Now that you have purchased your new cue, you must now take care of it. In this section, we will provide some simple ways to keep your cue looking new and minimizing the wear and tear on it. The main thing you need to do to mainain your cue's appearance is to wash your hands before you play and after several hours of play.
Since one of the most important parts of keeping your cue clean has been said, we will offer more tips on keeping your cue in tip top shape. Another important tip is to keep your cue away from moisture and very humid places. This minimiizes the chances of your cue warping over time. Remember, however, that since wood is a natural material, there is no foolproof way to 100% guarantee you cue will not warp at all. They will all warp a little or more over time. Maybe it won't be in your lifetime but it will warp. Hopefully, this tip will keep your cue from warping within your lifetime.
Our next part now is the cue tip. Since the tip is meant to be changed, we will offer ways to give you the maximum amount of time between these changes. The tip on your new cue may be shiney, smooth, and somewhat flat when you first get your cue. What you need to do now is what people call shaping and scuffing of your tip. Shaping the tip requires you to produce a roundness to it suitable to your playing style. The usual roundness is that of a U.S dime or nickel coin. Scuffing will roughen up your tip in order to hold chalk better. Usually, when you do do a shaping, it'll automatically roughen up your tip so you don't need to scuff after a shaping but you do when you miscue or during play. Note that how you play and the way you stroke your cue will determine the final shape of your tip and constant shaping will wear your tip down very fast. After about 40 hours of play, your tip will mushroom some and you should only trim that initial mushroom.
