How do you know when you need to re grain your cue?

[blurry_121]

Just wondering whether or not mine needs doin?

[billabong]

Just wondering whether or not mine needs doin?

Do you mean from an aesthetic point of view ?

[blurry_121]

basically im planing on oiling and before oiling i will sand but ive read that it may need regraining? first time ive attempted it to be fair :/

[tetricky]

Do you mean from an aesthetic point of view ?

Probably not, if it's previously been finished. I make my first sand be an oil one (prep with a thinned oil first, so you get some soaking into the wood), the wet/dry paper will pick up dark wood dust from the butt, and this will 'fill the grain' to help the grain colour. Then oil/sand repeat, until you get the finish you want. you should only need to grain fill if there are some big gaping chasms that cant be raised with water (I tape a wet cotton wool bud over any dinks before the first sand, it raises most of them unless they are cut....then you can oil and sand to keep it smooth). You might also want to look at filling with super glue and sanding down, to fill any smallish cut holes (leaves a small smooth shiny spot, but does show through the colour underneath, so works nicely on spliced butts). Do any minor repairs before the sanding oiling phase. If it needs more than these techniques, it's beyond my scope. Then I would need a cue doctor.

[bigandyg]

If you fill any holes with superglue I would tap some dust in on top of the glue so if is on an ash shaft put in ash dust if it was on ebony butt use ebony dust etc then rub smooth.