T-Rails

Crash

Pool Hall Owner
Silver Member
I'm not a mechanic so lets not shame me for coming here. This is kinda long but I figured y'all needed a good laugh.

I agreed to help a friend "recover" his boss's table. I get there and its too late to back out after I find out its a T-Rail of unknown origin. I told the boss he should have it professionally done (Mark Gregory) but all he wanted was recovering and make it bank better for under $500.

1) It has K66 on a sub-rail angle of ~22 degrees (Brunswick?).
2) All of the barrel nut holes are repaired with bondo.
3) Next to a side pocket, the bolt hole and barrel nut hole are completely filled.
4) It is missing 5 of 18 round head T-rail bolts.

I ordered super speeds and replacement nut and bolts from Classic (great guy) and Championship 30/30 direct from Championship. I'll use 3M weather stripping cement to glue the rails and facings. But since I have to drill the bolt hole and barrel nut hole next to the side pocket .... any advice other than run away?
 

TheTablePro

Active member
Silver Member
One issue to start is SuperSpeeds will not work as a replacement for K66 cushions. They are completely different cushion size.
 

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
One issue to start is SuperSpeeds will not work as a replacement for K66 cushions. They are completely different cushion size.

Different triangle of cushion as well, not to mention the 1/8th difference in nose height on the same sub rail bevel set for a K55 profile cushion.
 

Crash

Pool Hall Owner
Silver Member
The subrail angle is wrong for either profile but with 100 year old T-rails who knows what's right. Regardless, the K66 nose height is 1 3/16" while a piece of scrap K55 measured at 1 7/16". Sound familiar? That's why I ordered Super Speed. The pitch angle was improved too. BTW there are nails (not tacks) in the subrail face attaching it to the T-rail. They don't make them like they used to.
 
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Crash

Pool Hall Owner
Silver Member
IMG_1137.jpg

The nose height is good.
 

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
Only 2 problems I see. 1) an adjustable tape measure is not a good way to read the nose height and 2) if the cloth you're measuring on represents the playing surface, then you need to place another strip of cloth under the rail to represent the true nose height when the rail cloth has been installed, which depending on the type of cloth...can be another 1/16"th higher nose height making the nose height you're measuring as 1 7/16ths....tourn out to be 1 1/2" when the table is assembled:thumbup:
 

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
In the event you're using that strip of cloth to represent the rail cloth as the spacing between the bottom of the rail and the slate, then you need to lift that rail cloth out of the way and measure the nose height from the surface of the slate to the cushion nose.
 

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
Personally, I bolt the rail dry to the slate as in no cloth at all, making sure the bottom of the sub rail is making contact with the slate its entire length as much as possible, then cut the thickness the the top of the sub rail to 1 11/16ths, then cut the bevel so that the nose height is at 1 3/8ths dry. Then no matter what cloth is installed or what staples don't fully seat holding the rail cloth on, the nose height is going to be in the correct zone for playability.
 

Crash

Pool Hall Owner
Silver Member
The T-rails are vertically supported by the bolts not the slate. The strip of cloth is slid under the rail in the pic. As a DIYer I got away with murder because all the charts of rubber, rail thickness and angles did not show or account for this design. To be honest there is 75% study, 20% trial and error, and 5% luck coming out this close. BTW, the tape measure has a floating tip that accounts for the thickness of the tip if you push or pull it.
 

Crash

Pool Hall Owner
Silver Member
Drilling an old attempt at T-rail repair was not in the books. What isn't shown is extracting the cross-threaded barrel nut using an easy-out.
IMG_1138.jpg
A jig was used to keep the bit parallel to the slate surface. Measure, measure, measure was the rule.


IMG_1139.jpg
The NO was left in an earlier attempt by installers. Classic Billiards had replacement 14 TPI round head bolts and barrel nuts.
 

BigAlTheTiger

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
top view

Drilling an old attempt at T-rail repair was not in the books. What isn't shown is extracting the cross-threaded barrel nut using an easy-out.
View attachment 454243
A jig was used to keep the bit parallel to the slate surface. Measure, measure, measure was the rule.


View attachment 454244
The NO was left in an earlier attempt by installers. Classic Billiards had replacement 14 TPI round head bolts and barrel nuts.

In the bottom photo, is the top view the slate surface?
 
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Crash

Pool Hall Owner
Silver Member
The clamp and wood is a jig I made up to guide a 12 inch long 7/16 bit. Only had to drill through bondo from a previous repair. The second pic in the post is the top of the slate where the barrel nut was extracted using an easyout. Pull straight on the easyout to preclude breaking it off ... bad juju.
 

mchnhed

I Came, I Shot, I Choked
Silver Member
The clamp and wood is a jig I made up to guide a 12 inch long 7/16 bit. Only had to drill through bondo from a previous repair. The second pic in the post is the top of the slate where the barrel nut was extracted using an easyout. Pull straight on the easyout to preclude breaking it off ... bad juju.

Nice Setup.
 

BigAlTheTiger

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
top pic

Drilling an old attempt at T-rail repair was not in the books. What isn't shown is extracting the cross-threaded barrel nut using an easy-out.
View attachment 454243
A jig was used to keep the bit parallel to the slate surface. Measure, measure, measure was the rule.


View attachment 454244
The NO was left in an earlier attempt by installers. Classic Billiards had replacement 14 TPI round head bolts and barrel nuts.

Is that slate on top of slate in the top picture?
 
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