PoolDawg Billiards Blog » Pool Cue Maintenance

PoolDawg v3.0 Is Now Live

Michael Feiman — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:47:11 +0000

After much work, our new PoolDawg is up and running. We’re still working out some of the visual bugs (including a wierd IE6 browser issue), but the site is up and running.

In addition to the new look of the site, we also have a brand new search tool thanks to our friends over at SLI Systems.

They’re the technology behind the search for sites like Tupperware, Symantec, Jelly Belly and American Bridal, and now they’re powering the PoolDawg search. Pretty crazy, right? At any rate, give it a try and let us know what you think.

Are You There Drill? Its Me, Michael…

Michael Feiman — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:06:41 +0000

Today was a very special day here at PoolDawg. As some of you know, I’m the guy who handles all the website and marketing stuff. Generally speaking, everyone likes to keep me as far away from power tools and ladders as humanly possible. After 4.5 years though, I’m proud to say that I decided to take the rite of passage, man up and change the weight on a pool cue!

Up until today, the closest I’d ever been to actually changing a weight bolt was writing a note in the computer with instructions saying something along the lines of “please change to 21oz”. Since we were shorthanded today, I decided this would be the day that I come of age.

I went to the back, grabbed a 19oz cue and took it to the weight change station. Carefully, I pulled out the rubber butt cap and peered in to see what kind of weight bolt lived in this Action cue. After a few tries, I found one of the things that goes into the drill matching the bolt. I made sure the drill was turning in the right direction (righty-tighty, lefty-loosey) and pulled the trigger.

Much to my surprise, it was a pretty easy process. The original weight bolt came right out, I found one that was the right weight, dropped it in the butt, flipped the switch and drill/screwed away! Even after my successful weight change they still won’t let me near a ladder. They keep mumbling something about not being able to afford enough insurance to cover someone like me climbing a ladder. Not sure what’s up with that since I see people on ladders here all the time…

Pool Cue Tip “Tips” from Tiger

Michael Feiman — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:56:02 +0000

As far as I’m concerned, replacing my pool cue tip is one of the more stressful aspects of owning a pool cue. When my cue needs a new tip, I always think about doing it myself, but in the end I have someone do it for me. Call me a chicken, but I just can’t bring myself to taking a blade to my pool cue. Of course it doesn’t help that I’m not mechanically inclined enough to hang a painting let alone do work on my pool cue, but that’s just me.

My issues aside, there are still lots of people who can replace their pool cue tips without any problems. Since I’m not one of those people though, I decided to ask the guys over at Tiger how one would go about replacing a tip. Here’s what they sent me:

“We strongly recommend you have a professional cuesmith install your laminated cue tip. If you choose to do so yourself, roughen the back (glue side, it is stamped with an embossed initial or black if a Sniper) side of the cue tip with sandpaper, apply a drop of Insta-Cure+® (or other CA type glue) to the sanded side and rub the tip (glue side) on the sanded and cleaned ferrule to spread the glue, center the tip on the ferrule and let it set for 15 seconds. Moisten the sides of the tip and trim to fit with a single edge blade (be careful!!!). Then shape the tip to your preference and your tip is ready to be played with. Enjoy!”

I swear someday I’m going to try this, although I’ll have to keep the paramedics close by since I’ll probably end up hacking off body parts in the process.

Shaping your Pool Cue Tip

Michael Feiman — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:30:35 +0000

Of all parts of the pool cue, most agree that the tip is the most important. The tip is truly the heart of your pool cue, with much of the control of the cue ball coming from your pool cue tip. As a result, it is extremely important to keep your tip in proper shape.

The most common shape for a pool cue tip is either a nickel radius or dime radius. The common belief is that the more curvature you put on your tip, the more english you can apply. Because of this, most break cues will have less curvature than shooting cues, as you want to avoid accidental spin for a straight shot like a break shot. As you might expect, most shooting cues feature rounder tips, as they pass on english more easily. The reason for this is that the point of contact between the tip and the cue ball requires less distance from the center hit to create the same amount of spin.

If you’re in need of a tip shaping tool, there are a number to choose from. The Willard Scuffer is available in either a nickel or dime radius and is extremely affordable. Likewise, the Cue Cube is extremely popular for those looking for a nickel shaper/scuffer combo tool.

Among our most popular tip tools however, is the new ATROX by Diamondback. This multi-purpose tool features both a nickel and dime shaper as well as a scuffer, a tip perforator and a burnisher.
As always, if you have any questions about pool cues or any of the 1,400+ products sold at PoolDawg, just call us toll free at 866-THE-DAWG and one of our billiards specialists will help you find the products you need.

What’s the Difference Between Shaft Products?

Michael Feiman — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 17:46:13 +0000

If you’ve visited our shaft products section, there are literally dozens of products to choose from that will clean, condition and polish your shaft. There are similarities with these products, but there are also quite a few differences. Some products are made for a quick clean between matches while others are used for deep cleaning purposes. I’ll go through some of the differences.

Pool Cue Wax

Cue wax is used to protect your cue rather than to clean it. Using pool cue wax like the Cue Doctor Cue Wax will help your cue repel oils, dirt and moisture.

Pool Cue Polishers

Polishers are great for either a quick clean between matches or to use after a deep cleaning. Tools like the Porper Shaft Polisher and the Q-Wiz both have polisher aspects that pull the superficial dirt and grime off of your cue giving it a smooth stroke with less drag.

Pool Cue Cleaners

If your cue is in need of a serious deep cleaning, you’re going to need something tougher than a polisher. The Q-Wiz mentioned previously is an excellent all around cleaning tool, as it has both a cleaning side and a polishing side (not to mention it is washable and reusable). The Diamondback Shaft Shedding System is another good tool for deep cleaning. Products like the Q-Smooth is a set of micro-fine grit papers that will give your shaft a deep cleaning without harming your shaft like sandpaper will.

Choosing the right shaft products is a key part of the long term health of your pool cue. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 866-THE-DAWG.