue across the bridge and feeling small “bumps” in the wood. As much as we try to take care of our pool cues, these little teeth always seem to appear, as if by magic. Here is a method I learned that will remove small blemishes from the shaft of your pool stick. First, you need to clean the shaft with isopropyl alcohol as in the paragraph on cleaning the shaft. This will open up the pores in the wood. Next, find a place where you can put the axle where it won’t roll and get bumped. Lay the shaft (horizontally) down with the dents you want to remove facing up. Now, soak a very small piece of tissue with water and roll it into a ball (think miniature spitball) and place the ball of tissue directly into the notched spot on the shaft. It is important that the ball of tissue is not larger than the actual notch in the shaft. Let sit until completely dry; what happens is that the wood in that small area absorbs the water from the tissue and swells, bringing that spot level with the surrounding wood. In a perfect world, the “ding” would have gone away, but what usually happens is that the “ding” turns into a little “thump”, which is fine because thumps can be resolved with a recording pad quite easily. . Once you have all of your “dents” level or slightly above level, it’s time to wax the shaft. Follow the instructions above for the proper method to do so. Of course, another way to remove dings and dents from your pool cue would be to take it to a professional, but where’s the fun in that?

NEVER USE ABRASIVES. Ever. Period. That means no sandpaper, no scouring pads, no wet/dry paper, nothing. If it was designed to remove wood, keep it away from your pool cue! You never want to remove a layer of wood just to make it smooth; You’ll want to clean up the existing wood to maintain the cue’s shape, balance, and feel.

Your pool cue represents an investment on your part, so keeping it clean and in good condition will make it last a lifetime. That’s a lot of playing pool!

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