How to clean pool balls?

[cuejo]

Black flag sailor,
If you pm me your address.....I can sell you a set of brand new centennials for 160 plus shipping or a brand new set of super pros for 135 plus shipping.

If it's only about looks and you like the look of the premiers, without the aged yellow finish I can also sell you a set of brand new premiers for 77.00 plus shipping.

I'm not trying to be a jerk.....I just learned myself that it's alway's easier and usually cheaper to just get new stuff rather than burn valuable time playing the guessing game's...

 

[PolarBear]

Balls turn yellow from being in the dark or boxed up to long. I've wondered if left under a bright white light would change them back? Rod

I wonder if the lack of circulated air matters? Try leaving them in direct sunlight, then at night, put them in a pure oxygen enriched box. I think this is what caused M.J. to lighten up over the years....

 

[TheThaiger]

What's wrong with using warm soapy water?

 

[blackflagsailor]

I'll probably just eventually buy a new set, but right now I'd rather use the money to grab up other sets that I am interested in.

Okay so for future reference; I've been collecting a lot of different billiard ball sets over the last few months and now I'm worried this will happen to some of the sets I've bought. Some were really hard to find and required special circumstances to get them from other countries. I want thinking of building a storage trunk with drawers to fit under my table but now I'm worried about storing the ball in dark spaces. I couldn't build a wall rack for the balls as it would be huge and extremely heavy. So I gotta find some way of storing these out in the open?

 

[PolarBear]

now I'm worried about storing the ball in dark spaces. I couldn't build a wall rack for the balls as it would be huge and extremely heavy. So I gotta find some way of storing these out in the open?

You would probably have to rotate them too, otherwise the other side may discolor. Have you tried emailing Saluc about this to see if they know what causes the aging?

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

You would probably have to rotate them too, otherwise the other side may discolor. Have you tried emailing Saluc about this to see if they know what causes the aging?

Funny you should ask, I just did. I'll let you guys know if I hear anything from them.

 

[blackflagsailor]

Funny you should ask, I just did. I'll let you guys know if I hear anything from them.

Please do. It would be interesting to hear what they say.

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

Please do. It would be interesting to hear what they say.

I'm not holding my breath because it seems some of these companies don't seem to have it together enough to actually respond. They have a "contact us" message system but then they don't reply. But we'll see. I also asked them if there is a way to restore yellowed balls back to original condition.

 

[blackflagsailor]

I have emailed Aramith before concerning a different topic in the past. They responded. I was shocked. Didn't hear back when I tried contacting other manufacturers in the past. Anyway, hopefully you'll hear back. Though, they'll probably recommend you use their products.

 

[Bob Jewett]

.... Okay so for future reference; I've been collecting a lot of different billiard ball sets over the last few months ...

If you're seriously into this and are interested in antique balls, you should get "Pool & Billiard Collectibles", a book by Mark and Connie Stellinga. It runs about $60 on Ebay. If you contact Mark, he could probably give you good info on preserving what you have.

 

[PC_John]

Anyone use clorox? If so how much?

 

[ineedthe8]

You guys are thinking to hard. Just give it to your wives.

 

[blackflagsailor]

Avoid anything with bleach. Or so I've heard.

 

[blackflagsailor]

If you're seriously into this and are interested in antique balls, you should get "Pool & Billiard Collectibles", a book by Mark and Connie Stellinga. It runs about $60 on Ebay. If you contact Mark, he could probably give you good info on preserving what you have.

No not so much into antique balls. More like collecting some of the Aramith sets that are out now as well as some other unique billiard balls.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Avoid anything with bleach. Or so I've heard.

Chlorine turns the balls purple. It goes away after a while. Or at least that's what happened when I tried it about 20 years ago.

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

OK, I just got this email from Aramith:

Dear Sir,

Please note that the color change over time is a normal ageing and an intrinsic behaviour of the phenolic resin, just like ivory for instance.

The phenolic resin is the key factor giving the outstanding and undisputed characteristics of the balls and the natural yellowing over time is its signature.

To minimize it, we recommend to keep the balls in a dark and dry place, when unused.

Please also note that beside the Aramith ball cleaner designed to maintain the balls in good condition, we have experienced that the Aramith restorer allows to recover partly the original ivory color.

Hoping this answers your query,

With best regards.

ARAMITH - BELGIUM

Based on this it sounds like the yellow cannot be completely removed but that Aramith Ball Restorer (and probably other compounds for autos etc) may reduce it a little.

It also sounds like the idea that keeping balls boxed up in the dark turns them yellow is an old wives tale myth. In fact Aramith recommends storing balls in a dark, dry place.

 

[blackflagsailor]

Interesting... Thanks for letting me know.

 

[blackflagsailor]

You know... I've read that plastics turn yellow from UV rays in sunlight and other sources containing UV rays.

Phenolic resin is in the plastics family or so I've come to understand. So if Aramith is right, this does make sense.

I hate this guessing stuff here...

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

Until I hear different from someone that can be considered a better authority than Aramtih, I'll go with their recommendations. I will keep my extra ball sets in the box with the cover on. I did move my box of Tournaments from the garage into the house where it is not as damp. I'm sure they will yellow over time (like Aramith said, it is the nature of the material) but they say storing them this way will minimize it, or delay the effects.

 

[blackflagsailor]

DogsPlayingPool - I agree with you. Well, this puts me back on for building an under table storage chest with drawers for all my ball sets. I started rethinking when I was hearing that they needed to be kept out in the light.