Raised grain on shaft

[Wayne G]

My TW ash cue(4 yrs. old) has a great smooth finish, but recently I've noticed a couple of raised grain spots(small) on the underside of the shaft. I can feel them a bit on my bridge hand when cueing.

There are no cue doctors around here so I would need to take care of this myself. I don't want to leave a blemish or do anything to make it look like a repair gone bad.

Suggestions please. Appreciated. Thanks.

[j6uk]

My TW ash cue(4 yrs. old) has a great smooth finish, but recently I've noticed a couple of raised grain spots(small) on the underside of the shaft. I can feel them a bit on my bridge hand when cueing.

There are no cue doctors around here so I would need to take care of this myself. I don't want to leave a blemish or do anything to make it look like a repair gone bad.

Suggestions please. Appreciated. Thanks.

i have some a few ideas, but just tell me did you buy it new and has it always been this way?

[Wayne G]

i have some a few ideas, but just tell me did you buy it new and has it always been this way?

Yes, I ordered new from Trevor. It is a select shaft from him. No, it has not always been this way, only noticed in the last few months or so.

[DeanH]

Could be just dirt? where you hold the cue when waiting your turn?
Be surprised on how little it takes to make a cue feel rough
So firstly I would say give it a little clean
then "panic" about raised-grain or it could be the other way, some filler fallen out and you actually have valleys and not hills

[j6uk]

Yes, I ordered new from Trevor. It is a select shaft from him. No, it has not always been this way, only noticed in the last few months or so.

not really too sure without seeing it but it sounds like swelling of the shaft due to using too wet cloth and or how you store your cue in terms of hot and cold conditions.
could you show us a close up pic of the cue?
could be you'll need to make an effort and go to see a cue man to re-finish it

[bradwight]

Rub your finger nail over it and double check it's not a hollow grain like Dean said. 99% of the time this is the case. If it is, you can use grain filler but not normal wood filler! I use Rustins grain filler but there are other alternatives out there.

From what I understand, one of the common causes of grain filler wearing away is not oiling the cue when it needs it. Chalk and sweat combine to make a weak acid solution which will eat away at the shaft over time.

I've had a few cues do this but not since I started sealing the wood with Mike Wooldridge's Liquid Gold drying oil. Wonderful stuff which not only protects the wood but looks and feels great too.