Maple Shaft feels rough after using water -please help!!

[marriott]

I hope someone out there can help.....

I've just recently started playing with a maple cue for the first time. Just down the club I noticed some dirt off the rest was showing on my cue and so I decided to damp my finger, rub out the dirt so to speak, then dry immediately with my cue towel.

Suddenly, the previously super silky smooth shaft was now *****ly and rough. On my ash cue before, I used to dampen one half of a cue towel with water, go down the cue to hear a squeaky sound in order to wipe the dirt off and then dry immediately with the dry part of the towel and it gave the cue a super smooth feel. Obviously I've transferred this practice to my maple cue and the result couldn't be more different, :-(

Does anyone have a similar experience, or can anyone advise on what I need to do as it is worrying - not sure if after a short time the smoothness will return?? Your help is appreciated.

[Deepscrew]

not sure really mate! If you dried it straight away surely shouldnt have any issues unless the cue has no finish at all on it?

[ADR147]

what sort of cue is it?

[MikeWooldridge]

congratulations, you raised the grain.

it won't go back down.

you're f*cked.

lol. only kidding mucker. get some wire wool on it. fine grade. let me know how smooth it is after.

[sootyvrs]

get some wire wool on it. fine grade. let me know how smooth it is after.

Wont this leave the wood bare and unprotected? Should you use raw linseed oil after using wire wool?

Curious as I'm using a maple shaft at the moment

[cally]

Should you use Mike wooldridge cue oil after using wire wool?

Sorted that typo out for ya....LMAO...

[ADR147]

congratulations, you raised the grain.

it won't go back down.

you're f*cked.

lol. only kidding mucker. get some wire wool on it. fine grade. let me know how smooth it is after.

you stole my 'cheap cue' its knackered joke!

[marriott]

Wont this leave the wood bare and unprotected? Should you use raw linseed oil after using wire wool?

Hmmm, good question - i'm a little concerned about affecting the protection of the cue since use of water raised the grain.

[ADR147]

Hmmm, good question - i'm a little concerned about affecting the protection of the cue since use of water raised the grain.

i suspect mikes advice will be to use his cue oil liberally!

[MikeWooldridge]

I noticed some dirt off the rest was showing on my cue

dirt on the rest?! sounds like you need to change clubs...

Wont this leave the wood bare and unprotected?

hardly matters as it sounds like the whole cue could do with some treatment if a little wipe caused this

Should you use raw linseed oil after using wire wool?

Curious as I'm using a maple shaft at the moment

you won't catch me using raw but it's fine if you want.

but something to consider is what the rest of the cue is finished with. could end up looking a different colour and with a different feel over that area.

Sorted that typo out for ya....LMAO...

good spot.

Hmmm, good question - i'm a little concerned about affecting the protection of the cue since use of water raised the grain.

lol. what protection? clearly not much.

fine wire wool will hardly affect whatever finish is on the cue anyway.

you should be more concerned how easy it was to raise the grain in the first place and maybe consider rubbing the whole thing down and refinishing it yourself using whatever oil you want.

try the fine wire wool first. or take someone else's advice.

i suspect mikes advice will be to use his cue oil liberally!

lol. no, i was just offering the fix needed.

[eaoin11]

I had the same problem on a maple cue because the cue was too dry. The cue had been remodelled for me but felt like it had no oil on it at all. The cue maker of course said "I wouldn't leave it raw" but when a bit of water got on it at the tip end the result was the same, the raised grain and same rough feeling.

[jaffa.johnson]

I would go for a complete refinish for peace of mind.

[marriott]

Ok, thanks to everyone with their generous replies - thanks to Mike Wooldridge for his advice also.

The cue is now playing super smooth again - all it took was some brown parcel paper wrapped around the cue and then going up and down the shaft for about 30 seconds in order to bed the tiny hairs down that had been raised with the water - i even bought a magnifying glass to ensure the grain had bedded down again.

Finally i then applied a 50p sized puddle of raw linseed oil (which was used to finish the cue originally) to the cue and let it soak in overnight - i repeated this 2 nights in a row and now the finish is again super smooth.