Workshop

WHEN WATER WORKS

ON THE TIP

When a tip starts getting towards the end of its natural
lifespan and becomes slightly thinner and harder than the
player normally prefers, it is possible to soften and
thicken the tip back to its original consistency (say 10 to
15 playing hours ago) by wetting the whole surface area of
the tip and leaving it to dry for couple of hours. This can
be done on more than one occasion with the same tip, and is
very useful if the player has a match in the near future and
is loathe to change to a new tip.

ON THE CUE

Most players have at one time or another dented or nicked
the shaft of their cue by accidentally dropping it or
knocking it against something, in fact some players even hit
their cue against the lightshade by virtue of their own
eccentric cue action (hello Jock). A nick or small dent in
the shaft of a cue can easily be removed with sandpaper, but
provided the fibres of the wood are not torn or cut and the
damage is just a dent, there is no need for this drastic
action to repair the cue. Lay the cue down horizontally
with the dent uppermost and place a drop of water on the
dent, then leave it to dry. This may have to be done a
couple of times, but its effect is so dramatic, that
sometimes it is not possible to detect the original
damage. It is also noticeable that the more recent the
damage the more effectively the method works.