How do I care for the cue tip?

Maintain the tip shape with a shaper tool and remove mushrooming if it occurs. If you tip does not hold chalk very well, use a tapping tool (and a scuffer if necessary) to restore the surface. Otherwise, the only thing you need to do to maintain a tip is chalk it before each shot. See:

from RSB FAQ:

In the case of well-rounded tips, miscues occur when the tip slides on the surface of the ball. Along with other reasons, this happens when the tip doesn’t hold chalk. The tip doesn’t hold chalk when it is packed down from hitting the cue ball and the surface is slick. If you tap the tip to give the surface some texture, it will hold the chalk better. You can buy special tools to tap the tip, or you can use a rasp, or a coarse file, or coarse sandpaper glued to a wood backing can be rolled over the tip surface. Scuffing with sandpaper also works, but it wears the tip away too fast. For maximal tip life, tap more, scuff less.
