Cue Care
- Keep your cue in a High-quality cue case.
- Never lean your cue against a wall at any angle. This prevents your cue from tipping over and getting damaged easily.
- Never bang your cue directly onto the ground or table.
- Don't clean your cue with water, as water will cause the wood to swell.
- Keep your cue and hands clean. Clean the joint of the cue carefully, as dust can easily accumulate and cause a poor connection when you hit the ball.
- Don’t leave your cue near a heat source or anywhere that can get cold or damp. Wood does not react well to extreme temperatures (hot or cold), and changes in moisture content can cause expansion or contraction. High heat and humidity can cause your cue to bend or expand, while excess moisture or cold can make the wood damp. So do not leave your cue in your car.
- Don’t use sandpaper or any abrasive pads to clean your cue. Cue has an oily coating on it, rough cleaning can remove that coating and make the cue dry and sticky that affects your movement. You can reapply a layer of raw linseed oil with a dry cloth and let the oil soak overnight before polishing the cue to a shiny and smooth surface.
- Pay attention to your cue tip and replace it immediately if it needs to be replaced. When the cue tip is damaged, prolonged use will expand the damage to the ferrule and shaft, making replacement more expensive.
How to maintain your cue in good condition
Keeping your cue in top condition will ensure you can play at your highest level, so keep these key things in mind:
Check the joint
Over time the joint gets dirty which often results in a poor connection and a horrible noise when hitting the cue ball. Use very fine steel wool to remove any accumulated dirt.
Check the ferrule
A good ferrule is very important, this is what holds the tip so it needs to be in good condition to work properly. The ferrule is the most likely cause of strange noises coming from the cue, it will loosen over time and a simple replacement reset is often enough to get your cue back in tip-top shape.
Check the straightness
To see if your cue is straight you need to aim down like the barrel of a gun, this is the best way to check straightness. Rolling the cue on the table doesn’t always give a good indication of whether the cue is straight. There are some reasons for this, butt joints and shaft tapers are the most common reasons why the cue doesn’t roll flat onto the table.
Check the shaft
Shafts will dry out over time and to maintain the shaft it is best to use raw linseed oil or an oil-based cue wax. You will need to clean the shaft before applying. If the shaft has accumulated grease and chalk, you can wipe the cue with a slightly damp cloth and dry. Don’t use large amounts of water as this will cause the shaft to swell. When the cue is clean, apply raw linseed oil or an oil-based club wax with a cloth or paper towel and leave it to soak in for a few hours or overnight. Then wipe the cue with a clean cloth until smooth and dry.