A notch in a pool cue occurs when the wood is suddenly compressed. This usually happens when the stick bumps into another object and dents, and usually happens when a stick is abused. Since using sandpaper on a stick is sometimes risky, you should try to get the dent out instead so you don’t risk damaging your pool cue.

For small, less noticeable nicks on 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 openings appear after long use. By burning them, the pores will shrink and become less noticeable. To polish your pool cue, you will need a piece of smooth leather that does not contain any dyes. If you like, 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 stick will eventually develop an hourglass shape that cannot be reversed. The heat and friction of the leather will close 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. Heat closed pores faster than pressure, so the stick should be rubbed in quickly rather than hard.

Sandpaper can also be used for this process, but you would run a high risk of damaging the stick if you go this route. Sandpaper is known for making the stick hourglass-shaped, so it should only be used rarely. Sandpaper also works great for cleaning wood, so it’s good for occasional use.

If you find that none of the above methods work for a specific dent or nick on your pool cue, there is one more workaround. This method requires the use of an extreme heat source to drive out the notch, as the frictional heat is not strong enough. You can use a lighter, candle, or other small heat source to warm the wood, but this method should only be used as a last resort. Because you risk burning or scorching the wood with your fire source, it’s important to be very careful and be 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 shrinking the pores on your stick, you can prevent large teeth from forming. It’s also important to keep the sticks from hitting other objects, as this can sometimes cause large dents that cannot be reversed.