EMAIL US AT familyre@iaw.on.ca

How to Remove Nicks From Your Cue

The following is a step by step guide on how to remove nicks and small dents from your cue shaft.

Difficulty Level: Medium

Time Required: 1 hour per dent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Locate the dent on your shaft.

2. Take a small piece of fine sand paper and sand the dented area briefly, just until that area is clean - no longer.

3. Mark it with a pencil by drawing a circle around it.

4.Take a washcloth (preferred) or paper towel and wet a small area about the size of a quarter very thoroughly with hot water.

5. Fold that area into a little ball or point.

6. Press the little wet ball firmly against the dent in your shaft. Make sure you are only pressing it against dent or the immediate area surrounding it

7. Hold it in that position for 10-15 minutes. The idea is for the wood to soak up the moisture and swell where the wet part of the cloth was held against it.

8. Remove the cloth, and stroke gently over the affected area to see if the dent has raised at all.

9. Depending on the depth of the dent, it would probably not have raised as much as is desired, but if you don't feel the dent anymore, skip to step 13.

10. Wet the cloth in the same area again.

11. Repeat steps 5-8.

12. Keep repeating steps 4-10 until you don't feel the dent anymore.

13. Leave the shaft for a few minutes to dry the affected area completely.

14. There should now be a slight bump where the dent was. Take your fine sandpaper (about 400-600 grit), and by using one or two fingers only, sand down the bump until the area is smooth and even

15. . Now use 1200 grit to get the area even smoother, until it feels like the rest of the shaft.

Tips:

1. Do not soak the cloth. You don't want more than the affected area to absorb water, since it could cause your shaft to warp.

2. Once you are done sanding down the bump, you can seal the area with cue shaft treatment, such as Cue Slick or a similar cue care product.

3. If the dent is too deep, your best bet is to take the cue to a reputable cue repair person.