Steel block cushions.

[mattyshinobi22]

just had steel blocks on our match table at the club.
just to say they are working out a nightmare, made the table very tight, we should of had the cloth stretched at the same time but didnt,
having a slow cloth and steel block cushions doesnt really go togehter has you have to hit balls harder and they jump out.

suppose its gonna take some getting used to

[jonashford]

Steel blocks are rubbish, the balls bounce uncontrollably after about 2-3 months due to the cloth getting thinner, if you just catch the jaw with a ball it flys around the table making you think that you have missed it by miles. If youre playing well then they are ok but they just dont stay playing well for long, and can quickly damage your confidece. They can make some delicate shots unplayable because of the big bounces, very difficult to judge.

[ADR147]

Steel blocks are rubbish, the balls bounce uncontrollably after about 2-3 months due to the cloth getting thinner, if you just catch the jaw with a ball it flys around the table making you think that you have missed it by miles. If youre playing well then they are ok but they just dont stay playing well for long, and can quickly damage your confidece. They can make some delicate shots unplayable because of the big bounces, very difficult to judge.

this is not the case on the tables i have used.

[noel]

Steel blocks are rubbish, the balls bounce uncontrollably after about 2-3 months due to the cloth getting thinner, if you just catch the jaw with a ball it flys around the table making you think that you have missed it by miles. If youre playing well then they are ok but they just dont stay playing well for long, and can quickly damage your confidece. They can make some delicate shots unplayable because of the big bounces, very difficult to judge.

An excellent description of how a de-tuned Steinway Grand piano plays and sounds M8!

=o)


Noel

[bentleybilliard]

Steel blocks are rubbish, the balls bounce uncontrollably after about 2-3 months due to the cloth getting thinner, if you just catch the jaw with a ball it flys around the table making you think that you have missed it by miles. If youre playing well then they are ok but they just dont stay playing well for long, and can quickly damage your confidece. They can make some delicate shots unplayable because of the big bounces, very difficult to judge.

must be something wrong with your table? steel blocks dont make the pockets any tighter,
and all cushion cloth will wear, but should not affect rebound.
maybe. cloth sounds substandard and table might be same, what make is it?

[DavisFan76]

Yes steel block cushions are the business. However you get steel block cushions and you get `Chinese` imported steel block cushions which are crap. This is what you will get from FC Snooker unless you pay extra for British made ones. Text me a contact number to 07737530727 and I`ll be happy to help you.

A bit of advice? It's not the brightest thing in the world to plaster your mobile number or any other personal info all over an open forum: anyone can read it. If you must do it, do it via PM, but I'd avoid it altogether, personally.

[poona]

Have played on an Aristocrat steel block and an old antique steel block table. My own table I used to have was wooden block and I can tell you the steel block is by far superior to play on.

Its how the game should be played. Thin cloth and steel block. You dont have to smash every shot in to get the white to move and when using Aramith balls, you get 'true' angles.

[DavisFan76]

A friend of mine wants to change the cushions on his 6ft table for steel block ones. I said it's not possible, am I right or wrong? It doesn't sound possible to me, but I'm no expert.

[moglet]

Whether is it pointless or not, I would say the former, the question is valid enough. The real question is whether the cost of doing a "special" on a small table is viable, to do the job properly would mean spending at least 2000 quidlets: to get and machine the steel plate, make new wood cappings, re-block, re-rubber, re-cloth and so on.

You would be better off getting a proper American pool table and adapting that for snooker, the rails are metal to start with and the slate bed is better made.......

[DavisFan76]

Whats the point in having steel block cushions on a small table?

Steel blockers are the best.....reactive and everything ...but only on a big table, its absolutley pointless having them on a small table...unless you tell him to get a super fine cloth fitted along with some flippers then you can play pinball:snooker:

True. If the cushions are too reactive, then the balls will just bounce around everywhere, won't they?

Whether is it pointless or not, I would say the former, the question is valid enough. The real question is whether the cost of doing a "special" on a small table is viable, to do the job properly would mean spending at least 2000 quidlets: to get and machine the steel plate, make new wood cappings, re-block, re-rubber, re-cloth and so on.

You would be better off getting a proper American pool table and adapting that for snooker, the rails are metal to start with and the slate bed is better made.......

OK. So, not exactly impossible, but very expensive. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't £2000 put you well on the way to buying a cheap price full size (or 9 or 10 feet) slate bed table? Especially if it's second hand?

This isn't for me, I'm perfectly happy with my table, it's just my mate wasn't happy with the cushion response on his (it isn't very good, nowhere near as good as mine. He gambled on an Argos cheapie and was unlucky. If anything, it's the cloth that lets my table down a little, as the balls spring off the cushions very nicely! Still, it plays a good game of snooker and a great game of pool!)

[moglet]

"OK. So, not exactly impossible, but very expensive. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't £2000 put you well on the way to buying a cheap price full size (or 9 or 10 feet) slate bed table? Especially if it's second hand?"

Yes it would and with luck it might be steel block as well, the cost of making one-off stuff is very expensive these days and not many people are able to take on such work. My main concern about such a small scale table would be that there would not be enough mass in the frame and bed to get any real benefit from "rigid" cushions.