Sticky Fingers and sticky cue

[Shockerz]

Played first league game last night and was fotunate enough to win pretty easily but, my fingers and cue were sticky again.

For the last month I have been scrubbing my hands and have cleaned my cue to within an inch of it's life (just water and drag the chalk off).

I have tried white spirit which feels fine for a while and then the cue again feels a little sticky. As regards the cue, I am aprehensive about sanding it (and it's not varnished) so thought I'd pose the question prior to wire wool etc, it's an ash cue by the way.

My hands have also seemed to sweat a little for the last month (I've played for 30 years) and last night I was on 26 and went to role a reasonable red in with a pink over the middle bag and the cue almost jumped on the way through and I jawwed it.

Well there you have it and no I couldn't wear a glove (I get enough stick as it is) and not sure about the baby powder just yet. I'd like to eliminate the cue first so looking for peoples opinions on how to clean / refurnbish the cue so it's perfectly clean ready and then maybe the other hand ideas (feel free to discuss both though!).

Ta

[hotpot]

0000 wire wool wont harm the cue it just removes the dirt , you could slightly dampen a bit of a cloth and wipe the cue then polish with the dry bit , baby powder works but i find it attracts dirt , i have been using no sweat powder , its quite expensive but does an excellent job and lasts long as you dont need to use much just put it in a small sealed bag and squeeze the bag and the puff of powder is enough to make the cue slide effortlessly .

[RogiBear]

Has the cue had any work done to it recently? ie a re-finish

[DeanH]

I'd like to eliminate the cue first so looking for peoples opinions on how to clean / refurnbish the cue so it's perfectly clean ready and then maybe the other hand ideas (feel free to discuss both though!).

I would do it the other way round, cues dont sweat so when in these situations it is 90% the hands that are clammy, oily, dirty and not the cue, but feels like it on your clammy/dirty hands
From your description you may have dried out the cue too much with all the excessive damp wiping and drying.
So maybe the cue may need a very light oiling.
But the hands is what I would deal with first, wash with soap (removed the dirty oils) dry thoughly.
I am sure that when you notice that the cue is fine, that is when you hands are clean and dry.
Unless you life in a very humid country, or you take the cue from being very cold to very warm (and vice versa), a cue wont "suddenly" become clammy.

Both Parris and Wooldridge have great instructions on keeping the cue clean, I would add to these, that only use a very very little amount of oil, and wipe off the excess very soon after application so it does not build up and then the cue can become sticky
https://www.parriscues.com/cue_care/
http://www.handmadecues.com/4-Info/20-cuecare.htm

[Shockerz]

I haven't done any work on the finish of the cue, just put a new ferrule on it. I do clean it with a damp cloth (dry the other end) each time I play.

I do thouroughly clean my hands each time but maybe my hands are just sweating more now?

Might also try the 000 gauge wire wool and possibly touch a bit of oil on there, obviously got to try something as when it's in your head your not fully focussed on the shot!

[Dave Walton]

I haven't done any work on the finish of the cue, just put a new ferrule on it. I do clean it with a damp cloth (dry the other end) each time I play.

I do thouroughly clean my hands each time but maybe my hands are just sweating more now?

Might also try the 000 gauge wire wool and possibly touch a bit of oil on there, obviously got to try something as when it's in your head your not fully focussed on the shot!

Use 0000 not 000 wire wool

[DeanH]

You did say it was your first league match, so that will increase the stress and unconcious/concious anxiety so that could be the factor here.
Before you do anything to the cue, go and play in a non match scenario, solo practise or with partner (i.e. without the match-related-stress) and see if the cue is fine. if it is I would leave the cue, and focus this aspect on your hands; be it, clean, and regular wipes with damp cloth/dry cloth, maybe talc (but ensuse the talc does not go onto the cue as it attracts moisure and dirt after a while), and maybe - last resort - THE DREADED GLOVE !!! dun dun daaaa
let us know how you get on

[RogiBear]

I haven't done any work on the finish of the cue, just put a new ferrule on it. I do clean it with a damp cloth (dry the other end) each time I play.

In which case it will be your hands

[Shockerz]

Didn't mention that even in practice it has been sticky and pretty chilled there.

Yeah, I don't disagree that if I haven't done some work on the cue it will be my hands but would also like to ensure the cue it tip top as it's still within the realms of possibility that i'm not cleaning it correctly and over a long period of time there is a build up that the damp cloth won't now remove?

I've always done the damp cloth dry cloth routine and read threads in the past where people have not thought that the best way for various reasons (even though apparently always used by Jimmy White).

By the way, thanks for adding the extra 0!!

Either way, the discussion helps us to undertand good and bad ways to clean and wash things ooh eh!

A friend of mine sent his cue off to Parris for a refurbishment and when I useed his cue for a couple of goes it absolutely glided and felt great so I wonder what they do to cues when they do the regular service; the difference was amazing (we both have Parris cues)?

[culraven]

Could be the table also, I have to wash my hands after every frame in our club! Which takes us to our next problem, soap, cheaper and stronger the better, anything that moisturises just causes problems. And finally drying, i have to use the hand dryer to get my bridge bone dry. As for the cue put the work in to get the finish right then it should just need a quick rub down each night with a dab of warm water and thouroughly buff it dry.
Have to say i have always suffered with sweaty hands and have become OCD with washing my hands, my dream is to have my own Dyson hand dryer!

[luke-h]

I know it sounds silly but when i know its going to be sticky i spray an underarm deoderant on my bridge hand.....drys it up a treat

[Shockerz]

Could be the table also, I have to wash my hands after every frame in our club! Which takes us to our next problem, soap, cheaper and stronger the better, anything that moisturises just causes problems. And finally drying, i have to use the hand dryer to get my bridge bone dry. As for the cue put the work in to get the finish right then it should just need a quick rub down each night with a dab of warm water and thouroughly buff it dry.
Have to say i have always suffered with sweaty hands and have become OCD with washing my hands, my dream is to have my own Dyson hand dryer!

Well I've got to say you've made me feel better, always nice to know I'm not as OCD (yet!).

The moisturiser bit is interesting as I washed my hands prior to the frame in the away club. The moisturising soap just felt like heaven on my hands and the smell was just to die for, I couldn't wait to tell all my friends.....I digress. Yes, I did use their soap and it was one of those greasy ones so maybe that didn't help last night.

I'll work on the hands bit but also curious as to what Parris and others do to the cues when they service them to bring them back to new. Apparently he charged around £75 so whatever he did can't have been mindblowing but definately effective.

[Shockerz]

I know it sounds silly but when i know its going to be sticky i spray an underarm deoderant on my bridge hand.....drys it up a treat

Interesting idea. I now have thoughts of the linx affect.

Might give it a go.

[hotpot]

Well I've got to say you've made me feel better, always nice to know I'm not as OCD (yet!).

The moisturiser bit is interesting as I washed my hands prior to the frame in the away club. The moisturising soap just felt like heaven on my hands and the smell was just to die for, I couldn't wait to tell all my friends.....I digress. Yes, I did use their soap and it was one of those greasy ones so maybe that didn't help last night.

I'll work on the hands bit but also curious as to what Parris and others do to the cues when they service them to bring them back to new. Apparently he charged around £75 so whatever he did can't have been mindblowing but definately effective.

If your cue has a nice finish , getting it refinished by who ever is not going to help or make a difference its prob not the cue, i think like me your hands get clammy , you just have to do whatever you can to keep them dry n smooth .

[Shockerz]

Just to give some feedback to the thread.

I have played a couple of months now and used the 0000 wire wool occasionally and since then I haven't had any issues at all.

Now I'm not saying this will work for everyone but for some reason has worked for me and I haven't even thought about the issue since.

Just nice to leave a potential 'fix' on a thread that may help.