Balk-line markers.

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Fox523

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For anyone who is interested in playing balkline billiards.

Randy Burke who works out of Jay Orner Billiards in Indianapolis, just made me a balkline marker frame and a 7-inch Parker box template. They make marking a table extremely easy.


Be sure to let him know what balkline distances you need, I had mine made to the traditional American standard - 18-inch, which seeing that I play with 2 3/8 inch balls on am old Brunswick Madison it works great for me

Jay Orner and Sons
6333 Rockville Road Indianapolis, IN 46214-3920
(317) 243-0046
 
Bob Jewett

Bob Jewett

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I couldn't find a picture but I can describe what I've seen.

Take four pieces of wood 1/2-inch by 2-inch, stand them on their shorter sides and form them into a rectangular frame by joining them at their ends. The lengths of the sides should have been chosen so that if you put the longer side against the cushion, you can mark a line outside the other long side and it will be 18 inches (or the equivalent metric measurement) from the rail. Slide the frame along the cushion as you run your marker along the cloth. The other length of the rectangle needs to be chosen for 28-inch balkline.

Take a short piece of wood from the same stock as the other and form a 2:1 triangle in one corner to mark the "balk" for straight rail. (Some people are not aware that straight rail has a triangular balk area in each corner.)

On one side of the frame (and inside the frame), build a small square frame for the anchor (or Parker's box). You only need three ~7-inch sides for this.

Get Caudron's DVDs about all the carom games -- he shows how to use the marking frame for all the games. Use tailor's chalk.
 
1

18.2balkline

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Thanks, Bob. I should have been clearer with my question. I was looking for a photo of the balkline marker frame made for Fox 523.

I was curious to see if it was modeled after the one used by Frederic Caudron on one of his dvds (Le Virtuose du Billard?). If I recall correctly, not only does the one Caudron uses have a 2:1 triangle in one corner (for the Champion's Game), but it also has, in the opposite corner, a 5.5 inch triangle for the original crotch balkline as well as a square for Parker's box. And, as you describe it can be used either for 18 or 28 inches (or for 47 cm or 71 cm) because it is a rectangle not a square. (Naturally, it has to be built for either 18/28 or 47/71). Your description helps the enthusiast who might want to build one. (A different marker frame can be seen in Mike Shamos' The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Billiards under "balkline marker."

P.S. For anyone thinking about building one, just remember that balkline games with 18 inch measurements are not the same as balkline games with 47 cm measurements. The current 47 cm game in Europe has three equally spaced balks along the short rail (each 47 cm). In 18 inch balkline, there are two 18 inch balks and one 20 inch balk. And, 47 cm is really 47.416 cm.
 
erriep

erriep

AzB Silver Member
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18.2balkline said:
I was curious to see if it was modeled after the one used by Frederic Caudron on one of his dvds (Le Virtuose du Billard?). If I recall correctly, not only does the one Caudron uses have a 2:1 triangle in one corner (for the Champion's Game), but it also has, in the opposite corner, a 5.5 inch triangle for the original crotch balkline as well as a square for Parker's box. And, as you describe it can be used either for 18 or 28 inches (or for 47 cm or 71 cm) because it is a rectangle not a square. (Naturally, it has to be built for either 18/28 or 47/71). Your description helps the enthusiast who might want to build one.
Click to expand...

see the attached file , i guess it's this one .

Tonight i'll take pics of the -old- balkline frame of my club, i'll measure it accuratly & i'll make a drawing, so everyone will be able to reproduce it.
 

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erriep

erriep

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here are pictures of the old balkline markers of my club. in Europe we use metric system (and 47cm balkline , not 18'' balkline , but you can see the concept.

They were home-made , and since here we got 10' tables ( 3m10) and 9' tables (2m80) , this template is universal, so we can draw 10 feet tables balklines (47cm and 71cm , to play 47/2 and 71/2 ) , and 9' tables were we play 42/2 balkline.
No need to speak about 71/2 , because the required level to compete in this game is so high , than for most of us it will remain as a dream :) (but it's a GREAT training game !!!)

we choosed to make a separate anchor/Parker's box template , cause it's easy to use so ...

Note the 45mm piece of wood fixed at 90 °of the board (2d pic) : goes along the rail when you draw.

hehehe what are the markings on the cloth ? well , this is our dedicated table for artistic billard ( 10' 3m10 , simonis 300 ) . a speciality here hehe.

I hope than may be those pics can be usefull.

have fun , good games !!
 

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Texas Carom Club

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
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erriep said:
see the attached file , i guess it's this one .

Tonight i'll take pics of the -old- balkline frame of my club, i'll measure it accuratly & i'll make a drawing, so everyone will be able to reproduce it.
Click to expand...



How about measurements for the corner triangle for freegame
 
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