A notch in a pool stick occurs when the wood is suddenly compressed. This usually occurs when the club hits another object and gets dented, and usually happens when a club is mishandled. Because using sandpaper on a stick is sometimes risky, you should try to get the notch out instead so you don’t risk damaging your pool cue.
For small, less noticeable nicks in your stick, you can polish your pool stick and make them close up and disappear. Because most pool sticks are made of wood, and wood is a porous material, small nicks and gouges appear after prolonged use. By burning them, the pores will shrink and be less noticeable. To polish your pool cue, you will need a piece of smooth leather that does not contain any dyes. If you want, you can use a dollar bill instead of the leather, but you won’t get the same results. Then rub the leather up and down the stick, making sure to rub from the top to the bottom in one smooth motion. If even pressure is not applied, the club will eventually develop an hourglass shape that cannot be reversed. The heat and friction from the leather will close up the pours in the wood, causing small dents and nicks to appear. This method can be quite fast as long as it is done correctly. The heat closed the pores faster than the pressure, so the bar should be rubbed in quickly rather than forcefully.
Sandpaper can also be used for this process, but you would be running a high risk of damaging the club if you go this route. Sandpaper is known for making the club hourglass shaped, so it should only be used on rare occasions. Sandpaper also works great for cleaning wood, so it’s good for occasional use.
If you find that none of the methods mentioned work for a specific dent or gouge in your pool cue, there is one more workaround. This method requires the use of an extreme heat source to remove the notch, as the heat from friction is not strong enough. You can use a lighter, candle, or other small heat source to heat the wood, but this method should only be used as a last resort. Because you risk burning or singeing the wood with your fire source, it’s important to be very careful and willing to accept the consequences.
Because open pores or dents in a bar can cause it to lose its feel, it’s important to keep them as small as possible. By regularly contracting the pores of your stick, you can prevent large teeth from forming. It is also important to prevent the clubs from hitting other objects, as this can sometimes cause large dents that cannot be reversed.