Is it "Cheap" to Sand Down Cubes of Master Chalk ?

C

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pool chalk is not the most efficient accessory in the poolroom. Over the years I've generally been spoiled to the extent that I throw away pieces of Master chalk when they get to the point that many people think it is just getting broken in, and have pretty much done that for all the Master chalk used in our 10 table poolroom for 20+ years. I've always thought it was a waste in that you're throwing away the cube of chalk when you've likely used no more than 20% of the total chalk in the cube.

Recently, just for the heck of it, I've gotten in the habit of sanding used pieces of chalk down (simply flipped upsidedown) on a piece of 60 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. If you're doing a bunch of pieces, it can make a mess, so it's advised to do it outside on a table. After sanding it the necessary amount, you basically have a new looking piece of chalk - just a little shorter. I can do this a few times per piece, until the side of the chalk goes from 7/8" down to about 1/2". You could go even further, but the paper wrapper usually is about worn out by that time, and it seems a little extreme to go any further than that.

Another factor is that a growing number of the regular players and weekly tournament players in here, including myself, use their personal chalk these days, so most of the players using the shorter cubes of Master are the recreational players, whom quite likely don't care and may not even realize they're playing with recycled chalk.

As a result, instead of going through a gross box (144 pieces) of Master blue chalk about every 2 months, now I can get close to 6 months out of a box. The roughly $100 in savings per year is irrelevant in the big picture, but it makes me feel better about not wasting perfectly good chalk. Just curious how others here would view a poolroom owner/manager who does this?
 
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I sand mine all the time. It's not being cheap. No reason to toss a piece that can still be used. Like a lead pencil shave it till it's not usable.
....I trim the paper edge with a sharp scissor and then sand. As for seeing shaved chalk in a poolroom...no big deal. Beats a worn out piece.
 
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Oh God, this brings back memories. Not with Masters chalk, but but National Tournament Chalk. I did the same thing that you're describing. Went out to my car, on the way to the pool room. Took a piece of chalk, and ground it against the pavement, so that it would not be a shell.

That was the early 80s. Since then, I chalk much better, to not grind a hole. I don't grind a hole. But, your question brought back memories.

All the best,
WW
 
Do it with Predator, but I'm the cheapest SOB I know.

Wouldn't waste time on a two bit cube of Master, at least not past the paper wrap.

Didn't know margins were that thin. No wonder so many rooms go tango uniform.
 
Here's a little secret: Good players don't drill holes into the chalk to make it need sanding. It is only The Borer Tribe who does that. Most of the Borer people won't notice if you give them the imported chalk that is three cubes for a penny.

Seriously, go to a major pool tournament with a lot of top players. The chalk does not have the wear pattern you see among non-players. You may want to ask yourself why that is.
 
This is funny......hey half the regular folks take the Masters room chalk home with them when fresh is put out. That's Cheap and tacky.

I just took about 1/4" off my Magic Chalk that I have been using for about a year. Fresh as a daisy:groucho:

-Kat,
 
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if you are going to do it on a large scale at least use a belt sander. this way it only takes a few seconds to do it.
 
Yes, I do it to my own chalk on the edge of a sidewalk.

But for a pool room to do that, yes thats about as cheap as cheap can be.

If someone orders a burger platter with fries, and they dont eat the pickle, do you put those back in the bucket too? :thumbup:
 
Not to be wasteful but when I hear things like this and the savings is $100 per year, I ask myself why is my time worth? $100 wont even get you into Disneyland. Better off collecting aluminum cans or plastic bottles and you get excessive. Unless of course you need to strengthen your grip and this helps you with that task.


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One room owner in the 90's I used to frequent did that, and I thought he was super cheap for doing that. Many other players did as well. I was a teenager.

Now that I'm about to be 40 this month, and have seen a bunch of rooms with worn out chalk that is horrible to use, I actually appreciate that he was keeping the chalk nicer for the players.
 
DrawBack74 said:
Not to be wasteful but when I hear things like this and the savings is $100 per year, I ask myself why is my time worth? $100 wont even get you into Disneyland. Better off collecting aluminum cans or plastic bottles and you get excessive. Unless of course you need to strengthen your grip and this helps you with that task.


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I'm not a room owner, but perhaps small things like this can add up, IF they are done during dead time when the worker is not doing anything else. For example if the tables are vacuumed twice per day instead of once per day, that might help the cloth last 1 month longer. Little things like that could add up to a few thousand dollars in one year, for a business.

Again, it only makes financial sense if it does not take you away from other work that would return more money for the same time invested.
 
ChrisinNC said:
Pool chalk is not the most efficient accessory in the poolroom. Over the years I've generally been spoiled to the extent that I throw away pieces of Master chalk when they get to the point that many people think it is just getting broken in, and have pretty much done that for all the Master chalk used in our 10 table poolroom for 20+ years. I've always thought it was a waste in that you're throwing away the cube of chalk when you've likely used no more than 20% of the total chalk in the cube.

Recently, just for the heck of it, I've gotten in the habit of sanding used pieces of chalk down (simply flipped upsidedown) on a piece of 60 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. If you're doing a bunch of pieces, it can make a mess, so it's advised to do it outside on a table. After sanding it the necessary amount, you basically have a new looking piece of chalk - just a little shorter. I can do this a few times per piece, until the side of the chalk goes from 7/8" down to about 1/2". You could go even further, but the paper wrapper usually is about worn out by that time, and it seems a little extreme to go any further than that.

Another factor is that a growing number of the regular players and weekly tournament players in here, including myself, use their personal chalk these days, so most of the players using the shorter cubes of Master are the recreational players, whom quite likely don't care and may not even realize they're playing with recycled chalk.

As a result, instead of going through a gross box (144 pieces) of Master blue chalk about every 2 months, now I can get close to 6 months out of a box. The roughly $100 in savings per year is irrelevant in the big picture, but it makes me feel better about not wasting perfectly good chalk. Just curious how others here would view a poolroom owner/manager who does this?
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As a retired business owner, it's not worth it when the savings is so little.

The players that notice are usually pool players and pool players are cheap and don't spend money. Example: guys that play $500 sets but will not buy a coke or burger. Don't even mention tip....lol... not gonna happen.

The "people" (not players) that don't notice are not players and they are usually the folks that spend money (keep your doors open) on food, drinks and table time. Example: league player that eats before league starts and drinks beer during league.

Again, most pool players are cheap, cheap, cheap.....

It's a no brainer.
 
No problem sanding chalk for my own personal use as I also do not like using chalk beyond the 20% down mark as it then begins to get all over the ferrule.
 
If I’m in a room with worn poor pieces of chalk I simply ask the counter person for a new piece.
Being cheap and conserving are not the same.
 
In the 1960s the poolrooms in SF regularly took down the edges. I think they did it with a coarse file.

As for the trouble of doing it to save $100 a year, I guess you could figure that ten seconds of time invested doubles the life of a piece of chalk. Is that worth it?
 
maha said:
if you are going to do it on a large scale at least use a belt sander. this way it only takes a few seconds to do it.
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It's very quick, a belt sander is not needed. Less than 10 seconds per piece. Including the time to get all the pieces together, take them out to the porch, sand them, clean up the mess, etc., it's still well less than 30 seconds per piece when I'm doing 40+ pieces at a time.
 
ChrisinNC said:
It's very quick, a belt sander is not needed. Less than 10 seconds per piece. Including the time to get all the pieces together, take them out to the porch, sand them, clean up the mess, etc., it's still well less than 30 seconds per piece when I'm doing 40+ pieces at a time.
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Sanding chalk with a belt sander is a perfect way to injure your fingers/hand. Chris...it's your room your house your expenses. Never mind what anyone thinks.

The definition of CHEAP....some of my friends that never bought me a beer or grabbed the bill. :D
 
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