Caring for Billiard Cues
After you've tried several types of billiard cues. It may be time to purchase your own. This will necessitate maintenance and care of your billiard cue, otherwise damage can happen before you know it. Humidity, falls, banging the tips, and of course moisture are several things that can damage your billiard cue.
While there is no way to protect your cue 100% from humidity or warping, a case can allow you to secure your billiard cue in the best possible manner. There are several types of cases you can purchase to protect your billiard cue. The hard case is probably one of the most popular and is probably the best at protecting your cue. Inside you'll find designated areas for each section of your billiard cue, it will keep it from rolling around inside the case, which is usually lined in felt and padding.
If your cue is a multi-peace queue, you may want to look into end protectors. They are what keep moisture from entering the shaft of the cue, through the joints. They'll screw onto both open ends and protect not just for moisture, but can also protect the attachment pieces.
If you're dealing with a brand-new cue you may have to shape the tip, or you can play with its flatness until it rounds on its own. Most players will chalk their cue every time they take a shot, and this will eventually round the edges off. Or you can carefully round the edges off to your desired edge with a file.
If the tip on your cue is worn-out you may need to replace it and as a rule you can do this yourself. You'll need a bit of grit sandpaper, a bit of super glue, a razor blade and a few paper towels. Remove the old tip with a razor blade, but do not cut into the wood. Sand the joints where are the new tip is going to be attached with sandpaper and also sand the bottom of the new cue tip. By preparing the tips and the surfaces of new cue tips, you're glue will hold tighter. Apply a small amount of glued to both edges, and center the tip on the plastic piece or the ferrule and hold tight for a minute or so. Be sure not to use too much glue, or you'll have rips on your cue stick and they need to be wiped immediately.
You can take care of your billiard cues by storing it anytime you're not using it and this should be able to keep warping to a minimum. A bit of warp on billiard cues is not a terrible thing, but a large warp will definitely affect your shots. Following manufacturers directions as far as carrying for the wood on your billiard cue, and make sure it's completely dry before storing it.
