un-blackening the grain?

[itsnoteasy]

There was me made hundreds of cues from the eighties and only recently heard that I was supposed to use grain filler on them.

Aye but what did anyone win with one of your cues Andy ., err oh aye ,I forgot about that tourney G. Dott won lol.

[Dave Walton]

There was me made hundreds of cues from the eighties and only recently heard that I was supposed to use grain filler on them.

Did you not use the slurry method though Andy?

[bigandyg]

Did you not use the slurry method though Andy?

It probably was that though at the time it was just a lot of work with wet and dry paper. The other change is everyone now fills the grain with black filler, I have loads of cues here from different makers and the shafts all look identical with white ash and black grain. I much prefer the old golden honey coloured shafts of yester year.

[vmax4steve]

Depends on the wood, open grained wood like ash needs to be filled, you can't just sand it smooth,

It doesn't need to be smooth as the grain runs along your bridge hand, not across it so it's not felt. The black grain filler is purely aesthetic to make the pattern stand out from the white wood and make it look antique rather than new. Ash cues, like my own, that do not have their grain filled will naturally over time collect particles of dirt, oil, polish and sweat into the grain and darken and look seasoned.

I do not use grain filler on my ash cues but instead give them a jacobean oak danish oil finish which soaks into the grain and makes it stand out a little but not too much. The ridges on the shafts can be felt when turning it in your fingers but not when running along your bridge hand. This I believe makes the shaft less sticky to the skin as the ridges stand proud so that not all the wood is touching the skin of the fingers as the shaft runs along it, unlike maple shafts which are much more sticky on the skin due to the fact that there is a very slight grain in maple.

To grain fill an ash shaft would be counterproductive in acheiving the benefits of the ash over maple, so to grain fill with black filler has to be for aesthetic purposes because the customer demands it.

[jim evans]

you can buy a white grain filler off ebay i use to use and darken with ebony dye.

[jb134]

It probably was that though at the time it was just a lot of work with wet and dry paper. The other change is everyone now fills the grain with black filler, I have loads of cues here from different makers and the shafts all look identical with white ash and black grain. I much prefer the old golden honey coloured shafts of yester year.

Lots of cues from different makers that look identical? Don't YOU start!

[sberry]

It probably was that though at the time it was just a lot of work with wet and dry paper. The other change is everyone now fills the grain with black filler, I have loads of cues here from different makers and the shafts all look identical with white ash and black grain. I much prefer the old golden honey coloured shafts of yester year.

So do I and when I re-finish a cue that's what I go for, it takes a lot longer as it's multiple coats or 'goes' with first grain filler to get the grain dark then linseed oil, cue wax, aurora cue oil, more wax, linseed oil, elbow (and hand) grease, etc - very satisfying to do, look at and use when finished and you notice people looking at the cue a lot - gives a cue a proper aged look

[Dave Walton]

Depends on the wood, open grained wood like ash needs to be filled, you can't just sand it smooth,

It doesn't need to be smooth as the grain runs along your bridge hand, not across it so it's not felt. The black grain filler is purely aesthetic to make the pattern stand out from the white wood and make it look antique rather than new. Ash cues, like my own, that do not have their grain filled will naturally over time collect particles of dirt, oil, polish and sweat into the grain and darken and look seasoned.

I do not use grain filler on my ash cues but instead give them a jacobean oak danish oil finish which soaks into the grain and makes it stand out a little but not too much. The ridges on the shafts can be felt when turning it in your fingers but not when running along your bridge hand. This I believe makes the shaft less sticky to the skin as the ridges stand proud so that not all the wood is touching the skin of the fingers as the shaft runs along it, unlike maple shafts which are much more sticky on the skin due to the fact that there is a very slight grain in maple.

To grain fill an ash shaft would be counterproductive in acheiving the benefits of the ash over maple, so to grain fill with black filler has to be for aesthetic purposes because the customer demands it.

You'll need a good razor to play with one of your cues, the open grain will pull on your whiskers otherwise! Depends which part of the cue is going across the bridge hand, not everyone holds a cue the same way and you will be able to feel the grain when cuing depending how you hold the cue, grain filling is NOT just aesthetic, the dark colour of the filler IS! But there are many different ways you can darken the grain without filling it.

[bigandyg]

Lots of cues from different makers that look identical? Don't YOU start!

I meant the ash with the black grain and the light ash are all similar as is the fashion at the moment. That is one argument that I am staying clear of.