Questions about my first cue

[tomfun]

Just bought this cue as my first, http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...ool%2Bcues.htm

sorry about the long link

i was wondering if i could or should sand the shaft down to remove the laquer,it feels pretty smooth to me,but i must say i prefer the natural wood look.

Also it says it has a 9.5mm tip but looks more like 9mm by my measurements,anyway i am not good enough in my opinion to play well with such a small tip and would really like to fit an over sized tip ,would 12mm be o.k for this cue or would it look to big?

[MrRottweiler]

Don't sand the shaft as this will damage your cue beyond repair. I've never heard of a 9.5mm tip I only thought they were 9, 10, 11 etc. Whatever tip you put on you will need to sand it to size so in theory you can put on a 12mm tip but it will take a lot of sanding.

A damp cloth and then a dry one will keep your cue smooth without using any spray or sand paper which only serves to ruin the cue.

[tomfun]

i thought i read somewhere that you could sand down a cue and give it a coat of linseed oil to protect it,there seems to be lots of cues advertised as having 9.5 mm tips but mayby they are all 9mm.
As for the bigger tip i see that lots of pros are using an oversized tip Hendrys is one of those,i was just wondering how big would be to big to play with an not risk the tip coming off on hard shots.

[Wity]

I'd use fine sandpaper and finish it off with some 0000 grade wire wool to remove the varnish/laquer Apply a little liniseed oil with a clean rag to reseal the wood and leave it for a day or two before applying some beeswax or furniture polish preferably with beeswax in it. You'll feel a tremendous difference losing all the stickyness of a varnished cue.

Would'nt bother putting an oversized tip on though, and definately not a 12mm one that'd be like trying to play footie in wellies. You've said yourself your new to the game so get used to what is pretty much standard before even contemplating oversized tips or mushroom shapes.

Most pro's play with between an 8 and a 10 mm tip. 10 was the favoured size a few yrs ago but with the modern balls of today smaller tips are more common they allow you to control the ball easier on shorter shots but at a detriment on the longer ones but get your cueing arm action right and that can be overcome. you'll have a hell of a job getting control over the ball on your short game with a 12mm tip if in deed you ever do. A heavy cue with a big tip has only one use, that of breaking in pool to really spread them out. Break cues the yanks call them, (may as well use one of the pubs normal brooms) as once you've started in english pool it's all the short game thus many pool players go for tips under 9mm.

edit...
Dont realy like to say this seeing as it's too late you've bought it now but the cue itself is not up to much really. It's mass produced aimed at the fan thus your paying some for the O'sullivan endorsement and it's machine spliced which is cheaper to make as opposed to hand spliced which have rounded not pointed splices). For about £40 you paid you could have had a hanspliced 3/4 cue with mini butt telescopic extension and an ali case, made in china it may be but so is that one you have. Mind for £40 you could have got a mini butt if you really want a respected name)
Means bugger all though at the end of the day. Hendry won 5 world championships with a £40 cue endorsed by Rex Williams and Ebdon prefers his machine spliced cue over any other he could no doubt be paid to use. A cue is akin to an armchair be it a £1000 or a £100 one they both park your bum but the best one is the one you feel most comfortable in.

[tomfun]

thanks for the reply wity,think i will give it a sand with the finest wet and dry that i can fine (dry of course) and then do what you said with the linseed oil.
As for the tip i think i will stick a 10mm on for now,and see how it goes,i `m more bothered about potting a few balls than positional play at the moment.

[Wity]

Dont forget some 0000 grade wire wool by far the best as you cannot get as smooth a finish with anything else. You should get some from any diy place for a few pennies per brillo pad size.

On the subject of tips.. Best quid i ever spent on snooker and i'd retipped many times before I bought it.


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