Table maintenance

[hsn]

I use ordiany cloths iron on my table (Strachan No.10) on low setting (70 C) and it works perfect. Just take care when you iron close to and under the rubber cushions.

If you have 200 + quids to throw out of the window then do go for a billiards iron because they want to sell you every thing until your pocket just cry out!

Thw news paper discoloration test is the simplest way to tell if your ordinary iron is gonna do the job perfectly.

[Geoff Large]

I know there are a few that will try and sell every gimmick under the sun with a table an iron is not one of them , BUt beleive me the profit margins in those Dowsings billiard irons is just not there to worry about any retailer ripping you off , the Manufacturer sets ahigh wholesale price for these irons so the high cost is down to the manufacturer not the Retailer . who's profit margin is around just 15% less tax .
A normal household iron will do a job , but they are just not heavy enough or shaped correct to do theright job
If you want to save money on an Iron buy an old one that will not work and these can be bought very cheaply , place on a gas or electirc hob to gain the heat in its sole plate . test on a scrap cloth to see that you will not scorch the cloth , then use as a normal iron , the manufacturer charges over £100 with postage and vat to repair an iron with new thermostat and heat element etc .
Iv'e seena few scorch marks from houshold irons and then again some with the proper iron .
an iron in my opinion is a required item to maintain the speed and accuuracy of the table .

[sklskl]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Hi Geoff, I took off the top of my table recently to give the whole slate an iron instead of doing it with it on and also to see if I could identify any flaws with my cushion problem (ball not rolling along cushion, always away).

I did notice that the bit where the cushion is stapled it hasn't been cut in straight lines. Would this have any effect with my problem?

I've yet to try your pyramid method with the cloth under the slate because I need help lifting it off but will try it some time.

I keep thinking its my floor that's causing the table to be uneven meaning i don't get the balls to roll with the cushion but it is pretty level and the table weighs 200kg so I doubt it could move much. I just can't play cushion shots at all and it's annoying.

As with the iron issue mentioned above I haven't bought a proper iron but the much heavier ones are better because it's the weight that gives you a smooth uniform spread. I use a normal iron and try to apply some pressure on the cloth.

I try to iron my cloth once a week because the table is in a cold room with a higher humidity but I may start doing it twice a week would this be ok?

[Gapster]

Can anyone advise me on the correct way to remove the cushion rails on this model, please? I can't see any obvious bolts/screws underneath - maybe the side facias have to be pried off first?

http://www.simplypoolandsnooker.co.u...ic-barline.htm

I've brought all the cloth, cushions, tape and glue from the UK and am now about to start the 'refurbishment' - be a shame to cock it up before I've even started...

[hatterboard]

without being rude, if yer having trouble identifying how to remove the cushions, maybe yer best getting a proffessional in to do the job. the lid has to come off anyway to replace the cloth on the slate so that will show how the cushions are attached.

[Gapster]

Ha ha, yes you have a valid point hatter but I'm unable to find a professional to travel to where I live (in the middle of nowhere) unless I sell one of my kidneys to pay him/her....

However, I'm not a complete numbnut and I've already removed the top, and removed the slate bed which is already prepared for the new cloth - that bit was easy. Having done that I can't see any obvious sign of where the cushion rails are attached? I can only presume the bolts are hidden behind the side facia?

I'll post pics of the thing as I progress so you can all see how I'm (not) doing....

[hatterboard]

surely if yer have removed the top, there will be some idea how the cushions are removed ? i have never seen a barline table, therefore i aint positive. (superleagues an supremes) but looking online it says they have quick release cushions. once taking the top off these have to be visible.
one of the regular fitters on here may give yer advice, but please post pics of the top, just so i can see.
-

[maryfield]

The Barline will usually have allen key style fixings. If the table has an aluminium strip in the edge then it isn`t a Barline model. Some older tables you have to remove the aluminium which gives access to the screw fixing the cushions. As previous poster said, add a picture of the underside of the cushion surround for ease of identification.

[Gapster]

Thanks all, I guess this is an old model - I managed to find the cushion fixings behind the side facia earlier and all is off!!

Slate ready to recover, cushions stripped and re-rubbered (with red crap stuff). Tomorrow I'm felting the cushions and glueing the table top. Pics to follow.

The hardest bit is going to be shaping the new rubber for the cushions.

[Gapster]

I think I can safely write that Geoff will not have to worry about me taking any of his trade..... Whilst enjoyable it's not the easiest of jobs to do first time!

Here is my latest predicament:

http://www.azbilliards.com/rogerlong/roger2.php

Above is a guide to pocket openings, not sure if it's correct but seems logical.

The pockets on my 'cheapo' table have been 'rounded' ie. the original cushion rubber has been shaped with a curve rather than a straight cut - is this normal on Home/Bar tables? I'm probably going to cut my new rubbers 'straight' as it seems easier and should give a better finish.

[hatterboard]

i used the old cushion as a template on a piece of paper, then drew them on the new rubbers after fitting, then gently shaped to the template using a sharpknife. ******* of a job, but i thought i did ok

[Gapster]

All finished.

The big error was in not stretching the felt enough on the slate - but it will play OK for a coupe of weeks then I'll try and re-stretch and glue later.

Cushions were a bit fiddly to felt, and I used some tractor tyre inner tube to make some cushion ends as I decided to cut the rubbers straight. All look OK, and the cushions/pockets seem to play well so no problem with changing the pocket profile.

I'm a happy bunny.

[Gapster]

As promised, here are some pics...



Original table



Side rails off - screws were behind the plastic side panels



Rails ready to strip - rubber was solid and brittle.



Rails stripped and new 'cheapo' rubbers ready to fit



Rubbers glued on, and a few practice pieces to cut later...



Slate cleaned and ready for new felt (Hainsworth)



Slate bed done and rails re-rubbered - end pieces done with Tractor inner tube



Last bit of felt trimming on the new cushion rails.

All in all it was an OK job, but the felt is not as easy at it looks to stretch properly. I would do a better job next time.

[Joe_]

Problem of balls striking the cushion and jumping

Good day (or night) to all. I’m new here and I’ve read some of the threads with interest. In particular, inputs from Geoff Large, moglet, T. Davidson, and others here have taught me a thing or two.

By the same token, I like to “give back” whenever I can. In this case I feel a bit of reluctance because it can appear that I’m contradicting persons that are far more learned than I. However, if one were to accept that we can always learn new things, and that knowledge may even come from a baby, then we are of an open mind.

Anyway, enough jawin’ and here goes.

I read where Geoff (and I guess others in the trade) has “blamed” dirt or “grease” build-up on the cushion nose as the main reason for balls jumping when played hard against a cushion. I beg to disagree. I’m not doubting that it can be a contributory factor, but I hold that another factor is more to blame. I blame the wear of the cloth, and more specifically, the formation of a “canal” on the bed cloth that actually “outlines the cushions” all along the bed cloth. This “canal” actually traces it’s way around the curve of the pocket openings and is even more pronounced there.

When a table has been newly re-clothed, there is obviously no such “canal”. As the table get used, the cloth wears away. The greatest wear takes place whenever a ball strikes a cushion. As the ball strikes the cushion, the rubber “gives” a bit and the ball “sinks” a bit into the cushion before rebounding. This “sinking-in” and rebounding of the ball generates a great amount of friction between the ball and the bed cloth. Naturally, with the friction there comes wear as well. With the ball being made from a much harder material than the cloth, take a guess which one will wear the most?

It is this same friction between the ball and the cloth that will wear a hole in the cloth if no spots are used. In this case it is the momentary friction generated from a ball that’s at a complete standstill on it’s spot, suddenly moving as it is struck by the cue ball. That generates a lot of damaging friction. I remember Iwan Simonis (now BAB) describing the phenomena as “rubs” as it relates to the longevity of their balls. Again, the cloth will see the worst of it.

Now back to the cushions and the jumping balls. The top cushion area normally sees the worst of it, although all bed cloth areas along all the cushions will see such wear. This is especially so if billiards is played on the table a lot since the very nature of the game utilizes the top cushion more than any other. When a “canal” has developed, a ball striking the cushion will momentarily enter this “canal” and “ride” up the cushion nose rather than rebound smoothly.

Actually, that “canal” was the reason for a standing joke years ago, when some friends and I went to play some frames on a badly worn table. I told them that once the ball was lying on the bottom cushion, it was a simple matter to roll the object ball into the pocket - and I did it just to show them!

Now why don’t the balls jump even more when struck into the jaws of a pocket since the most wear is seen there? Simple - because the rubber is undercut there and it acts similar to what I’ve read about some people setting cushions fractionally higher to counter the problem. That in itself is another topic.

To counter the “ball-jumping” phenomenon, the bed cloth can be re-stretched in all directions. I recommend that the section under each rail be done one at a time. The idea is to pull the “canal” just enough below the cushion nose all around. Now this is only a simple fix, since the dust and chalk build-up on the slate will still be there. The latter is normally removed by a judicious sanding to loosen stubborn build-up whenever a complete re-clothing job is done. This brings me back to why only a section at a time should be re-stretched. If you remove the whole bed cloth, it becomes very difficult to align the cloth and pull around 3/8 to ½ an inch of cloth under the cushion nose - and that’s all you need really.

Now I can be wrong and I am always willing to learn, so if anyone has anything to add I am always open to their inputs.

Cheers to all!

[williak]

Not sure about your "ball-jumping" theory, but I agree 100% with your observation on rolling a ball in (and out and in and out of) the "canal" all the way from a baulk corner to spot corner. The ball will actually bounce its way along the cushion as the "canal" grabs it whenever it tries to escape. I once saw a fellow with good speed control drop ball after ball from a baulk corrner into the same side's middle pocket on a table with deep canals (some areas were bare right to the slate.) For those who claim this is impossible, I will concede it was on a 1950s Canadian Brunswick 6x12 which had notoriously shallow slate falls in all pockets, especially the middle ones.