"Gold Crown" Ball Polisher

rexus31

rexus31

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
First, huge shoutout to Glen for his assistance thus far on my project. I restored my Gold Crown I about two years ago with matching custom Gold Crown Light I built and I also restored a Gold Crown Cue Rack for my room. I've been using a bucket polisher for years to polish my ball sets (16 at current) but I always wanted a ball polisher in the Gold Crown motif to match the theme of my room. I've got enough left over 1" plywood to build it and I finally decided to start. I will say this: I know why Diamond charges $600 for their single platter. I'll be in it about $300-$375 in parts and materials and that's without the wood. This is a pretty labor intensive project and I estimate I'll have 15-20 hours in it when it's all painted and looking pretty. As for the Gold Crown elements: arched bottoms of the cabinet side panels to mimic the pedestals, rounded corners on the cabinet and top (no sharp angles on a Gold Crown I), sides of the top will have the same shape as Gold Crown aprons and of course, painted to match my table, light and rack. The inner workings will be Glen's design: fan motor, belt driven with 4:1 reduction, pillow bock bearings and engineered to spiral the balls. I've still got a ways to go but here's some progress pics.

Cabinet mock up:
51761234693_fd209c4bfb_h.jpg


Cabinet rough assembly with platter:
51761234763_71eb8cdfa4_h.jpg


Quarter round installed:
51760992481_75df30b324_h.jpg


Lid mocked up to check clearance:
51760992406_af3f5c3de7_h.jpg


51761858670_03916d490d_h.jpg
 
Nice work!

You seem to do so much of this type of work that it might be helpful if you used an engineering CAD program. The latest one I use at my dayjob is called Onshape. They have a free version for hobbyists. Highly recommend.
 
rexus31 said:
First, huge shoutout to Glen for his assistance thus far on my project. I restored my Gold Crown I about two years ago with matching custom Gold Crown Light I built and I also restored a Gold Crown Cue Rack for my room. I've been using a bucket polisher for years to polish my ball sets (16 at current) but I always wanted a ball polisher in the Gold Crown motif to match the theme of my room. I've got enough left over 1" plywood to build it and I finally decided to start. I will say this: I know why Diamond charges $600 for their single platter. I'll be in it about $300-$375 in parts and materials and that's without the wood. This is a pretty labor intensive project and I estimate I'll have 15-20 hours in it when it's all painted and looking pretty. As for the Gold Crown elements: arched bottoms of the cabinet side panels to mimic the pedestals, rounded corners on the cabinet and top (no sharp angles on a Gold Crown I), sides of the top will have the same shape as Gold Crown aprons and of course, painted to match my table, light and rack. The inner workings will be Glen's design: fan motor, belt driven with 4:1 reduction, pillow bock bearings and engineered to spiral the balls. I've still got a ways to go but here's some progress pics.

Cabinet mock up:
51761234693_fd209c4bfb_h.jpg


Cabinet rough assembly with platter:
51761234763_71eb8cdfa4_h.jpg


Quarter round installed:
51760992481_75df30b324_h.jpg


Lid mocked up to check clearance:
51760992406_af3f5c3de7_h.jpg


51761858670_03916d490d_h.jpg
Click to expand...
Please tell me that you are going to round over the edges on top to mimic a Gold Crown rail.
 
What hp and rpm motor are you using? Also does the platter turn in a perfect circle or does it oscillate ?
 
TrxR said:
What hp and rpm motor are you using? Also does the platter turn in a perfect circle or does it oscillate ?
Click to expand...
Same motor Diamond uses: 1/3hp Dayton, 1,725rpm at a 4:1 reduction. The platter will spin at 431rpm, just like the Diamond unit. No, the platter will not oscillate.
 
rexus31 said:
Same motor Diamond uses: 1/3hp Dayton, 1,725rpm at a 4:1 reduction. The platter will spin at 431rpm, just like the Diamond unit. No, the platter will not oscillate.
Click to expand...
Im curious how you get the balls to rotate and not just spin in one direction?
 
TrxR said:
Im curious how you get the balls to rotate and not just spin in one direction?
Click to expand...
I have a Diamond double disk unit and I think the rotation comes from the spinning disk imparting side spin. It is not like the balls are sitting on a belt sander, the disk rotation is not "straight"
 
TrxR said:
Im curious how you get the balls to rotate and not just spin in one direction?
Click to expand...
joelpope said:
I have a Diamond double disk unit and I think the rotation comes from the spinning disk imparting side spin. It is not like the balls are sitting on a belt sander, the disk rotation is not "straight"
Click to expand...
The spinning platter is offset to line up on the edge of one end of the lid opening (just like the Diamond unit). This offset is what causes the balls to rotate/spiral.

51764933616_c698dc6234_h.jpg
 
rexus31 said:
The bottom edges of the top will be routered using a quarter round bit and the corners of the top will have quarter round installed.
Click to expand...
The teardrop shape (if thats what we call it) of the GC rail would be really cool on the top of your polisher. I suppose it could be pretty difficult to do though.
 
rexus31 said:
Not sure what you are referring to.
Click to expand...
The curved shape of the GC rail. You know, Diamonds have that big flat slab on top of the rail but GC's have that more appealing look where the rail gradually curves down from the cushion to the edge of the rail.
 
rexus31 said:
The spinning platter is offset to line up on the edge of one end of the lid opening (just like the Diamond unit). This offset is what causes the balls to rotate/spiral.

51764933616_c698dc6234_h.jpg
Click to expand...
Thanks i had a thought something was offset but for some reason i was thinking the shaft the platter went on was not centered in the platter but then thought no that would cause vibration .

If i was in the position to need one myself i would probably just buy a Diamond but i like to know how things work as well.

Nice work looking forward to seeing the final product .
 
fastone371 said:
The curved shape of the GC rail. You know, Diamonds have that big flat slab on top of the rail but GC's have that more appealing look where the rail gradually curves down from the cushion to the edge of the rail.
Click to expand...
Got it. Yeah, no interest in attempting that. The top is flat.
 
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