Chalk Off and Table Gaffyness

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pw98

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I play at a tournament in a room where at least one table is regularly sprayed with chalk-off. The table is a Brunswick Anniversary with the original rubber.

I play fine on the tables that don't have the chalk-off on them but when on the 'clean' tables I have serious trouble controlling the direction of the CB. I also seem to get a lot of skids but I'm not sure if that is the chalk-off or the humidity in that part of the room.

Basically the spin doesn't seem to grab very well on this table. I can slowly hit the CB square into the short rail with roll and a tip of english and it comes back way short of a diamond in direction.

A common problem when playing a game is I will hit a ball half-ball hit with center ball and the CB doesnt respond off the rail how I would expect (it comes short of any 'normal' table) and the run will be instantly blown. This stuff has happened again and again on this table and I was just told about the chalk-off by someone. I've failed miserably on this table in the past and it makes sense to me now because almost all my blown runs start with a shot coming way short.

Its also pretty common to stun the ball into the rail with sidespin and get basically no grab at all.

So I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for playing on this type of equipment. I'm a center ball player that rolls and stuns the CB and avoids draw shots and uses the rails for direction and it just doesn't seem to work well on this equipment. My fargo is ~650.

I know we are playing on the same table but I have to give weight and its hard to win giving a spot when you are blowing runs and giving games away.
 
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CO has been around forever and to be honest i've never heard this complaint before. Maybe they use too much and cloth is slightly damp. Only thing i think of.
 
Interesting. I want to see where this thread goes. My opinion, the table issue needs to be corrected, whatever it is. I seem to remember events sponsored by chalk off where the table was cleaned with chalk off after every game with no public complaints. Of course that might have been not biting the hand that was feeding the players. Still, issues as bad as you mention would have been impossible not to notice on video and the people in the booth would have to include the funky cushions in their comments.

At a guess, if chalk off is the issue it is because it is being misused. After every game was ridiculous but I understood it was more an ad than a need. With few people using hand chalk these days and them only a light touch, chalk off should be a once or twice a day thing if it is a primary table that sees heavy use. If a player gets carried away with chalk and it looks like a snowstorm hit the table then I understand cleaning it then too.

Hu
 
I'd rather vaccum the table then use any product. I had to clean about 15 tables daily when i worked in the pool hall.

The only advise i can give you playing wise is adjust to the table conditions.
 
ShootingArts said:
Interesting. I want to see where this thread goes. My opinion, the table issue needs to be corrected, whatever it is. I seem to remember events sponsored by chalk off where the table was cleaned with chalk off after every game with no public complaints. Of course that might have been not biting the hand that was feeding the players. Still, issues as bad as you mention would have been impossible not to notice on video and the people in the booth would have to include the funky cushions in their comments.

At a guess, if chalk off is the issue it is because it is being misused. After every game was ridiculous but I understood it was more an ad than a need. With few people using hand chalk these days and them only a light touch, chalk off should be a once or twice a day thing if it is a primary table that sees heavy use. If a player gets carried away with chalk and it looks like a snowstorm hit the table then I understand cleaning it then too.

Hu
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When the stuff first came out my local joint got a few demo cans. Stuff worked as advertised IF you used it as instructed. Don't use too much. We never had any issues as described by OP. Another version was QuikClean. About the same deal.
 
Zerksies said:
I'd rather vaccum the table then use any product. I had to clean about 15 tables daily when i worked in the pool hall.

The only advise i can give you playing wise is adjust to the table conditions.
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Vacuuming is great but it still doesn't actually clean the cloth fibers. Best stuff i've seen for this is one cap of Woolite in a gallon of water. Use microfiber cloths. Works great. In a busy room might do it once a month. Can also put some in a spray bottle for a wipe down after vac'ing.
 
garczar said:
Vacuuming is great but it still doesn't actually clean the cloth fibers. Best stuff i've seen for this is one cap of Woolite in a gallon of water. Use microfiber cloths. Works great. In a busy room might do it once a month. Really takes the dirt out of the cloth.
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I vaccumed daily, table dirtiness was never an issue for me. Hot Spots or worn out cloth was the issue we changed cloth every 6 months
 
I have played in bars that don't even know what a vacuum is. If such an establishment even has a brush we do the best we can to sweep the debris under the cushions.
 
garczar said:
Never played in a place that vac'd daily. Weekly if you were lucky.
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The one place that i use to go too, It's a nice setup, but the cleaniness is horrbile.

It would be great if he did it daily. I cleaned about 15 tables in an hour I had a good system. Me and my coworkers all got together we gave each other tips. Near the end of working thier i would get all the tables cleaned, trash and ash trays and clean the balls within 45 minutes.
 
I've used Chalk Off for a few years now over two separate cloth installs and haven't had any issue. The old cloth felt new when it was replaced and I only ever mist the product over the table bed. Once every two weeks.

I do only spray it after vacuuming and the Simonis x1 cleaner are run over it.
 
garczar said:
When the stuff first came out my local joint got a few demo cans. Stuff worked as advertised IF you used it as instructed. Don't use too much. We never had any issues as described by OP. Another version was QuikClean. About the same deal.
Click to expand...

I have a feeling that if chalk off is the issue somebody is hosing down the table with it. I seem to remember a light dusting is all that is needed but I have never used the product.

Hu
 
I think you shouldn't put anything on the cloth that doesn't evaporate completely. Vacuuming and maybe rubbing with a damp microfiber cloth is sufficient.
 
Are those chemicals that require a well ventilated area or face mask.

I can imagine young children getting mercury happy with that stuff.
 
If CB spin isn’t taking as much off the rails as you think it should on these tables, I’d suspect the CB more than the cloth. Are they cleaning/polishing the balls with something that’s leaving them too slick? Do you have a clean but not slick CB you could take with you to compare its action to theirs?
 
DeadStick said:
If CB spin isn’t taking as much off the rails as you think it should on these tables, I’d suspect the CB more than the cloth. Are they cleaning/polishing the balls with something that’s leaving them too slick? Do you have a clean but not slick CB you could take with you to compare its action to theirs?
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I'll take a look at that but the balls we use on the other tables are the same and those tables seem to play more on system.
 
I used to use these products when I first got my table around 2005 (Jesus...what happened to all those years????). I don't really recall if it made the table play wonky or not. I always noticed the difference in play with clean balls more.

I can say that I suspected that these aerosol were bad for ones health...I used it in a not so ventilated basement. Simonis X-1 user these days.

Curious as to what you find out about this though. Good luck.
 
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