CUE CARE

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CUE CARE

Your cue is made from wood and a few small man-made components. The man-made components (joints, butt sleeves and caps, joint pins, weight bolts etc) aren't normally going to give you any potential problems. The wood however is a different story! Did you know that even just leaning your cue against the sharp edge of a table can actually put a very minor ding in the wood? Sometimes we think that the cue takes care of itself and that the finish of the wood will protect it from anything-This is not always true. If not properly taken care of your shaft (sometimes even the butt of the cue) can warp and ruin a good cue whether it's a $20.00 cue that you bought at a discount store or a $1000.00 Balabushka. Some good common sense along with a few tips about the nature of wood can help prevent a lot of problems.

First of all lets talk about warping. Warping in pool cues is mainly caused by a loss of moisture from the wood. This affects the grain in the wood in such a way as to cause the wood to lose its shape. The best way to avoid this warping is to keep your cue away from direct heat sources which can dry the wood out. In colder climates if you carry or keep your cue in your car for example keep it away from the heater. If it's cold outside when you bring your cue inside it will probably get condensation on it. Let it sit for a while while using a paper towel or napkin to wipe off the moisture from the condensation while waiting for the cue to warm up a little. THIS DOES NOT MEAN PUTTING THE CUE NEAR A HEAT SOURCE!! Keep the cue away from heater vents or radiators and espeicially do not lean your cue against radiators or near heat sources. Follow these simple rules and you should have no problems with warpage. Sometimes the warp can be taken out but it can never be guaranteed. I have had some degree of sucess in straightening warp shafts but once the butt becomes warped it's "firewood"!

A few words about scuffers. There are many types of tip scuffers available for roughing up your tip. These leather tips need to be rough on the top in order to hold chalk better and to avoid the dreaded "mis-cue". I find that the American made scuffers last longer and are usually better quality although some of the imported scuffers work well also. Something to remember: A piece of sandpaper works just as well!! A lot of beginners tend to scuff too hard and this can actually lead to loosening the tip. Also overscuffing will wear down your tip much faster and cost you more money in the long run for replacement tips. Just scuff your tip when you see it getting really smooth and do it lightly- just enough pressure to slightly roughen it. When properly scuffed it will hold chalk much better and remember- chalk up before each shot!! Do not tap your cue on the table to knock off the loose chalk!! This will dent your shaft and it's really not impressing anyone. You want plenty of chalk on your tip so why knock it off???

Dings and scratches. As I mentioned earlier you can actually get a small ding in your cue by just leaning it against a sharp object and applying an ever-so-slight amount of pressure against it. I often see people leaning their cues against a bar and then leaning on the cue themselves! You will often see players chalk their cue and then tap it on the table to knock the excess chalk off the tip. They are begging for a dent or ding in their cue and they will usually tell you that they have no idea how it got there. Dropping cues on the floor is another problem. Cues are made of wood and they are not indestructable! You are prone to major problems if your cue hits the floor. Aside from possibly bending the joint pin- you can get some nasty dings or dents or actually get small pieces of dirt or gravel imbedded in the shaft. This requires a re-conditioning of the shaft and can be a little expensive. Many times dents or dings in the shaft can be removed by raising the wood grain using steam and then extra fine sandpaper (number 600 or greater) Your local cue shop can usually take care of these problems but just remember- AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURES!! And no billiard dealer is going to guarantee a cue against the damage that you inflict upon it. So as a result of all of the above- when you purchase your cue- examine it carefully. Make sure it rolls straight and feels good to you because once you accept it- it becomes your responsibility!! THANKS AND "STRAIGHT SHOOTIN!!"

Michael J.

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