Oiling Cues?

[Jellibeen69]

hello all.
Oiling some new and old cues alike.
I've been oiling them for a few days now, but they still seem to absorbing the linseed oil.
Do I continue to oil them untill the wood can take no more oil? or should I stop now and then finish of with a wax coating?
one of my cues shafts has changed colour dramatically, its darkened, this is the oldest of my cues, does this make a difference?
many thanks

[mooneyy]

You don't need to wax the cues, though you can do it if you like.

Continue oiling them until they don't seem to soak in the oil anymore.
(By the way how old is the oldest cue you mentioned? Has it never been
oiled before?)

Oh and: Make sure there's no varnish on your cues. Otherwise it's quite obvious
that you can oil them "till death do you part" with no effect.

That a cue gets darker as the time goes by is perfectly normal. It's simply an
aging process. Linseed oil darkens the wood as well, so there's nothing to
worry about.

cheers

[Jellibeen69]

My oldest cue is around 15 years.
its a dave coutts custom.
the older cues have been oiled before, but only one coat. left to soak in then buffed.
I read a post here that they need to be fed, infrequently, but they newer cues have been cleaned of any surface coatings then oiled. they just seem to be drinking the oil.
I understand that the hardwoods and exotic woods soak up slower than the ash shafts.

[trevs1]

You might find that by over oiling a cue, it may well end up having a patchy colour to it.

Also, it doesn't really benefit the cue at all to be oiled and oiled and oiled, there's simply no need to do that.

I guess it's the thinking that by "doing something" we're actually making improvements, when in reality, it just isn't the case.

[Jellibeen69]

so when do you know enough is enough?

[trevs1]

so when do you know enough is enough?

Enough is when the finish is to the required standard, but even then, the cue will take up more oil if it's applied. This will be of no beneift and will possibly cause discolouration of the timber, leaving a patchy finish.

The problem of knowing when the finish is to the required standard is maybe the issue, because so many people will fiddle with this or that on their cues in the hope of 'improving' something about it. Things such as wire wool or other methods to polish ferrules, to trying different tips, to adjustments of this or that in terms of weight/length etc, to re-finishing them and so on and so on.

[Mellow Yellow]

so many people will fiddle with this or that on their cues in the hope of 'improving' something about it. Things such as wire wool or other methods to polish ferrules, to trying different tips, to adjustments of this or that in terms of weight/length etc, to re-finishing them and so on and so on.

............... guilty as charged!!!

[khizzy]

how often does a cue need to be oiled

[Asi]

how often does a cue need to be oiled

Exactly what I was wondering after reading this thread.
According to JP website: "3-6 month (Depending on the amount you play)."
But after reading Trevor's post, I am not sure anymore...

[KeithinFrance]

Personally, I only oil a cue if it feels 'dry'. If you've got a good cue with a good finish, it doesn't need to be touched. I just wipe it down after playing and that's all it needs.

[eaoin11]

Agree with Keith and I think if the cue hasn't had enough oil it will still absorb water if it became wet.

I recieved a cue from a local maker a few years ago and it had been oiled (with some other kind of oil) but when it accidentally became wet the water penetrated the shaft very easily. After one or two coats (no more than that is needed I think) of linseed oil though it was fine, and after burnishing with the finest grade sandpaper it had a very smooth waterproof finish.

[DandyA]

I'd completely agree with Trev and Keith - they didn't say this exactly but "it it ain't broke, don't fix it" is a good adage ... if you're happy with your cue, don't change it ...

just to give you my experience, I bought my first "natural" cue (oiled not varnished) at the beginning of last October and I felt the need to oil it at the end of January ... and I'm glad I did, it feels nicer now ...

but do wrap the tip up well ... linseed oil gets everywhere and it's not good for tips! so maybe the obvious thing is to oil your cue whilst your changing the tip?

just another note ... I used raw linseed oil which worked fine but I think I read somewhere on this fine forum, if you don't want the shaft to change colour over time, use "refined" or "bleached" linseed oil instead - linseed oil is naturally yellow in colour and will make your shaft yellow - but "refined" or "bleached" oil has had the yellow pigment removed so presumably does not change the colour of the wood ...