Pool Cue Maintenance

If you've just purchased a new pool cue, you should begin thinking about how you can protect your investment. This article on pool cue maintenance will run through some of the various things you can do to care for your new pool cue and maintain its look, playability, and value. You'll learn how to keep your pool cue clean, minimize the wear and tear it is subject to, and to protect the pool cue tip, ferrule, wood, wrap, and butt. Pool cue maintenance is not a difficult task and can be fairly simple to keep on top of.

Pool Cue Maintenance

A big part of pool cue maintenance is keeping the cue, and it's various parts clean. Simply washing your hands thoroughly before you play, and again after each hour of play will help to maintain your cue's shiny new appearance and reduce the buildup of dirt and grime on the shaft.

A pool cue maintenance routine is not complete unless you are relentlessly devoted to keeping it away from harmful elements. The most damaging element for a pool cue is moisture and humidity. Keeping your pool cue away from moist and humid places will ensure that there will not be any unnecessary warping of the cue over time. Remember that all pool cues that are made from wood will likely warp over time, but keeping it away from unnecessary moisture will prevent the onset of warp for some time.

Pool cue maintenance also involves care of the cue tip. Caring for this item will help lengthen the time between pool cue tip changes. When you purchase a new pool cue, your cue tip will likely be rather flat, shiny, and smooth, and will require a scuffing and shaping. Shaping the pool cue tip is a matter of personal preference and is normal done to accommodate your playing style. Roundness is also a matter of personal preference and depends on individual playing style, but is generally equal to the roundness of a U.S. Dime or Nickel currency piece. Scuffing the pool cue tip will simply give it the ability to take and hold chalk better and longer. Normally a pool cue tip shaping will automatically rough up the surface, so no additional scuffing is necessary. A miscue during a break shot, or any other shot may be an indication that you need to perform another pool cue tip scuff. Also, after about 35-55 hours of play, your pool cue tip will mushroom, and you trim that portion of the tip at that juncture. Performing these tasks at the appropriate times will suffice for the cue tip portion of pool cue maintenance.

Your pool cue maintenance routine will also involve the ferrule, but this portion of the pool cue will require very little care in comparison to the cue tip we've just discussed. Typically, you'll be removing chalk buildup that has accumulated during play. The ease of this task will depend on the ferrule's construction and the amount of chalk buildup. Ivory ferrules can generally be cleaned by rubbing with a damp cloth. Ferrules made from a synthetic material like Ivorine, Melamine, and Aegis will be more work to clean, if the can be cleaned at all. It has been suggested that toothpaste is a good cleaner for these types of material, but one should consult their cue manufacturer for the best advice here. Whatever substance you use to clean the ferrule, be absolutely certain that you don't any of it on your shaft or cue tip. This can be accomplished by applying tape to the areas you need to protect. Never use sandpaper on the ferrule as you may remove finishes and stain coats that are designed to protect the surface. This may also allow more chalk to become embedded in the ferrule in the future.

Pool cue maintenance will also include care for the wooden portion of the pool cue shaft. Quite simply, you should avoid any unnecessary stres that may be placed on the shaft both during the course of regular play, or in transit. Examples of undue stresses that you should avoid include flexing the pool cue shaft in to the pool cue cloth when shooting, leaning on the pool cue shaft while waiting for your chance to shoot, or hitting the cue out of frustration after a shot. You can maintain this part of your pool cue by rubbing it down after each use, or as necessary during long sessions. You can use a piece of leather to do this, or simply a brown paper napkin. There are lots of players who suggest use of high-grit sandpaper. We don't advise of this method, and recommend avoiding it if possible.

The final component of pool cue maintenance involves the butt cap. This is an extremely easy part of the pool cue to maintain. Cleaning can be done after each session by using a clean, soft cloth. It has been noted that there is no need to purchase special cleaners for this part of the pool cue. Because of the cost of these cleaners, and because of the fact that the butt cap is meant to be replaced periodically at a low cost, the purchase of cleaners is generally not worth the money.

That is pool cue maintenance in a nutshell.

Pool Cue Maintenance

Title: Pool Cue Maintenance
Author: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)
Published: 5/7/2008 10:02:00 PM

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