Now that you’ve bought your own pool cue and hopefully followed some of the advice in previous articles before doing so, you’ll want to take care of your investment. A good sign is relatively long-lasting and tolerant, but all signs require care and a little maintenance. Here we will talk about wooden billiard cues, the graphite and fiberglass sticks are practically bulletproof and require a little less care.
CASES. You are going to need a case to be able to take your new cue to the pool hall. I would think it would be obvious, but nevertheless, I constantly see people arriving with their new signal in hand. Come on, did you just spend your money and take the time to pick out a pool cue that you love, but just can’t pick some kind of case? The basic cases are made of vinyl or soft material. These will protect your cue from 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 inner lug! Your billiard cue can take a lot of damage to your car, your home, and even your billiard room, so protect it as best you can.
While we’re on the topic 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 stick in your vehicle at all costs. The wood will expand and contract, which could lead to warping, loose joints, and cracked spots.
TIP. The tip of the billiard cue (the part that hits the ball) is the most important part of the club. You can play billiards with a tree branch or broomstick, or with the most deformed stick in the house, if the tip is solid and shaped properly, you can play with it! It is not a joke! Screw 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 out and grow out quickly. Extremely hard tips last forever, but you need to constantly re-chalk. 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 periodic scraping is necessary. The roundness of the tip must be maintained with a styler. Most players compare roundness to that of a nickel, although some prefer the stiffness of a “dime curve.” Shaping and scraping too often will make the tip disappear quickly, so only shape and scrape when necessary. The sides of the tip should be level with the splint, not mushroom shaped. Get yourself a scraper / styler 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 your hand will stick to your shaft very quickly, making it sticky and not so smooth. How is this avoided and how is it cleaned? First, there is little you can do to prevent this from happening other than to wash your hands frequently and keep them clean and dry. Some people use talcum powder, such as baby powder, on the bridge hand and on the heel. A small amount of powder that has rubbed well into the hand is fine; softens the skin, but the powder should never be used as a lubricant. Wash your hands! The dust will cause the shaft of your pool cue to lock up faster and the dust will ruin the pool table felt. Nothing looks worse or plays worse than clean green felt with white baby powder all over it because some idiot thought they had to powder on it to get a better shot! It’s just not like that, so don’t do it. It’s bad for your taco and bad for the table. Have some respect, huh?
Cleaning the shaft of your pool cue with a soft cloth during play will limit the amount of dirt that accumulates on it. Not eating or drinking with your bridge hand is also a good habit. Using a very light leather polishing pad from time to time is a good idea. However, over time, the pores in the shaft wood will fill completely with dirt and oils and will need a thorough cleaning. I’m going to tell you how I do it, just remember that if you make a mistake you could ruin your taco. Forever. The first step is to completely clean the shaft (not the bushing) with a soft cloth and a little isopropyl alcohol. You don’t want to soak the wood with it, use just enough to clean the wood. Continue cleaning with alcohol until you see no dirt on the cloth. 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 is the time to wax! That’s right, I said wax. You need to use 100% carnauba wax for this. Car wax is fine, as long as it is 100% carnauba wax.
Like waxing a car, apply a coat of wax with a soft cloth or applicator and allow it to dry to a haze. You can’t let it dry for long, just let it sit for a while and be patient. Once the wax has completely dried, you’ll want to clean it up and immediately start working the shaft with a leather polishing pad (or a plain piece of thick leather if you don’t have a polisher, which you should have anyway). Wrap the leather around the shaft and move it up and down as fast as you can (yes, it sounds dirty). The more you rub and the faster you rub, the hotter the wax will get, allowing it to work 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 will have to go through all the steps again, except for the alcohol part. Apply more wax, let it dry, rub it in and repeat until you have at least 3-4 layers of wax well worked into the wood. Now take care of the tip and go play pool!
THE TAIL. The butt of your pool cue shouldn’t need a lot of maintenance. Keep it clean and wipe it with a soft cloth during and after the game. Don’t hit things with it and don’t drop it (or throw it) to the ground. The joints will loosen, the wood will crack, and the pieces will separate if you do. Then you will have to buy a completely new cue.
“Dings” on the shaft. Nothing is more annoying than working your pool cue across the bridge and feeling little “bumps” on the wood. As much as we try to take care of our pool cues, these little dents always seem to appear, as if by magic. Here is a method that I learned that will remove the small imperfections from the handle of your pool stick. First, you need to clean the shaft with isopropyl alcohol as in the paragraph about 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 where it won’t hit. Lay the axle (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 of a miniature saliva ball) and place the tissue ball directly on the toothed point of the shaft. It is important that the ball of tissue is no larger than the actual notch in the shaft. Let it sit until it dries completely; what happens is that the wood in that small area absorbs the water from the fabric and swells, leveling that stain with the surrounding wood. In a perfect world, the “ding” will be gone, but what usually happens is that the “ding” turns into a small “bump”, which is fine because bumps can be fixed with a polishing pad quite easily. . Once you have all of your “bumps” level or slightly above level, it’s time to wax the shaft. Follow the instructions above for the proper method to do this. Of course, another way to remove bumps 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, scourers, 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 smooth it out; you want to clean the existing wood to maintain the shape, balance and feel of the dowel.
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 to play pool!
