Magic Rack Material Change

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poolwizard

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Would it not make sense to make the magic rack have some type of material that mimics or is exactly like table cloth instead of slick plastic?
This would be extremely useful when ball(s) remain on the rack after the break and for some reason you are unable to remove the magic rack (i.e. two or more balls are frozen to each other).

It would also help that the bottom of the magic rack would have some material that would adhere to the cloth better. Im not saying that it should be as strong as velcro but there should be enough adhesion between rack and cloth for a cue ball with any kind of spin, especially follow or draw, to be able to go over the magic rack without the magic rack slipping and therefor changing the path of the cue ball.

With a rack that remains on the table during the break you would think that the creator would want it to be nearly invisible with respect of object/cue ball path.
 
It would still change the course of a ball when it rolls over it and increase the overall cost of the magic rack itself. No- I think the material it currently uses is probably fine just take it off the table after you break if you want to.
 
poolwizard said:
Would it not make sense to make the magic rack have some type of material that mimics or is exactly like table cloth instead of slick plastic?
This would be extremely useful when ball(s) remain on the rack after the break and for some reason you are unable to remove the magic rack (i.e. two or more balls are frozen to each other).

It would also help that the bottom of the magic rack would have some material that would adhere to the cloth better. Im not saying that it should be as strong as velcro but there should be enough adhesion between rack and cloth for a cue ball with any kind of spin, especially follow or draw, to be able to go over the magic rack without the magic rack slipping and therefor changing the path of the cue ball.

With a rack that remains on the table during the break you would think that the creator would want it to be nearly invisible with respect of object/cue ball path.
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Cloth or material on the bottom would make it thicker, affecting how the balls that fly off it and roll over it change paths. The thinner it is, the better. A thick material would launch balls off the rack after the break like a ramp.
 
zpele said:
It would still change the course of a ball when it rolls over it and increase the overall cost of the magic rack itself. No- I think the material it currently uses is probably fine just take it off the table after you break if you want to.
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For most situations the rack can be removed with no problem, I am talking about those few time that for some reason too many balls are on the rack or if moving frozen balls that are on the rack will change the layout of the balls.
 
hang-the-9 said:
Cloth or material on the bottom would make it thicker, affecting how the balls that fly off it and roll over it change paths. The thinner it is, the better. A thick material would launch balls off the rack after the break like a ramp.
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Well that is the challenge of it making it as thin as it is but with my suggested alterations.
I don't have the answer to the problem but just wanted the input of the community.
I have not once yet use the rack at a bar without somebody saying, "I dont like it! It changes the path of the balls on the break!" Well I think if you can somehow manage to keep it as thin as it is right now but with my suggestions it might make it a better rack.
 
poolwizard said:
Well that is the challenge of it making it as thin as it is but with my suggested alterations.
I don't have the answer to the problem but just wanted the input of the community.
I have not once yet use the rack at a bar without somebody saying, "I dont like it! It changes the path of the balls on the break!" Well I think if you can somehow manage to keep it as thin as it is right now but with my suggestions it might make it a better rack.
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I don't know of any cloth material you can make that thin. Maybe weave it from spider silk or carbon fiber. Let's make it cost $500 for a rack :-) The change in direction or any rolls that a ball may take when it hits it are no different than the random spread you get anyway, it's still random, but the rack is tight.
 
hang-the-9 said:
I don't know of any cloth material you can make that thin. Maybe weave it from spider silk or carbon fiber. Let's make it cost $500 for a rack :-) The change in direction or any rolls that a ball may take when it hits it are no different than the random spread you get anyway, it's still random, but the rack is tight.
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lol I doubt it will cost 500. Im sure there is a material out there that is ideal for my idea. I would gladly pay $120-40 for a rack that would do what the magic rack does even better. A Delta 13 cost about the same.

For the record I currently use the magic rack as much as I can when I play. There is almost no better feeling that knowing that you have a perfect rack when you're about to break.
 
Regardless of how the thickness of a cloth-like material might throw off the performance, how do you keep a woven cloth dimensionally stable enough to hold it's shape?
 
It would be nice, esp for 14.1/ 1p.

You know what I wish ,though? I wish there was a way that I could play tennis ouside, in the rain, and not get wet. Now that would really be something. Something Beastie.
 
it makes u long for the good ole days when the loser wracked the balls. it seems to me these new gadgets haven't solved the problem but have made spin-offs of various issues related to the age old perfection problem of the "perfect rack." personally there is nothing more satisfying than making a solid break no matter who, how, or what racks the balls.
 
poolwizard said:
lol I doubt it will cost 500. Im sure there is a material out there that is ideal for my idea. I would gladly pay $120-40 for a rack that would do what the magic rack does even better. A Delta 13 cost about the same.

For the record I currently use the magic rack as much as I can when I play. There is almost no better feeling that knowing that you have a perfect rack when you're about to break.
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Have you priced spider silk lately? Or low production carbon fiber? Would be $500 for those materials.

Maybe not carbon fiber, that's pretty established so may be under $500 a rack, but I doubt they can make it better than a thin plastic sheet. You will have way more issues with table roll during shots, rails not being 100% true, fly crap on the cloth, etc.. than with the MR doing anything bad. I have been so-so on the MR during 9 ball lately. If you get a player that knows what's what with the rack, you can have even a B player manage the break so there is an easy layout for the run, and a pro can easily string racks on you like nothing.

For 10 ball, it's the best rack, period.
 
Black-Balled said:
It would be nice, esp for 14.1/ 1p.

You know what I wish ,though? I wish there was a way that I could play tennis ouside, in the rain, and not get wet. Now that would really be something. Something Beastie.
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Coat yourself in oil, no water will get to you.
 
Black-Balled said:
It would be nice, esp for 14.1/ 1p.

You know what I wish ,though? I wish there was a way that I could play tennis ouside, in the rain, and not get wet. Now that would really be something. Something Beastie.
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That is what I had in mind when I wrote this thread. Since in straight pool and one pocket the rack stays relatively together after the break it would be hard to remove the rack. So it would be better for the rack to react like cloth and not like plastic when the cue ball or object ball passes over the rack.

One pocket magnifies the need for this since the balls, at least in the beginning of the game, are all packed together over the rack and you are shooting balls around where the rack would be.
 
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I think people are making this too tough. On the rare occasions that two balls remain clustered on the rack, just mark one ball and pick up the rack. If the balls were open to a pocket make sure when replacing the ball it goes again and vice versa.

Any inconvenience is outweighed by the ability to get a tight rack. Good racking or bad racking or inconsistent racking should never be a factor in who wins a match and this magic rack will make sure of that.
 
mikeiniowa said:
I think people are making this too tough. On the rare occasions that two balls remain clustered on the rack, just mark one ball and pick up the rack. If the balls were open to a pocket make sure when replacing the ball it goes again and vice versa.

Any inconvenience is outweighed by the ability to get a tight rack. Good racking or bad racking or inconsistent racking should never be a factor in who wins a match and this magic rack will make sure of that.
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What do you do in one pocket or in straight pool when you are using the magic eight ball rack?
 
I don't think it can work with other games. One pocket and straight pool where you feather the balls.? No way.
 
It's not made for soft breaking games in the first place. It's silly to use it for one pocket or straight pool.
 
The 2 problems with a "cloth" magic rack are this.

1. Cloth is way too thick. Have you ever played with a break cloth and had a ball roll over the break cloth? It completely changes the direction of the ball. If you make it as thin as a magic rack it would have to be a completely different material then pool table cloth, which defeats the purpose of using a cloth anyways.

2. How would a cloth hold its shape?

The magic rack the way it is designed really can't be improved upon. Either you like it or you don't. The rare occurance that a ball ends up on the rack is really a non issue.
 
Imo this rack should have never made it into the game of pool. It should have been stopped as soon as the first knowledgable person realized it can effect ball roll.

But now that its here and it does give a "perfect" rack in the sense that it freezes every ball then unfortunatly im afraid it may become the rack of choice. But then again i thought the sardo would be the end all and that did'nt happen so idk.

But hey you know the positive side is players will hopefully argue less over the rack now that may be worth the trade of effecting ball roll for some lol!

Sometimes i still think i wish i could have been a pro but then i see them and i tell ya it just looks brutal sometimes like they have no fun at all i know they do at times but dang it looks so stressful, hopefully one day will come when a pro can make a decent salary win or lose like a baseball or football player of course i know it wouldnt be near that amount of cash but maybe enough to relieve some stress.
 
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