Some questions about finish...

[Qubit]

So, does any of you like a cue with varnish on the butt (not the shaft)?

Varnish? No. Lacquer, yes i quite like that on the butt as found on older Powerglide cues (like Hendrys)

[eaoin11]

Do you think grain filler will affect the finish on the ebony butt? I am not too sure...has anyone tried that?

I think a lot of find sanding and polishing, and many layers of oil over a period of time might be the key...
Has anyone look closely at Deroo's cue? Does he cover them with some kind of very thin varnish?

I think all of the top cue makers can do a mirror finish on the butt of thier cues simply with oil, sanding etc.

But from what I hear it's the finish Trevor puts on the shaft that stands out and as I said maybe that's due to the use of his grain filler in addition to the above.

Why the obsession with shiny butts anyway?

[Oldgit]

In my opinion, the finish on Trevor Whites ash cues is the very best available. I asked him what he uses to get that amazing smooth as silk finish and he told me it was his own 'recipe' that he had perfected over the years.

I've told this tale before but about two years ago Trevor sent me his own playing cue for me to try out and I was in a snooker club using his cue when I started talking to a 'top 50 Snooker Professional' who was practicing on the next table. He had just been given a John Parris Ultimate cue made by John Parris for him and it was ash shafted. The Professional couldn't believe how silky smooth the finish was on Trevors cue compared to his Parris cue and was so astonished that he called another Snooker Pro over from another table just to show him the finish on Trevors Cue!!

Oldgit

[MattCash]

In my opinion, the finish on Trevor Whites ash cues is the very best available. I asked him what he uses to get that amazing smooth as silk finish and he told me it was his own 'recipe' that he had perfected over the years.

I've told this tale before but about two years ago Trevor sent me his own playing cue for me to try out and I was in a snooker club using his cue when I started talking to a 'top 50 Snooker Professional' who was practicing on the next table. He had just been given a John Parris Ultimate cue made by John Parris for him and it was ash shafted. The Professional couldn't believe how silky smooth the finish was on Trevors cue compared to his Parris cue and was so astonished that he called another Snooker Pro over from another table just to show him the finish on Trevors Cue!!

Oldgit

after receiving my TW cue today, i can also say that trevor's finish is second to none

[KeithinFrance]

His ash cues feel smoother than any other top cuemakers' maple cues, IMO. I'd never seen that before, but it's true.

[RGCirencester]

Stop it stop it stop it im poor and your making me want a trev :'(

[KeithinFrance]

1, 2, 3 ... aaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!

Now you know why some people can go and play pool or snooker unshaven, Rob! No snagging worries with a Trev.

[khizzy]

i have a trevor white which is my playing cue and also have a jp special cue,a few days back i took out my pld jp special just to knock a few frames and i felt like i was playing with sandpaper , there was a world of difference between them.

[poolqjunkie]

When you lads say smooth, do you just mean the shaft or the butt and shaft as a whole when comparing a Trevor White to other cues?

I do notice that the few John Parris cues I have, one of which was about 20 years old, the butt just does not have that really glossy sheen I saw on Trevor's cues. The shaft I am not sure, they all seem quite smooth. On the really old JP the shaft was quite nice actually--the oil, sweat, nicotine, spilled drinks, and what have you over the years have certainly added some precious natural oil finish to the shaft.

I have tried to use french finish on some cues I am working on, which is as someone else has pointed out, a shellac composite basically. It looks really good but it wears off after I use the cue for may be a day or so. If I use many many layers, and dilute it, may be it will stay better, I dont know how long though.

By the way, like I said before, the Glover cue I saw also had very nice finish, and Mike's cues 's finish is also silky smooth.

[eaoin11]

When you lads say smooth, do you just mean the shaft or the butt and shaft as a whole when comparing a Trevor White to other cues?

I do notice that the few John Parris cues I have, one of which was about 20 years old, the butt just does not have that really glossy sheen I saw on Trevor's cues. The shaft I am not sure, they all seem quite smooth. On the really old JP the shaft was quite nice actually--the oil, sweat, nicotine, spilled drinks, and what have you over the years have certainly added some precious natural oil finish to the shaft.

I have tried to use french finish on some cues I am working on, which is as someone else has pointed out, a shellac composite basically. It looks really good but it wears off after I use the cue for may be a day or so. If I use many many layers, and dilute it, may be it will stay better, I dont know how long though.

By the way, like I said before, the Glover cue I saw also had very nice finish, and Mike's cues 's finish is also silky smooth.

I suspect that the ash available these days is harder to make 'silky smooth' than the stuff used 10-20 yrs ago, but even then ash was less apt to shine up than maple and most timbers used for the butt. Somehow Trevor makes his ash cues smoother than most maple cues and that says a lot.

I don't know if the butt on his cues is shinier than the other makers', but if it is I agree that probably isn't due to the use of grain filler, but perhaps more time used sanding, polishing etc.

[khizzy]

i have a omin cue which has a thin coat of lacquer on the butt, how do i take it off, do i sand it off the butt and put some oil or just sand it.

[noel]

1, 2, 3 ... aaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!

Now you know why some people can go and play pool or snooker unshaven, Rob! No snagging worries with a Trev.

I'm saving UP for one Keith!

Currently using a MW maple (which I love especially because as it avoids whisker pluck).



=o)

Noel

PS. Hope you're feeling well mate and just so you know, I haven't forgotten about the CT for Margaret!

[Wayne G]

My TW ash cue is on order but won't be done till June/July. You guys are killing me with all the talk about silky smooth shafts, etc. It seems like a lifetime away.

Wayne G.

[poolqjunkie]

Can I soak the butt in a tube containing linseed, rather than just rubbing it on. Will that make the wood soak in more and retain more oil at once?

[rhubarb]

I wouldn't think submerging a cue butt in oil is a terribly good idea. The depth to which it penetrates relies on how dry the wood is and the viscosity of the oil or viscous penetration depth. How long would you usually leave a linseed oil finish to cure? It should be something like 24 hours between coats with three days (!) to cure after the last coat. If it's a better oil finish you're after try a different drying oil. Tung oil arguably provides a better and more protective finish than Linseed and doesn't provide as much colour or gum up in the same way as linseed. You could use it neat or use Danish oil, the main constituent of which is Tung oil - 4 hours between coats and 24 hours to cure (depending on climatic conditions).

To better improve oil penetration for the first coat or two you can thin it with a solvent, I'd use white spirits. New wood shouldn't really need any more than three coats with either Linseed or Tung oil. The first one being say a 1:1 dilution, the next being 2:1 oil to solvent, the last being neat oil.

Grape seed oil, seen in trendy supermarkets, is also a drying oil. I haven't as yet got round to experimenting with it though. I know its been used to treat things like wooden chopping boards since its edible. I'd imagine you would have to check the label before buying though to ensure your lovely supermarket hasn't diluted it with veg or sunflower oil .