Ever get a little dent in your cue shaft that just annoys the crap out of you while you are in a tournament or league play. Here is a quick fix to get you back on track.
- Once you locate the dent very lightly sand it 3 or 4 passes with something like a nylon shaft cleaner or 2000 grit sandpaper. This removes any wax or other material that would prevent water absorption.
- Place a small drop of spit on top of the dent. Water doesn't work nearly as well because it runs off the shaft too easily.
- Take a lighted cigarette (if you don't smoke borrow one) and very slowly move the the chery glow of the cigarett back and forth over the dent about 1/2" on either side until the water is dried up. Hold the cigarette about 1/8" to 1/4" above the shaft. Pay attention to what you are doing because if you keep the cigarette in one place too long you will cause the shaft to turn yellow. The heat from the cigarette will cause the shaft to absorb the moisture from the water and cause the wood around the dent to swell back to its original shape.
- Depending on how deep the dent is you might have to do this several times.
This method will not work for scratches in the shaft because scratches remove material and damage the structure of the wood. Some people advocate the use of a wet towel and a curling iron to remove the dents. I don't like this method because with a wet towel you can get too much moisture in you shaft which can cause it to warp. You could use the curling iron in place of the cigarette with the drop of spit but it will take longer. It is also unlikely that you will have a curling iron with you at the place where you are playing.
