Blackening/filling grain (chevrons)?

[neuronic]

Hi...

Question: what do cuemakers use to blacken/fill an ash cues grain? And how exactly?

[SouthPaw]

Everything you need to know in the link...

http://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/boa...90-Black-grain

[Dave Walton]

All the cue makers have their own ways of doing things, most of which are tightly gaurded secrets.

[neuronic]

Well, I'm pretty sure John Parris doesn't use woodfiller from the home improvement store, thats just too pasty, dry...

There was a short BBC coverage on JPs work in between two snooker matches some years ago - a member of his staff applied something black with some cloth on a new, sanded shaft (rather a liquid than some sort of paste) and then wiped off the excess...
Ebony dust in some oil or solvent if I had to guess. Would love to know.

[warren132]

I have tried used motor oil with good results. Just have to wait a while for the smell to go away but it done the job and looked great.

here is the video that you were talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R8WH8f-rnI

[DeanH]

I have tried used motor oil with good results. Just have to wait a while for the smell to go away but it done the job and looked great.

here is the video that you were talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R8WH8f-rnI

thanks for that, as I remember the guy is not applying grain filler but the final oil. The grain-filling stage is not shown in the vid.

[mattyshinobi22]

thanks for that, as I remember the guy is not applying grain filler but the final oil. The grain-filling stage is not shown in the vid.

yes what i think too

[neuronic]

It was a different video I was refering to... you could actually see the blackening of the grain.
But I do remember this one. Might have confused them anyway, dunno.

[Dave Walton]

It was a different video I was refering to... you could actually see the blackening of the grain.
But I do remember this one. Might have confused them anyway, dunno.

I remember the video you're on about during the world championships in about 08-09! Clearly showed them using an almost paint like black filler. The advice I got from Jim Evans on the thread above was to use a very fine powder filler mixed with sanding sealer and wood dye, its trial and error to get the mix right, it needs to be thin enough to get into the grain but not too thin.

[neuronic]

Yeah, 08/09 could be the time... unfortunately the video doesnt seem to be around on the internet.

Not sure about the dye though, for its pretty sure gonna darken not only the grain but all of the wood.
I guess a thinned down (oil? solvent?) filler maybe plus some ebony dust should work best or at least good enough: should sink into the grain and harden within hours, thus filling and darken it without effecting the rest of the wood...

[Dave Walton]

The dye only changes the colour of the grain not the whole cue. Once sanded back your left with enhanced grain and normal coloured ash.

[Dave Walton]

You sand the cue smooth using a block to avoid getting hills and mounds as I call it which is like a wave effect on the chevrons. Apply the grain filler and allow to dry overnight then sand off the excess filler, don't use too low a grit or you'll pull the filler back out, make sure as you sand your slightly rotating the cue so you don't create flat spots. Then finish with raw linseed oil or a cuemakers cue oil by rubbing the oil onto the cue with a lint free cloth or kitchen paper, leave for 10-20 mins then wipe off the excess and leave to dry overnight or if you can 48hrs buff the cue then lightly sand with 1200 or higher grit or 0000 wire wool then buff again then apply another coat and repeat 3 or 4 times to build up the finish. Buffing well between coats makes a huge difference