I was visiting a local room here in Houston that just had three Gabriels tables re-covered with Simonis Rapide 300 cloth. I played on a couple of the tables... here is my impression:
1. As expected there is a great deal of slide... the cloth was literally a day old.
2. Unfortunately I think the tables play "slow". What I mean: with a normal amount of energy in a stroke the cue ball slows down and does not travel as far as I expected. I missed a number of shots where the cue ball died several inches before the carom.
The tables were re-covered by a local mechanic who is more experienced with pool tables. The room owner watched him work and in spite of his suggestion to STRETCH!!!! felt the mechanic didn't stretch the cloth as much or as well as other mechanics who have worked for the room in the past. The owner said he didn't put as much muscle into the process and didn't seem to have a clamping tool specifically designed to grip the cloth and facilitate the job. The room owner took a chance and is not very happy... three tables -- cloth and labor -- is a lot of money!
Anyone experienced with this symptom please comment... will a weak job of initially stretching new cloth result in a slow table from day one? Is there another reason why the tables might be playing slow? (Question: Can the cloth be installed wrong side up? Or are both sides the same?)
This is an important lesson and one that needs a solution here in Houston. There are close to 50 tables in town and many mechanics good and bad have come through at various times to re-cover them. An ambitious person with the right tools and the right talent could do pretty well servicing the city if they could demonstrate they know how to do the job right. Out of town mechanics cost big bucks when you add in travel.
Just thinkin' here.
1. As expected there is a great deal of slide... the cloth was literally a day old.
2. Unfortunately I think the tables play "slow". What I mean: with a normal amount of energy in a stroke the cue ball slows down and does not travel as far as I expected. I missed a number of shots where the cue ball died several inches before the carom.
The tables were re-covered by a local mechanic who is more experienced with pool tables. The room owner watched him work and in spite of his suggestion to STRETCH!!!! felt the mechanic didn't stretch the cloth as much or as well as other mechanics who have worked for the room in the past. The owner said he didn't put as much muscle into the process and didn't seem to have a clamping tool specifically designed to grip the cloth and facilitate the job. The room owner took a chance and is not very happy... three tables -- cloth and labor -- is a lot of money!
Anyone experienced with this symptom please comment... will a weak job of initially stretching new cloth result in a slow table from day one? Is there another reason why the tables might be playing slow? (Question: Can the cloth be installed wrong side up? Or are both sides the same?)
This is an important lesson and one that needs a solution here in Houston. There are close to 50 tables in town and many mechanics good and bad have come through at various times to re-cover them. An ambitious person with the right tools and the right talent could do pretty well servicing the city if they could demonstrate they know how to do the job right. Out of town mechanics cost big bucks when you add in travel.
Just thinkin' here.
